Issue25-Jan'13 - Copy

LOCATIONS
OMAN
escapes
Words + Photos: Darryl MacDonald
Visiting Masirah Island off the
southwest coast of Oman for the
first time feels like taking a trip
back in time. With its rugged interior
and rocky shoreline, the island
hosts 12 small villages, one small
town and a military base spread
primarily over the northern end of
the island. In total, there are nearly
180km of untouched, uninhabited,
easily-accessed beach offering a
true desert island experience; making
this one of the true hidden gems
of Oman. Dotting the coastline are
many traditional examples of the
Arabian dhow and several wellpreserved
shipwrecks.
The locals here still drive their 1970s Land
Rovers, many of which have been fixed up
to look like new, giving the island a unique
sense of nostalgia. The temperatures range
in winter from the low to mid-twenties and
in the summer from the mid-twenties to
low thirties during the Khareef (southeast
monsoon), making it a cool reprieve from the
high temperatures in northern Oman. One
of the other highly appealing features of the
island is the consistency of the winds during
the Khareef. From May until September,
the winds average between 12 to 16 knots
creating large rolling waves and transforming
this small desert island into the perfect
playground for kiteboarding, windsurfing,
surfing and body boarding.
The island is not only popular with tourists
in the summer months, but with turtles as
well. Loggerhead, green, hawksbill and olive
ridley turtles arrive on the beaches en masse
to lay their eggs in the sand. The entire season
for the various turtle species ranges from
February until October, peaking in the summer
months. For this reason, the beaches
are extremely sensitive during these months.
58 OUTDOORUAE

At the time of this writing, there are currently
no protected areas in place on Masirah
Island, but all beaches should be treated as
such during the peak periods in order to aid
in the protection of these fragile, indigenous
populations. More information on the turtle
population in Oman and on the island can
be found on the Environment Society of
Oman (ESO) website (www.environment.org.
om).
As the summer monsoon comes to an
end and the seas begin to calm, fisherman
flock to the island for the start of the fishing
season. This is the perfect time of year for
camping along the coast and exploring
the island. Humpback and Bryde’s whales
have been spotted off the coast this time of
year along with several species of dolphins
including bottlenose and common dolphin.
The southwestern end of the island, in part
because of its unique bathymetry, offers
some of the best snorkeling in Oman and,
for the same reason, generally has clearer
water than the rest of the island. Massive
schools of fish and excellent examples of
both soft and hard coral can be found in this
area including some of the best opportunities
to see turtles.
The only way to access the island is via
ferry that leaves from the town of Shina,
which is about a four-hour drive south of
Muscat along the coast. The ferry generally
runs from 6:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. depending
on the sea conditions and will take you
to the town of Hilf, on the north end of the
island. Once on the island, there are a small
range of hotels to choose from and plenty of
opportunities for camping. If you are there
for the watersports, a company called Kiteboarding-Oman
(www.kiteboarding-oman.
com) runs a Bedouin style camp about 40
minutes south of town between the months
on May and August. They offer room, board,
rentals and lessons and are a great source of
information for the rest of the island.
Masirah Island offers a wide range of
adventures for just about everyone and is
definitely a place worth exploring. If you
decide to undertake this weekend adventure,
it’s always a good idea to bring extra
supplies including water, first aid kit, snacks,
sunscreen, etc. If you do any camping on the
beaches, a 4x4 is a must and it’s generally
a good idea to carry off-road supplies like a
compressor, shovel, tow strap and tools; and
travel in a convoy.
As we like to say in Canada, get out there,
have fun and “keep your stick on the ice.”
Darryl MacDonald