Snorkeling with turtles in the Daymaniyat Islands, Oman (Full Review)

Oman Locations Middle East

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Summary

By Luke

Summary

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

By Luke

Turtles, turtles, and more turtles. The Daymaniats are home to many of Turtles, Moray Eels, Rays, Cuttlefish, and at certain times of year Whale Sharks. The nature reserve is a fantastic snorkel and experience off the coast of Muscat, Oman. The islands have some of the world’s remaining pristine corals which is a joy to see when snorkeling.

Pros

  • Pristine Massive corals and table corals.
  • Diverse marine life
  • Likely to see turtles.

Cons

  • Whale Sharks seen specific times of year.
  • Water can be green in November and December due to algae.
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Snorkel Video

Snorkeling the Daymaniyat Islands

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Snorkel Snaps

Hawksbill Turtle
Hawksbill Turtle, Daymaniyats
Boulder Coral Forest | Snorkelverse © 2023
Massive Boulder Coral Underwater Forest
Purple-Brown Parrot Fish School
Snake Eel
Daymaniat Islands, Oman 2022
Daymaniat Islands
Single Coral with an abundance of life
Daymaniat Islands Turtle
Daymaniat Islands, Oman | Snorkelverse © 2023
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Snorkel Review

Highlights

Coral Reef Icon

Coral present

Thermometer Icon

1-4 Meters Average Depth

Australian Mado Icon

Very good visibility

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East to medium difficulty

Food Drink Icon

No Cafe’s at Islands

Econonic Financial Icon

Tours approx $80 USD

Sea Urchin Icon

Sea Urchins Present

Jellyfish Icon

Unlikely

When:

Who:

Cost:

Star Rating:

Cost:

2018/19/21/22

Luke

$70-$80 USD (30 OMR), 4 hour trip

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

The Daymaniyat Islands (Daymaniyats), are a group of protected islands situated approximately 69 km (43 m) off the coast of Muscat, Oman, in the Middle East. The protected nature reserve consists of 9 islands. The surrounding crystal clear waters are home to rich coral reef ecosystems, which is host several marine species.

The Islands are home to incredibly diverse marine life and wildlife which you can encounter on a snorkel trip. The islands are an attraction for its turtle residence, crystal clear waters, and once in a lifetime snorkel experience. Whale Sharks can even inhabit the deeper waters at certain times of the year!

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Where is the Daymaniyat Islands?

Located just off the coast of Muscat, Oman, in the Middle East. The Daymaniyat Island Nature Reserve is protected and has been from 1996 and are a collection of islands with many good quality coral reefs. These islands and surrounding waters are a haven for a wide variety of marine life and bird life.

Snorkel Spot

Daymaniyat Islands
Where turquoise waters meet rugged sandstone landscape
Daymaniat Islands Snorkel
Snorkeling shark bay
Daymaniyat Islands
The calm blue water contrasted with the rocky landscape
Daymaniyat Islands Boat
The view from a look out point on the island
Police Island
A view of Police Island, where marshals are stations to patrol the protected islands
Daymaniyat Islands
Daymaniyat Islands Viewpoint

In the shallow coral reef waters, you can normally see many Turtles feeding on the algae and vegetation, often feeding in large groups. You can see large schools of Purple-Grey Parrotfish feeding on the coral leaving clouds of sediment. Further out to the deeper coral you can spot the distinctive Honeycomb Moray Eel hiding in its den with its head poking out. I’ve seen some Moray Eels that have a soccer ball for a head, and up to 2 meters in length.

Spotted Eagle Rays can be seen gliding gracefully into the reef from the deeper sandy shores. These elegant creatures are usually seen cruising at depths of 3-5 meters. Finally at certain snorkel spots, such as Shark Bay, you can see Blacktip Reef Sharks swimming along the sandy channels.

More common reef fish such as the vibrant amber Arabian Butterflyfish, Arabian Surgeonfish, Damselfish, and Moorish Idols.

Vibrant Marine Life

About
Luke swimming with Green Turtles at the Daymaniyat Islands
Green Turtle, Daymaniyat Islands, Oman
Green Turtle in crystal clear waters
Top 10 Bucket List
Spotted Eagle Ray gliding
School of Parrotfish
School of Purple-Brown Parrot Fish

Staggering Coral Reef

Boulder Coral Forest
Massive Boulder Coral Underwater Forest
Table Coral
Damsels hovering over a healthy Table Coral
Daymaniat Islands Coral Reef
Massive Boulder And Table Coral formations

Safety Tip:

During my many trips to the islands, the most popular spot is what the tour operator Daymaniyat Shells call Turtle City. The sheltered bay has an abundance of coral, sea vegetation, and of course, many, many, many turtles! The turtles are here all year round and feed on the vegitation and can bes seen in large numbers feeding. Species vary from the more common Green Turtle, to the rare Hawksbill Turtle, and Olive Ridley Turtle.

