Snorkelling and Diving in Oman by Rod Salim and Robert Baldwin, 1992 Our Price: $18.60
Format: Paperback, 88 pp. Dimensions: (in cms.) .75 x 21 x 15.5 Weight: 225 grams Availability: Immediate
Water covers two-thirds of the world, concealing vast plains, basins,
gaping canyons, huge mountain ranges, volcanoes and a seemingly endless quantity
of plants and animals, none more varied than those of a coral community. No
pictures nor description can do justice to the variety of colors and abundance
of life there. To sense it fully, you must experience it.
Contrary to their popular image, snorkeling and
diving are not ‘macho’ sports reserved for the fittest, bravest and
strongest among us. Standing at a cocktail party requires more exertion than
effortlessly floating, face down, over a coral garden. As long as you can float,
you can snorkel. Even the weakest swimmer can find a calm haven to fish-watch in
shallow water. As you enter the sea for the first time, you embark on a lifetime
safari of underwater adventure. The profusion of life, movement and colors will
envelop and entice you.
Activities like snorkeling and diving are easy to pursue in the Sultanate. The water is warm all year round and much of the coast, with its many great underwater sites, is readily accessible. The coast is largely free of pollution, and relatively undisturbed by people. In fact, many areas along the Oman coast are yet to be explored underwater. Knowing you are the first human being to view a particular site conveys a sense of excitement and anticipation. The observant are rewarded with new species of fishes, shells and corals.
This book chronicles some of the better known snorkeling and diving sites, their location and access, and suggests what to look for when you get there. Other sites are deliberately omitted because they are pristine and fragile; to encourage enthusiasts to visit them might lead to their damage and destruction. Then again, to include too many sites would leave little room for personal exploration with its unique excitement and rewards. Actually, one can snorkel or dive anywhere along a rocky coast and not be disappointed, so don’t be constrained by this book’s list of sites.
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