Located on the southeastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, the Sultanate of Oman is one of SCUBA diving's best kept secrets. The country has a subtropical desert climate with mild warm winters and hot summers, with a landscape that includes pristine reefs, deserts, mountains, green oases, and beautiful beaches. This will be REEF's second Field Survey to the new Indian Ocean and Red Sea region, and our first-ever trip to Oman. This special 10-night itinerary aboard the Oman Aggressor is only available during the REEF Trip, and will be a unique chance to dive throughout the relatively untouched coast of Oman. The rugged, remote land in the northern part of the itinerary has nutrient-rich waters that support a high diversity of marine life. In the south near Salalah, cooler upwelling occurs to bring seasonal kelp forests, making it possible to dive in kelp forests and coral reefs on the same trip! The massive amount of nutrients in the water attract tons of great marine life, from whale sharks, manta rays, mola molas, sea turtles, schools of fish, and plenty of macro life.
Trip Type: Fish Survey - click here to learn more!
Pricing: Deluxe Stateroom: $5,523 per person
Master Stateroom: $5,809 per person
Suite: $5,951 per person
All rates are based on double occupancy. Please indicate your rooming preference upon registration.
Accommodations: The Oman Aggressor sleeps 22 passengers. There are 11 staterooms onboard – 6 Deluxe, 4 Master, and 1 Suite. All staterooms sleep two people. Deluxe Staterooms have two side by side twin beds and a porthole. Master Staterooms have either 1 king or 2 twin beds and a picture window. The Suite has 1 king bed and a panorama window. All staterooms have independently controlled air-conditioning, private heads and showers, and are equipped with 32 inch flatscreen TVs, to which guests may connect their computers to view underwater photos and videos. The voltage on the yacht is 220v and the sockets on the boat accept American-style plugs.
Diving: The Oman Aggressor liveaboard offers 4-5 dives per dive day, including night dives. Average water temperature is 74-86 degrees Fahrenheit. The water temperature will vary throughout the 10 day charter. A 5-7mm wetsuit and hood is recommended. The majority of dives are made from the mothership, and some diving may be done from skiffs which can carry up to 11 guests each. 12L aluminium tanks, weights and weight belts are included in the cost of the charter. Both K-valve and DIN tanks are available.
Price Includes: The trip package includes 10 nights of double occupancy accommodation onboard the Oman Aggressor, 8 days of diving with up to 4-5 dives per day, including night dives, plus 1 half-day of diving, all meals throughout the week including breakfast cooked to order, buffet-style lunch and seated dinners, mid-morning and afternoon snacks each day, all beverages including juice, soft drinks, water, iced tea, coffee, and local beer and wine, tanks, weights, and weight belts.
REEF Program Fee: A REEF Program Fee of $350 per diver will be added to each package to cover the cost of the group leader, seminar and REEF survey materials.
Additional Fees: The following costs are not included in the price paid to REEF. All flights and associated travel to and from the yacht, $200 marine park fee (subject to change), optional Nitrox ($150 paid onboard), optional rental equipment, and optional souvenir purchases onboard. Gratuities for the crew are not included in the cost of the charter and are at each individual's discretion. All fees paid onboard including gratuities must be paid in cash. Oman banks do not accept travelers checks and credit cards are not accepted onboard at this time. After returning to port on the final day of the charter, guests may go ashore for dinner at one of the many restaurants located in the marina. Dinner on the final evening of the charter is the only meal not provided with the cruise. Insurance is not included, however REEF strongly recommends that each participant purchase adequate dive travel insurance to protect you from unforeseen circumstances. More information about dive travel insurance is available here.
About the Trip Leader: Dr. Christy Pattengill-Semmens is REEF's Director of Science. Christy is an expert at Fish ID and has led dozens of REEF Field Surveys over the years to all of REEF's survey project regions.
How to Sign Up: To reserve your space on this trip or find out more, e-mail us at trips@REEF.org, or call us at 305-588-5869. If booking greater than 180 days prior to trip departure, a $1,000 deposit will be collected at the time of booking. If booking within 180 days of departure, the deposit and any other corresponding payments will be due at the time of booking. Visit our Trip Policies page for more information on deposit and payment schedules
How to Get There: Please note that this trip begins in Salalah and ends in Muscat. Participants will disembark the ship at a different location than where they boarded. Fly into Salalah International Airport (SLL) in Oman, arriving in time to board the yacht at 3pm on April 24. Participants will disembark the yacht at 8am on May 4, and should make arrangements to fly out of Muscat International Airport (MCT) in Oman. Participants are responsible for booking their own airfare. REEF is not able to book air travel for participants.
Visa: All visitors to Oman require an entry tourist Visa. You may visit this website to purchase an E-Visa. It takes about 10 minutes to complete the form and pay online and the visa is good for a 30-day stay in Oman. Airlines will request to see the printed and approved ESTA at check-in when flying to Oman. All participants are responsible for completing their own paperwork to obtain the visa.
Transfers: It is recommended to arrive at least one day prior to boarding the yacht. If desired, Aggressor's travel department is able to book a hotel for guests arriving early or staying later, and can also help arrange necessary ground transportation. The Oman Aggressor will depart from Jeweira Boutique Hotel and Marina on April 24 at 3pm. On May 4, at the end of the trip, guests will disembark at 8am at Al Mouj Marina in Muscat.