Author name: molamoladivingcenter

When Is the Best Time to Spot Whale Sharks in Oman? They are big, beautiful, and gentle. They like warm water and a lot of plankton. And they are sharks – not Whales. The whale shark is the largest known fish species alive today, with an average length between 6 to 10 meters. The largest measured whale shark was 18.8 meter! And although it is the largest fish in the world, the whale shark eats some of the tiniest creatures in the ocean. Whale sharks have a lifespan of about 70 years and they are found in tropical and temperate oceans such as our Omani Ocean. The docile and harmless giants have a beautiful coloration pattern, bluish-gray to a brown back and a white underside. Each fish has their very own unique pattern of stripes and spot. Have you ever been dreaming of seeing and swimming with whale sharks? Oman is your place to go to! Whale Shark Season Is Between July and September As mentioned earlier, whale sharks like warm waters. They always visit our coastline during summer time – and they are only a few meters away from our marina on their way to Daymaniyat island. From July to late September is the annual whale shark season in Oman. During this period, we spot them regularly in big groups. So, if you plan to join us on a trip during summertime, there is a high chance of spotting whale sharks on our way to the dive site in Daymaniyat island! And what’s better to do during the hot Omani summer than a swim in the water with these gentle giants?  We usually stop our boat as soon as we see the whale sharks so you can enter the water and snorkel with them. While scuba Diving in Oman is great with the usual spotting of Turtle and rays, imagine seeing a whale shark while scuba diving? Although a bit rare, this is also possible too! It’s a lot easier to spot and snorkel with whale sharks rather than finding them during your dive. But while Scuba Diving in Oman, everything is possible – especially at our favorite dive site, Aquarium. How to Swim with Whale Sharks? Whale sharks are threatened by habitat loss, pollution and fishing. To promote their protection, it is very important to be very careful when you’re around them. Therefore, we always ask our customers to follow these guidelines to make sure that your behavior is safe for you, the environment, and the wildlife: Enter and get out of the water quietly. Splashing and noisy entrances can scare away whale sharks. Swim slowly with smooth movements. When approaching a whale shark, you must arrive from the side. Always maintain a safe distance of 3m from the head and 4m from the tail. Never touch a whale shark or try to climb on its back. If you are close to a group of feeding whale sharks, stay still and let the animal move around you. Whale sharks can be curious animals and could approach you. If this happens, do not move and watch! Do not feed whale sharks or throw objects into the water to try to get their attention. Whale sharks feed exclusively on plankton and are not interested in our food. So, what do you think? Are you ready to swim with Whale Sharks? Book your adventure with us now to enjoy the best Diving in Oman. Previous PostNext Post

