Scuba diving Fujairah - artifical reefs take hold

A PLAN to use artificial materials to rehabilitate coral reefs 100 metres off the coast of Fujairah seems to be working, leaders of a conservation project have revealed.

Last June, 15 large reef balls – dome-shaped, concrete spheres with holes in the sides and top, some weighing more than two tonnes – were placed in the water in front of Le Méridien Al Aqah Hotel.

An additional 20 have been placed since, and an exploratory dive this week revealed that a variety of young and adult fish have made the reefs their home.

The structures are also covered in barnacles and what is believed to be the beginnings of soft coral.

“We’ve been monitoring the progress of the reef closely since we laid the first blocks,” said Simon Tambling, the managing partner of Al Boom divers.

The goal is to have soft corals form in five years, followed by hard versions in the long-term.

Patrick Antaki, the general manager of Le Méridien Al Aqah, which is also involved in the project, said the artificial reef was meant to help restore damage done by a cyclone that hit the coast in January 2008.

"We wanted to be responsible for the environment that directly surrounds us,” he said.

There are already plenty of juvenile banner fish, puffer fish and jacks using it as their home.

Scuba Diving Dubai, Fujairah and Mussandam

Well the snow put paid to another week's diving. To cheer myself up I flicked through my log book and came across a dozen or so entries for the United Arab Emirates. It's a place that is slowly taking off among tourists heading for Dubai's duty-free shopping but is also starting to prove a pull for scuba divers wanting something different to the Red Sea. Here are my experiences.


Al Aqah beach

Best Time to Go - We went at the end of February. While the air temp was lovely and warm the water temperature was a brrrracing 21C and the viz was poor. In the summer it rises to nice bath water temperatures but then it is stifling with 90-odd per cent humidity on the surface. The trade-off is finding the bit in the middle when both water and air temps are suitable. Unfortunately we didn't.

Where to Dive - Forget the Dubai side. All the construction work on the Palm Island and the other monstrosity out at sea had buggered up the viz. Ex-pat divers said it had also changed the currents and altered the behaviour of marine life. Instead head over to the East Coast of the peninsula and the tiny emirate of Fujairah, which faces onto the Gulf of Oman, and also Musandam. Much better dive spots and much more life.

Best Dive Sites - Quite a few by getting the right conditions is key. In February the viz wasn't fantastic (Dosthill on a warm summer's day) but encounters were great. Martini Rock was a particular fave with plenty of fish, eels, cuttlefish and nudibranchs.


No laughing at the back. It's my first try and I couldn't get my music
off iTunes so Classical it had to be, it's all that was in the sample folder

The wreck of Inchcape One was interesting, if only for the giant resident Honeycomb moray called Fred, and trumpetfish.


Fred on Inchape 1

You must also visit Musandam, in Oman. The scenery is dramatic and while there was only the usual tropical fish around, hit it right and the chance for encounters with everything from whale sharks down is huge. Sadly, we got it wrong and one of the guys on the boat said: "If you want to tell the people of Birmingham what it's like to dive here, tell them to order a bowl of pea soup and stick their face in it."

Don't let that put you off, diving wasn't that bad and it's always better to be under the water than on the surface wish you were under.

What To See - In February, we had everything from moray eels and turtles to cuttlefish, trumpetfish, lion fish, solitary barracuda, lobster and plenty of small tropical fish. The dramatic scenery around Mussandam is equally underwater with some fabulous swim-throughs and overhangs full of life.



Viz - Anywhere from three to 20 metres. All depending on what time of year you go. In February we had about five metres until our last dive when it was about one.

Biggest gripe(s) - Picking the wrong time of year to go. Also, the harbour masters are a bit militant. Twice they refused to let boats out of the harbour because of the weather when a sneeze would have whipped up more of a swell. And the ships out at sea that occasionally dump oil which gets washed up on the beach. Also forget Dibba Island unless they can promise some depth. The deepest I got was 4.2 metres (I've had deeper snorkeling trips). That said, we did have a wonderful encounter with a giant turtle there.



What suit to take - In Feb, a 5mm at least, possibly even a 7mm or five mil with a Fourth Element Thermocline underneath. In the summer, water gets to 30C so whatever makes you comfortable.

Where to Stay - on Fujairah side, there are two hotels on the Al Aqah Beach. First is the Meridien, a giant Western-style hotel towerblock completely out of keeping with the rest of the area. That said, the reviews are fantastic and that is where the PADI 5 Star Al Boom Dive centre is based. They are great to dive with. I much preferred the Iberotel Miramar Al Aqah Beach Resort next door. A beautiful resort hotel with stunning food and a wonderful ambiance that is rapidly becoming popular among the more discerning traveller. Unfortunately no dive centre as yet. It's a place I dream of going back to.


Miramar Al Aqah Beach

Miscellaneous Diving Info - It's all boat diving, no shore diving. When diving anywhere near Al Aqah beach we met at Al Boom and padded over the beach and through the surf to board the sizable boat. Once we left from the harbour a short dive away. Diving Musandam is a 30 minute drive north. You have to cross the border into Oman so will need your passport. Boat trip to dive sites is a further 30-40 mins north of the harbour. Also pack light, Emirates are being stingy at the moment and have cancelled luggage allowance for extra dive gear.

Guidebook - UAE Underwater (3rd edition) by Carole Harris and Tony Schroder, two experienced divers with expert knowledge of the area.

Worth Going - Yes. Just pick a better time than we did. Happy diving.