The Daymaniyat are located to the north of Muscat, and offer some of Oman’s best snorkelling opportunities. They are made up of nine islets, each surrounded by a coral reef and take about 30-60 minutes to reach from the marina in Muscat. They are an important nesting ground for hawsbill and green turtles as well as a range of migratory birds, including the rare sooty falcon. You are only allowed to land from May to the end of October. The snorkelling and diving is possible all year round, and you can see Murray Eel, sting rays, schools of fish, sometimes black tip sharks, with whale shark sightings possible in the summer.
For divers, you can also see the Sohal surgeonfish, Red Sea clownfish, Arabian butterflyfish, blackspotted rubberlip, Arabian Picasso triggerfish and Arabian angelfish. There are about 1,100 different species and offer a wonderful visibility of 20 to 30 metres. You can make use of walls, drop-offs, submerged reefs, swim-throughs and caves.