Extra Divers Qantab sits at Hilton Muscat Al Bandar and is a practical base for boat diving east of Muscat. Day boats run from Qantab to Bandar Khayran, Fahal Island and the nearby coastal reefs.
Shark diving
This is not a staged shark dive, but a natural Muscat programme with rocky islands, reefs and varied marine life. Reef sharks, barracuda, rays, moray eels and turtles are among the interesting possibilities underwater. Fahal Island is especially worth watching because the island off Muscat is often associated with reef sharks and larger fish.
Whale sharks may also appear seasonally in the wider Muscat area. They are usually searched for during the warm plankton period on boat trips or while snorkelling; they should not be understood as a scheduled scuba dive. For divers, blacktip reef sharks are the more realistic underwater chance, while whale sharks are a strong seasonal bonus.
Area and season
The best whale shark window is roughly late summer to autumn, especially September to November. For regular scuba diving, autumn, winter and spring are usually more comfortable, with less heat, often better surface conditions and a broad boat-diving programme directly from Muscat.
Extra Divers Qantab suits divers who use Muscat as a base rather than planning a remote specialist trip. The shark chance is real, but it sits inside a varied Oman programme of rocky islands, reefs, turtles, rays and macro life.
