Sources · Destination Guide

Hallaniyat Islands

Expedition diving and Arabian Sea megafauna off Dhofar's wild island frontier

Updated Feb 13, 2026 • 20 sources

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.

Research Sources

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.

- Non-migratory endangered subpopulation and key threats (updated January 2024).

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.

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