One of the rarest and most unique species, often endangered and found in the waters of Oman will soon be featured in global television platforms all thanks to the united effort of a group of young creative Omanis led by Maisa al Hooti, a passionate underwater photographer and conservation advocate who runs ‘Oman in Focus.’
This is possible with the group’s collaborative efforts with their foreign counterparts ensuring that the Sultanate of Oman’s wildlife is finally given its proper time for consideration and appreciation by the international audience.
Maisa and her team had been shooting at various locations of the Sultanate of Oman since March 2021, with a short hiatus due to the Covid-19 and are carrying out full-fledged operations at the coastal sides of the country.
Oman in Focus team has spotted many rare and endangered species while filming their documentary and there is, however, one endangered species that is a particularly special find, the Arabian Sea Humpback Whale.
Researchers estimate that only around 80 individuals are remaining of this very isolated and unique humpback whale population. And this fact indeed makes finding even one of them to film in the vast ocean is a treasured experience.
“We, at Oman in Focus, are proud to announce that, together with researchers from Oman Environment Society and with support from the Environment Authority, we have been able to find more than 20 different individuals on their latest excursion! Oman in Focus has had the immense pleasure of working with Dr Gianna Minton, who explained how the population of these whales is calculated using the mark-recapture method. Imagine living in a small town with only one main street’’, said Maisa.
With the documentary film on Oman from Musandam to Dhofar, Maisa and her team believe it’s good to “shed more light on the fact that we need to protect our nature and other creatures around us. It’s also an attempt to tell the world that the Sultanate of Oman is home to many of these unique animals and birds. Many people travel to other countries to see them.’’
Oman in Focus aims to feature Oman’s unique environmental assets on a global platform. Researchers believe that, unlike other Humpback Whales, the Arabian Sea Humpback Whales stay in the waters of Oman all year round. They can do this because the monsoon churns the water in such a way that minerals are always available to sustain the small fish, krill and phytoplankton that the whales feed on. The temperate waters also make a suitable breeding ground for these mammals. Unfortunately, however, this population has become extremely endangered, largely due to human activities. Heavy shipping traffic, fishing and pollution all contribute to the decline in numbers for these whales.
The Team Oman in Focus will make a two-part documentary the first of which will showcase the wildlife and unique biodiversity of the Sultanate of Oman. A second documentary will feature the various conservation efforts that are under way in Oman.
The entire country has interesting habitats, such as Musandam, Sur, Daymaniyat Island, Raz al Jinz, Ras al Hadd, Hasik, Masirah Island, Jebel Samhain, Bar al Hickman, Al Wusta, Nizwa, Jabal Akhdhar and so on form part of the film.
This ambitious project featuring the country and its rare and unique natural resources and environmental exclusivity has been supported by various governmental agencies and private organisations. While Office for the Conservation of the Environment, Diwan of Royal Court, The Office of the Minister of State and Governor of Dhofar, Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Environment Authority, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources, Ministry of Information (Oman, Oman Daily Observer and Oman TV), and Royal Opera House Muscat extend their support to the project, Ominvest is its main partner and strategic sponsors are Sohar International, Oman Air, PDO, OQ, Omran and Faisal Mortada.
The public can also be a part of the project by taking a photo or video of a whale whenever one spots the same and sending it to the Team Oman In Focus, along with the date and time of the sighting to ESO to admin@eso.org.om. This will greatly assist with their research and will also help to protect these critically endangered animals.
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