Locals and diving

Eid weekend in Oman saw lots of locals out and about enjoying BBQs on their beautiful beaches, seems the most common way to travel to private little bays is via a long boat. I assume they work a similar system to water taxis back home. There certainly was a continuous buzz of outboard motors going all day across the bay. This photo is taken from end of the peninsular just prior to sunset, just one of many boats taking people back to their cars.




From what I could gather most people seem to be heading to and from this bay - guessing it was the popular access spot where water taxi services could be found?




I did my PADI advanced certification (finally after years of procrastinating about doing it) while in Oman. Was great fun; water vis about same as BoP in the Omani winter season (apparently it is blue water and great vis in the in summer season). Water temperatures, however, rocked at a pleasant 28 degrees, ahhhhhh lovely. Instructor for the course was a neat local guy called Yaqoob, he was good value and even took his own camera out for one of the dives so I had some photos to take home. Gotta love that.



One family were lucky enough to see a Whale Shark while doing their Open Water cert - the day before I went diving. But still I was rapt as the marine life was abundant and the water unpolluted; I saw amongst other things, turtles, lobsters, lots of varieties of fish and moray eels, cuttle fish, octopus and the wreck Al Munnassir (where these photos were taken). Al Munnassir rests in about 30metres of water. She was sunk deliberately for diving and has a healthy population of Moray eels and other cool marine life in residence.



Was incredibly nice to get back in water again - if you are ever in Oman check out the Oman Dive Center, fabulous location, operation and great people.