What makes diving in Oman a special experience?

Our motorboat is dodging past the cluster of small outcrops close to the beach and skimming across the Gulf of Oman, when a school of silvery fish leap out of the water and sail through the air around us. They are probably fleeing the gaping mouth of an unseen predator, but we would like to believe they are a reception committee, inviting us to explore the teeming marine life that calls the blooming underwater coral gardens, around the uninhabited chain of Daymaniyat Islands, their home! 

Their world gathers us into a liquid embrace as we step off the vessel, anchored off a golden sand beach. Kitted out in snorkelling gear–mask, breathing nozzle, flippers and a life vest (that also protects our backs from the scorching sun)–we enter a world where creation takes a new meaning. Yellow trumpet fish; green parrot fish with subtle licks of blue; yellow and red, and blue and yellow striped angelfish; orange clownfish revelling in the caress of a sea anemone's tentacles; and gaping purple-lipped clams...fish painted in startling hues waltz across a coral reef, draped across a rumpled sea bed.

(Pic: Oman Tourism Board)

An adolescent turtle glides up from the depths to check us out and then swims on. We, however, are slaves of excess and look to prolong the encounter, tailing her as she takes a gulp of air and dive again into the deep recesses of the ocean. A dark, streamlined shadow slices through water in the distance. Is it a leopard shark?

Mumbai-based Orca Dive Club's Anees Adenwala, who shot a scuba diving documentary for the Sultanate of Oman, ranks these islands among the worlds' top 20 diving sites. “It's special because of the abundance and variety of coral and marine life. And the visibility in these waters is truly amazing,” he observes. Oman's al Dimaniyyat Islands Nature Reserve is a UNESCO world heritage site.

Back on the beach of one of the islands, we relax under the shade of an ample cove and exchange notes with other divers. All, without exception, agree that diving in Oman is a special experience.

Later, we swim back to a motorboat where a picnic buffet is laid out and then speed back to our Al Sawadi resort that serves as the ideal launching pad for the islands. More watersports await us here: PADI-certified deep-water diving courses for beginners, dolphin-watching cruises and kite-boarding courses using radio helmets. But we choose to stroll down the beach and feel the sand caress our toes as the sun slides off the far horizon, but not before registering a fiery protest across the sky.  

The next day, we're back in Muscat. The waterfront capital of the sultanate is the gateway to the Bandar Al Khayran Reserve, a 20-minute boat ride out into the Gulf of Oman. Here, divers can explore the submerged remains of the 3,000 tonne vessel, Al Munassir, whose sunken hull is a fertile breeding ground for new coral and a variety of marine life. We, however, give it a miss and set off to explore the charming city: the grand mosque, imposing Opera House,  ornate palace of the Sultan, National Museum housed in an old fort, souks, and the city's main covered market.

Oman doesn't need to flex its muscles with a parade of sleek skyscrapers, the country is comfortable with its heritage even as it embraces the future. It's the ideal setting for a modern Arabian Nights tale.  

FACT FILE

• Oman Air and a number of Indian airlines operate direct flights from different cities around the country to Muscat.
• To visit Oman, Indians need visas, best obtained through local tour operators.
• Oman is reportedly one of the safest countries in the world.
• Accommodation tends to be limited to the uber luxury, luxury and four-star segments.