Considered one of the top diving spots in the country, the Daymaniyat islands Oman are also a great place to snorkel or just relax on the white sand beaches. Below is my travel guide to help you discover the rocky isles and their underwater world (with a video and many photos).
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VIDEO - Daymaniyat Islands Snorkeling tour
Let's start with a short video of my boat tour to the Daymaniyat islands where I toured several of them and snorkeled at 3 different spots:
Want more videos of Oman? Check my post Oman in Videos
PLANNING TIPS - Daymaniyat Islands Oman
Location - Daymaniyat islands Nature Reserve - Map
- The Daymaniyat islands are off the coast and it will take you 30 min to 1 hour to reach them depending on your starting point.
- They are clustered into 3 distinct groups so plan also some time to travel between them.
- Located 17 kilometers off the Oman shore North of Muscat, between Barka and Seeb, the Daymaniyat islands Nature Reserve (also called (also spelled Dimaniyat or Dimaaniyat) is composed of 9 small rocky isles.
- Below is a map to help you located the islands:
Map Daymaniyat Islands nature reserve Oman - Location
The islands are included in my travel guide to help you plan your itinerary:
Be overwhelmed by the beauty, not the planning!
- 8 exclusive easy-to-plan maps
- 90+ amazing locations
- Tips to plan & make the most of your time
- 100+ large photos to decide where to go
- GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
Getting to the Daymaniyat islands - Tours
- Tours depart from the Wave Marina (Almouj Marina) in Muscat or further along the coast from Al Sawadi beach resort or from the Millennium Resort Mussanah - I used SeaOman from the Wave and was satisfied with their service.
- 30 min to 1 hour with a small motor boat
- See snorkeling or diving tour options on Getyourguide or the options on Viator
Visiting the Dyamaniyat islands
- The is a Nature Reserve so access is regulated (permit is required if you take your own boat)
- Landing is not authorized from May to October
- The best season for diving is supposed to be from April to October - scuba travel has some diving maps
- Some of the snorkeling spots are very quiet and good for less confident swimmers
- Plan one day for a trip to the reserve - some tour operator organize lunch on the beach when authorized
- You can use their equipment, or you can bring your own snorkeling gear
Landscapes and beaches at the Daymaniyat Islands
The islands of Daymaniyat have been protected since 1996 as a Nature Reserve.
The tiny isles are made of orange or grey rocks with some sandy area.
It looks quite strange as you approach some of them on boat. You wonder why there are such small islands here surrounded only by water...
This is a famous spot for diving, where the different isles offer different experiences:
But it also offers a few dreamy white sand beaches with shallow turquoise water. A great place to relax!
Daymanyiat islands Snorkeling
About Snorkeling at the Daymaniyat islands
- The islands are a great places to snorkel
- Each group of isles offer a different experience: a great variety of corals, algae and fish
- Some areas are quiet and easy, while other will require you to be a good swimmer with waves
- The Daymaniyat islands are also a nesting ground for the turtles. Being off season, I was still hopeful to spot one, like I did on my Muscat Boat tours, but sadly I did not.
- Apparently if you dive there are also caves to explore.
Daymaniyat Snorkeling in photos
And below is a selection of photos I took while snorkeling at 3 different spots along the various islands:
Daymaniyat Islands snorkeling
If you like snorkeling photos, I also went along the Muscat Shores and spotted a turtle!
Birds at the Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve
But the Daymaniyat islands are not all about water and fish, with snorkeling and diving.
The reserve is also a nesting site for several migratory birds. I was off season but still spotted few birds:
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