I ended up in Dubai again in late August, 2008 and as usual, left it for the East coast (Gulf of Oman). Since most dive operators in Fujairah seem to bring divers to the same few sites (Sharm, Dibba, etc.), I decided to try something different and booked a trip up to the Musandam. The Musandam peninsula is a part of Oman that sticks out into the Strait of Hormuz. I went with Al Boom Diving and, as before, used their shuttle service from Dubai. We drove through the military check point at the border between the UAE and Oman (I didn't need a visa) and ended up at the little harbour of Dibba. The harbour is full of old and new dhows, some of which are used for liveaboard dive trips. I had signed up for a day-trip so we boarded a regular dive boat and headed up the coast towards the Strait of Hormuz. The Musandam is made up of a jagged mountain range that drops straight into the sea. There are some protected bays, inlets and beaches as well as a few islands which gives you a variety of diving options. In the Gulf area, Musandam diving is known for it's remoteness, deep walls, high current and the chance of seeing large pelagic species, such as whale sharks, dolphins, manta rays, etc. It's considered to be "advanced" diving although I must have hit it on a good day since I wasn't swept away or bent. I did consider it to be the best diving I've done in the Middle East so far.
