Article:
ISSUE No.5 July - August 2007

The Fascination with the Arabic Undersea World
Discover the Most Beautiful Diving Regions in Egypt, Oman and the UAE

When you think of scuba diving, you immediately think of coral reefs and colorful underwater worlds like the ones in the Great Barrier Reef of Australia or the Red Sea of Egypt or even the Maldives. Not many would guess that the Gulf States have their own underwater worlds and we want to introduce you to some of them in this report.

Due to the geographical position of the United Arab Emirates, scuba diving can be done in both the Arabian Gulf and the Arabian Sea (Gulf of Oman). The Arabian Sea is part of the Indian Ocean and is therefore blessed with an abundance of colorful coral reefs and great varieties of fish and sea creatures. It is not rare for divers to find moray eels, sea turtles, ink fish and barracudas.

At this point, we want to set apart the small harbor town of Dibba which is located on the Musandam peninsula in Oman. The waters off Dibba are among the best in the world with many varieties of species. You will be convinced when you find untouched diving spots, fascinating wrecks of sunken ships and breathtaking fish life. The steep rock mountains that fall straight into the sea, as well as the plankton-rich ocean currents, make this area an El Dorado for sea life like reef-sharks, hammerhead-sharks, pilot-whales, mantas and whale-sharks. Dolphins and sea-turtles can also be admired in this region.

The diving spots off the coast of Dubai are marked by sunken ships and freighters that rest at depths from 10 to 50 meters below the water surface.

Because of the natural ocean floor in the Gulf, which mostly consists of sand, these wrecks make homes for many ocean dwellers, like rays, dolphins, barracudas, sea-snakes and turtles. Since the diving possibilities off Dubai are scarcely known, its underwater-world is nearly untouched. However, it remains to be seen if the many artificial island projects off the coast of Dubai will have an effect on the sensitive eco-system. It is already apparent on the popular beaches of Jumeirah that oysters and other shellfish are no longer getting washed ashore like the did until very recently.

One of the most famous ship-wrecks off Dubai’s coast is the Sheikh Mohammed freighter. It was sunk on the order of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum to allow natural reefs to form. Since then, a colorful underwater community of sea creatures has taken residence, so splendid that it stuns the onlookers with its beauty. Seven nautical miles off the coast of Jumeirah lies another freighter, the Barge Sarraf. This freighter is only 22 meters deep on the ocean floor and still in very good condition. The Barge Sarraf has become a favorite spot for research projects and diving excursions.

There is another sunken ship off Dubai’s coast, the MV Dara. She was sunk in 1961 by a bomb placed by an Omani rebel. Her sinking resulted in the loss of 238 lives, the largest number lost at sea in peace time since the Titanic. The ship is 103 meters in length and weighs 5030 tons. It lies 20 meters deep on its starboard side. Diving in the vicinity of the MV Dara is only recommended for experienced divers.

Diving in the Red Sea is especially favored by Europeans. Only four hours flight from Germany, Egypt offers everything a diver’s heart desires. The temperatures on the Red Sea are moderate year-around and diving excursions are possible for any degree of experience. Experts and beginners are fascinated by the variety of reefs. The most famous diving destinations in Egypt are: Dahab, El Gouna, Hurghada, Safaga and Sharm el Sheikh.

The Bedouin village of Dahab is especially well situated for a diving excursion. Dahab is a great alternative for those who want to avoid the crowds at Hurghada and Sharm el Sheikh. The most popular places for divers are the Blue Hole and the Canyon. Diving expeditions start on land with jeeps or cars.

Hurghada is the most famous divers’ destination in Egypt. Between 50 and 70 bases will fight for favor among the tourists. If quality and standards of the diving equipment are important to you and you want to be sure about your guide, you should chose one of the seven German bases of the “Quality Dive Clubs”. The highlights of a diving excursion in Hurghada are the sunken ships located at the mouth of the Suez Canal. There are numerous huge ships to explore and they are easily reached from Hurghada.