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Before planning to visit Oman, I never even thought of it as a place to snorkel. I knew about diving in the Red Sea, but had never heard of similar activities in the Gulf of Oman. But then I learned about Oman’s Ad Dimaniyat Islands.
While researching tour options, I saw you could take a tour to the Ad Dimaniyat Islands from Muscat. We decided to give it a go during our first few days in Muscat and had such a good time that I’d even say it was one of the trip’s highlights. Here’s what it’s like taking a Dimaniyat Islands tour to snorkel and see turtles and coral reefs.
Where are the Ad Dimaniyat Islands?
The Ad Dimaniyat Islands, sometimes spelled Daymaniyat Islands, are a small cluster of nine protected, uninhabited islands northwest of Muscat in the Gulf of Oman.
They sit in a neat line, and their shape provides many protected coves with calm, sheltered waters. You won’t see much on the islands themselves. They’re mostly barren red rocks, although some manmade towers and structures do occupy one or two.
And yet, there’s a beauty to these quiet, rugged islands, surrounded by bright and clear water. And that’s before mentioning the local birds and marine life that call them home.
Getting to the Dimaniyat Islands from Muscat takes roughly 45 minutes each way. This time can fly by when the sea is calm, and the boat ride is relatively gentle.
How to get to the Ad Dimaniyat Islands?
It should be no real surprise that you need to book a boat tour to visit the Ad Dimaniyat Islands.
Most island tours are half-day, lasting for roughly 5 hours — we took this snorkeling tour and had an excellent time. Booking a morning tour was nice, since the islands were quieter early on and it wasn’t too hot out of the water.
The main thing to know about island tours is that there are two ports near Muscat. Some tours leave from Al Mouj Marina, others, like ours, depart from Al Seeb Port. None of the tours I looked at included transfers to or from the port/marina, so you’ll need to make your own way there and back.
Both harbours aren’t near the main areas of Muscat, so you’ll want to book a rideshare/taxi. We used Otaxi to get to and from Seeb Port, as we did everywhere. The trip each way cost us roughly 5 OMR (~13 USD), which is great for the distance. Just check how long it might take to get there in advance, as the drive is roughly 30-0
What to bring on your boat tour?
As with any tour of this nature, proper packing and preparation make a big difference.
Of course, your most important items to pack are swimwear, a towel, and a change of clothes. Oman is a conservative country, so you shouldn’t be walking around the marina in your swimwear.
Either wear it underneath your other clothes on the way to the tour or wait to change in the small toilet on board the boat.
The other swimming-related stuff, such as snorkelling gear and life jackets are provided. There’s no shame in using the jackets if you’re not confident in the water; many people do.
Other things to think of are sunscreen for when you’re out of the water and a hat, although it may blow off if you’re not careful.
If you have facial hair, as I do, pack some Vaseline. Applying it can improve the seal around your face mask, slowing down how quickly water leaks in—or shave.
The tour provides lots of water, and also juice and snacks like sandwiches and fruit, which they hand out at the end of swimming. I still had my own water bottle just to make sure, though.
Some nice-to-haves are a waterproof case for your phone, so you can take photos/videos. The quality through them may not be as good as that from a GoPro, but I got a lot of use out of mine in Oman, between the boat tour and visiting different wadis to swim in.
Finally, while there wasn’t too much spray or splashing on the ride, a dry bag for your belongings, like a wallet, is a good idea.
What you can see on a Dimaniyat Islands boat tour
But why exactly is a Dimaniyat Islands boat tour worth doing?
Well, the short answer is turtles. The islands are a protected breeding ground for turtles, and you have good odds of seeing them in the water
We saw over a dozen during our first swimming stop — one even gently swam into my back, they were that unfazed by our presence.
Spotting the turtles, or the diverse species of fish and coral, isn’t a problem at the Dimaniyat Islands. Water clarity throughout was fantastic at each of the three swimming stops.
As for the swimming stops themselves, each was in a protected area near an island and was shared among several small boats. The skippers from the boats would work together to keep an eye on everyone in the water.
I don’t know how long exactly we had at each stop, but I’d guess at least 30 minutes. It felt like how long we stayed depended more on when we’d all had enough.
What I wasn’t expecting to see was coral, but two of the spots had plenty. Now, it wasn’t vividly colorful like what you might see in parts of the Great Barrier Reef, but the scale and variety of shapes and styles made it interesting to explore.
While turtles are the main draw, the islands also offer plenty of fish to look at at each stop. Even better, you don’t need to worry about any threats here, like sharks or jellyfish!
I should say that if you’re intimidated by open waters, two of the stops were relatively shallow. While you couldn’t (or shouldn’t) walk around, I understand that can make it feel less daunting.
One thing we didn’t experience was walking onto the islands. Some tours mention going ashore, but that is only permitted between November 1st and April 30th. This is presumably to protect the turtles and local birds, so please respect that rule.