Equalize Your Ears: Why and How! Most of you probably know this from flying an airplane: As soon as you ascend, you feel pressure in your ears. Same when we dive – just the pressure we feel is much stronger! The only way to solve longterm illness for ourself is to equalize our ears. Sadly many people struggle with equalizing… That often comes down to technique and practice. Keep on reading – we’ll share some tips and tricks on how to equalize your ears while Scuba Diving. Why Do We Have to Equalize? So many divers think they have an ear problem because they always face problems with equalizing. While some people do have a medical issue with their ears or sinuses, we mostly can attribute this failure to using the wrong techniques or improper execution of what they have learned. But why do we have to equalize at all?  As soon as you put your head below the surface, water flows into your ears. This puts pressure on your eardrums. For most people this isn’t painful in the first meter, but if you don’t equalize your ears, the pressure keeps building from discomfort even to pain. To solve this problem, we must equalize our ears by adding air into our sinuses and Eustachian tubes to counter the water pressure. The Best Techniques to Equalize: There are different ways how to equalize. The most common one is probably the Valsvalva Maneuver: We’re pinching our nostrils and we’re blowing through our nose. The resulting overpressure in your throat usually forces air up your Eustachian tubes. In an airplane or during a dive it can create the familiar pop in your ears and relieve pressure. Another option is Swallowing. Candy or gum help when you fly because chewing on them makes you swallow, which in most cases will equalize your ears. Some goes if you chew a bit (of course not too strong!) on your mouthpiece. Some people even prefer to swallowing over the Valsalva maneuver to equalize their ears while scuba diving. The third tip is to wiggle or move your jaw from side to side. This stretches the Eustachian tubes, which can equalize your ears. You can also try to move your head from side to side or even attempt all equalizing techniques at the same time or any combination you find helpful. Divers who experience difficulty equalizing may find it helpful to master several techniques. Practice even at home – in front of a mirror you can even watch your throat muscles. Make Equalizing Easier Now as you know the best techniques to equalize, this will already help you a lot. But check e few other things before the dive and you should be fine. First, always and every time before you are about to enter a Dive Shop or a Dive Boat – check your ears: Are your Eustachien tubes open? Can you hear the “pop” when you swallow?Then, right before the dive, start already on the surface: Equalize at the surface and then equalize every meter – even if you do not feel any pressure: equalize.Sometimes looking up might help as well, or even better: Use a descent line where you can hold on and where you can control your descent rate. Also – do not tight your mask to tight and of course: STOP DESCENDING IF IT HURTS! Do not push through pain. In case your ears begin to hurt, ascend a few meter and try again. Combined with some patience, equalizing techniques should work for most people, even those who think their ears are keeping them from enjoying the underwater world. Our instructors are very patience and helpful as well, don’t worry if you had problems equalizing before – togther we will solve it. Book your Trip for Scuba Diving in Muscat with us now! diving oman | DAYMANIYAT ISLAND | Snorkeling in Oman | Snorkeling in muscat | diving muscat | diving in oman | scuba diving oman | diving in muscat | divingcenter muscat Previous Post

Seasickness and What to Do About It You are all excited about your Scuba trip – but as soon as the boat hits the open waters, all the excitement is gone: Seasickness has kicked in. You are starting to feel headaches, dizzy, sick and maybe you even have to start vomiting. Seasickness is not fun at all. Let’s have a look how to prevent and stop seasickness so you can enjoy your Scuba trip to the fullest! Why Do We Get Seasick at All?   Motion sickness occurs when your brain can’t make sense of information sent from your eyes, ears and body. Lots of motion — in a car, airplane, boat, or even an amusement park ride — can make you feel queasy, clammy or sick to your stomach. An estimated one in three people get motion sickness at some point. Women, and children age two to 12 are most at risk. Still, the condition can affect anyone. How Can We Prevent Motion Sickness?   Many divers experience seasickness while spending time on boats in between the dives or on the wa to the dive site. You can lower the changes of getting seasick with some easy actions. First of all: Be well rested before the boat trip and drink plenty of water. Choose low-fat, bland and starchy foods before entering the boat as well so your stomach is light. During your time on the boat, sit up and look at the horizon. Of course there are a number of drugs available to help prevent or treat motion sickness. Typically these drugs come as a pill, which you should take before the symptoms of seasickness start to kick in. These pills can cause drowsiness as a side effect, so it’s a good idea to discuss which medication might be right for you with your doctor or pharmacist. And What to Do When You Are Sick?   As soon as you start feeling sick, make sure you sit in the middle of the boat and try to get some fresh air. It might seem surprisingly obvious, but fresh air does wonders for clearing your head. Also have a look at the horizon: Looking at the horizon can help give your brain a point of reference, allowing it to sense the motion of the ship and your body’s movement with it.Ginger helps a lot too: Raw, candied or brewed in a tea – Ginger has been used to treat seasickness for centuries. Just chew on some ginger or if you don’t like it, use some ginger capsules instead.Other option is our favorite one: DIVING HELPS! If you start to feel ill, enter the water. One submerged, the body no longer receives conflicting signals from the eyes and limbs – so you will start to feel better while diving.And if you must vomit, its best to let it happen. You will feel much better afterwards. Of course we can not regulate the weather: but we will only take the trip to Daymaniyat or Fahal Island for Scuba Diving or Snorkeling in Oman if we feel like the sea condition will be good enough to make the way there and the way back. Previous PostNext Post