The marine environment in the Sultanate is rich in many rare and diverse aquatic organisms on its coasts, which extend for a distance of more than three thousand kilometres and overlook three seas: the Arabian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Arabian Sea.
Twenty species of great whales and dolphins live in the waters of Oman, which prompted a group of young amateurs in cooperation with the Environment Authority to undertake a marine search trip to monitor the Arabian humpback whale in the waters of the Arabian Sea near the shores of Hasik, Sadah.
Haitham al Farsi, an Omani photographer, said that the idea of the trip to search for the Arabian humpback whale “has been haunting me for years and planning for it was enjoyable but difficult due to the lack of logistical capabilities.”
He said that they only manage to pull it off “thanks to the efforts of the Environment Authority and some colleagues.”
Al Farsi was overjoyed being able to undertake the expedition and he said it meant a lot to be able to monitor the Arabian humpback whale in the waters of the Arabian Sea.
Al Farsi added, “The passion and love of exploration and highlighting the biodiversity of the different Omani environments were among the most important motives that led us to carry out this journey that took seven consecutive days in the sea off the shores of Hasik. We were able to spot nine whales in different and close locations during the last three days of the trip.”
He shared, “There were many challenges, especially that we did not have special tracking devices, so we wasted five days without finding the humpback whale, in addition to the fluctuations of the weather and the high waves.”
Muslim al Mahri, head of the Environment Centre in Hasik, said, “The surveying of whales has been going on for several years, in cooperation with the Environment Society of Oman and some youth teams interested in photography.”
Al Mahri said, “During the past three years, the search was under way in the shores of Sadah, extending from the wilayat of Sadah in the west to Ras Al Hamra, as well as eastward towards Al Halaniyat Islands. The process of research and studies was resumed during this year in March due to the calm conditions of the sea during these months and the approach of whales to the beaches, as well as the floating of whales to the surface.”
Al Mahri added, “Research studies and satellite tracking have proven that the Omani humpback whale is, in fact, a resident whale that remains in its habitat near the Omani coast due to the seasonal climatic conditions that occur in the area south of Oman, which provides various food sources for these whales throughout the year, in addition to their migration to the Antarctic seas in search of food, which makes them extremely rare creatures. Only 100 whales were spotted.”
Al Mahri referred to the efforts of the Environment Authority in cooperation with partners in ESO and the companies operating in the Sultanate’s waters by developing an integrated plan in the port of Duqm to protect whales from transiting ships because it is a critical and important area for the reproduction and feeding of these creatures.
He posited that it is important to study the cases of death to find out the causes of their death, ridding them from the nets and saving them in if they are exposed to these ghost fishing nets.
The authority provides all facilities, prepares all requirements, provides technical support, including boats, vehicles, or houses. Specialists from the Authority also accompanies research teams and those interested, such as photographers, to document such kind of whales.
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