Sources · Destination Guide
Hallaniyat Islands Oman
Expedition diving and Arabian Sea megafauna off Dhofar's wild island frontier
Updated Feb 13, 2026 • 20 sources
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Research Sources
Destination Guide Sources For Hallaniyat Islands
Reference links used to build and maintain this guide.
20 sources • Updated Feb 13, 2026
Written by DiveJourney. Built from public sources and local operator knowledge. Last updated Feb 13, 2026.
- Royal Decree 96/2025 (Hallaniyat Islands Marine Buffer Zone reserve) - Establishes the reserve and mandates the Environment Authority to set entry rules, fees, permitted and banned activities.
- Environment Authority (Oman) - Natural Reserves overview - Official information on Oman's nature reserve approach and management context.
- UNESCO Tentative List - Al Hallaniyyat Islands Proposed Nature Reserve - Background on conservation values including turtles, coral reefs, and birds.
- Encyclopaedia Britannica - Hallaniyat Islands - Geography, alternate name (Kuria Muria), and island group context.
- IUCN SSC Cetacean Specialist Group - Arabian Sea humpback whales - Non-migratory endangered subpopulation and key threats (updated January 2024).
- International Whaling Commission - Arabian Sea humpback whale conservation management news - Recent conservation management planning context and population risk framing.
- Marine Mammal Habitat (IMMA) factsheet - Oman Arabian Sea - Habitat context for Arabian Sea humpback whales in Oman.
- Shark Ray Areas (ISRA) factsheet - Hallaniyat Islands (reef manta rays) - Documents reef manta ray importance and aggregation window (Oct to Jan).
- Salalah Airport (official) - Operating airlines - Airlines serving Salalah (SLL) for planning connections.
- Muscat Airport (official) - Operating airlines - Airlines serving Muscat (MCT) for international routing.
- Royal Oman Police - eVisa portal - Official online visa application portal.
- Royal Oman Police - Emergency contact (9999) - Lists emergency number and contact details.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Oman) - Entry and visas - Official entry and visa information.
- Experience Oman (official tourism) - Dhofar destination page - Khareef season overview and Dhofar travel context.
- Dive Salalah - Seasonal diving window (operator guidance) - Practical operator guidance on best diving months and Khareef limitations.
- Scuba Diving Magazine - Oman Aggressor travel guide - Liveaboard seasonality notes for Hallaniyat-focused itineraries.
- Royal Hospital (Oman) - National Hyperbaric Medicine Center - Hyperbaric treatment capability including decompression sickness.
- Mearns et al. (2016) interim report context on Al Hallaniyah wreck sites - Background on the 1503 Sodre wreck-site and other documented wreck material including City of Winchester.
- Muscat Daily - Environment Authority controls for nature reserves (Feb 2026) - Recent reporting on permit controls and prohibited activities in Oman's reserves; useful context for evolving enforcement.
- Destination hero photo by Damien Reviron - Photographer profile: https://unsplash.com/@damien_rvr