Aquarium (Daymaniyat)
Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve (permit needed, closed to visitors May–Oct). The island group's best-known site: a shallow reef starting at about 7 m that slopes to around 15 m before a steep drop-off toward 30 m, so full of fish that divers compare it to a giant aquarium. Shoals of snapper, Arabian and emperor angelfish, batfish, honeycomb morays, anemonefish and a barnacle-covered turtle are reported; it is also used for night dives with cuttlefish, nudibranchs and seahorses.
Facts
- Region: Muscat & Daymaniyat Islands – Oman
- Area: Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve
- Depth: 7–30 m
- Level: intermediate
- Current: low
- Type: reef, slope, night
- Coordinates: 23.84015, 58.11469 (approximate)
- Highlights: snapper, Arabian angelfish, emperor angelfish, batfish, honeycomb moray, anemonefish, turtle, cuttlefish, nudibranchs, seahorses
- Permit: Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve (Royal Decree 23/1996): an Environment Authority entry permit is required. Official one-day fees for foreigners: OMR 3 visit, OMR 6 visit + diving, OMR 10 visit + diving + overnight stay (Omani rates are lower; multi-month passes exist, e.g. OMR 150/year for visit + diving). Landing and camping are prohibited from May to October (turtle and seabird breeding season), so dive trips in practice run in the open season; confirm with the operator. Dive operators normally buy the permit for guests: Euro-Divers' 2022 price list charged a nature-reserve permit plus fuel surcharge of OMR 13.4 per trip on top of the dive price, so check current prices. Fees have changed several times; always confirm with the Environment Authority.
- Issuer / contact: Environment Authority (Oman)
- Phone: 1991
- Website: https://www.ea.gov.om/en/authority-services/service-catalogue/service-catalogue/paid-entry-permit-to-dimaniyat-islands-nature-reserve/
- Call Center 1991 and WhatsApp 24404696 as listed on the Authority's service page; the gov.om service page lists 30238399 / 30238401 without labels. No e-mail address is published for this service. Permits are applied for online via the Authority's e-services and are normally arranged by the dive operator.
- Unverified: The exact position of this dive site within the Daymaniyat island group is not published in the sources used; the marker is placed in the island group only and is approximate.
- Tips: Thermoclines can drop the temperature 7–8 °C within a dive and cut visibility to a few metres; bring a thicker suit than the surface temperature suggests. Reached by boat in about 1.5 h from Muscat.