Turtles, Turtles, and more Turtles

Turtle Feeding, Daymaniyats
Turtle Feeding on vegetation
Hawksbill Turtle
Hawksbill Turtle with Barnacles
Hawksbill Turtle
Green Turtle going up for a breath

Top Tip:

Check the wave level before booking a tour, from experience this can affect the water visibility and quality of the snorkel. This is the website I used to check the wave.

Magnificent Whale Sharks

If you visit the Daymaniyat islands September-October you can be lucky enough to see whale sharks feeding off the shore. These giants of the ocean can be seen towards the end of the year between September to November, as they migrate and feed on plankton rich waters. You will need to be on a boat/tour operator as the whale sharks are offshore and can be hard to spot. You can be lucky enough to see Bottlenose Dolphins and Spinner Dolphins on your boat journey off the North Oman coast.

Whale Shark Cruising
Whale Shark Cruising a few kilometer’s from the Daymaniyats
Whale Shark Tail
Ginormous Whale Shark Tail

On a specific snorkel trip to the Southern islands of the Daymaniyat Islands, the captain got word of Whale sharks feeding off the coast of Muscat, just off the Daymaniyat Islands. This was during the start of October when these gentle giants are known to feed in the waters off of Muscat, Oman. Whale Sharks are the largest fish in the Ocean, reaching lengths of 12 meters! These creatures are unfortunately Endangered creatures and can be very rare to see. Above was a picture of one of the larger adult Whale Sharks cruising in the deep blue waters.

Whale Shark Snorkel
Luke swimming Whale Sharks

Summary

Overall the Daymaniyat’s is one of my favourite snorkel locations in the world. It has high quality coral, turtles all year round, Reef sharks, Reef fish, crystal clear waters, and finally Spinner Dolphins and Whale Shark’s in the surrounding waters at certain times of the year. From the several snorkel trips I’ve been on over the years, the Daymaniyat’s is up there.

Tour Guide Options

There are a handful of tour operators running from Al Mouj Marina, which is located a 20 minute taxi journey East of Muscat centre. Check the snorkel operators trip advisor rating and reviews before making a decision, as safety is always a priority.

Best Time Of Year

Towards the end of the year (November-January) it is rare to see whale sharks and algae forms which can affect water visibility.

The best time of year to visit the Daymaniyat Islands are April to May and the end of September to early November. October is probably the best month to see whale sharks.

September and October Whale Sharks usually inhabit waters off of the islands. You can potentially see these giants on your boat trip to and from the Daymaniyat Islands. You will also likely see Green Turtles all year round.

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What I Saw

(Seen on multiple trips to Daymaniyat Islands 2018/19/21/22)

Green TurtleHawksbill Turtle
Oman CuttlefishHoneycomb Moray Eel
Blacktip Reef SharkStarry Pufferfish
Picasso TriggerfishBanded Snake Eel
Moorish IdolKeeltail Needlefish
Black Sea UrchinClark’s Anemonefish
Box PufferfishBluespotted Ribbontail Ray
Porcupine StingrayArabian Surgeonfish
Arabian ButterflyfishTeira Batfish
Sergeant Major DamselfishCrescent Wrasse
Acroporidae CoralMassive Boulder Coral
Brain CoralTable Coral
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Popular Marine Life

Parrotfish Icon

Parrotfish

Green Turtle Icon

Green Turtle

Pufferfish Icon

Pufferfish

Stingray Icon

Cowtail Stingray

Arabian Butterflyfish Icon

Arabian Butterflyfish

Arabian Surgeonfish Icon

Arabian Surgeonfish

Blacktip Reef Shark Icon

Blacktip Reef Shark

Picasso Triggerfish Icon

Picasso Triggerfish

Moorish Idol Icon

Moorish Idol

Sergeant Major Damselfish Icon

Damselfish

Cuttlefish Icon

Oman Cuttlefish

Honeycomb Moray Eel Icon

Honeycomb Moray Eel


Rare Marine Life Icon

Rare Marine Life

Eagle Ray Icon

Spotted Eagle Ray

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Spinner Dolphin

Snake Eel Icon

Banded Snake Eel

Whale Shark Icon

Whale Shark

Hawksbill Turtle Icon

Hawksbill Turtle

Sea Urchin Icon

Black Sea Urchin

Leopard Shark Icon

Leopard Sharks

Clark's Anemonefish Icon

Clark’s Anemonefish

Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray Icon

Blue Spotted Ribbontail Ray

Bat Fish Icon

Batfish

Octopus Icon

Common Octopus

Mantaray Icon

Reef Mantaray


Rare Marine Life Icon

Coral Reef

Table Coral Icon

Table Coral

Boulder Coral Icon

Massive Boulder Coral

Brain Coral Icon

Brain Coral

Acroporidae Coral Icon

Acroporidae Stoney Coral

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Frequently Asked Questions

Luke Snorkeling Nusa Lembongan

Luke

FOUNDER

Luke is a passionate snorkeler who started Snorkelverse to live his dream of combining his passions for snorkeling, marine life, protecting marine ecosystems, and helping others.

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