Arabia's Seas | Save Our Seas Magazine

A small flock of Socotra cormorants roosts deep in a fjord along Oman’s dramatic and rugged Musandam Peninsula.

Every year between November and February the Gulf of Aden attracts hordes of whale sharks; in just 11 days I encountered more than 100 different individuals. The Gulf of Tadjoura, at its western end, is the temporary home of sharks of about two years of age and less than three metres in length. A mere 100 kilometres from the entrance to this gulf, across the Strait of Bab-el-Mandeb from Djibouti, lies the coast of Yemen, home to Arabia’s most industrious shark fishermen.

A set of whale shark fins is worth at least US$10,000, so the Gulf of Tadjoura whale shark population can be estimated to be worth more than US$1-million. Nevertheless, the whale sharks off Djibouti remain unmolested by shark fishermen. This is due mainly to the presence of a large multi-national military force involved in the global fight against terrorism and, more recently, Somali piracy. The shape of the gulf is such that any boat has to pass through or under a gauntlet of foreign naval vessels, fighter jets and patrolling helicopters. Greater protection for whale sharks is an unintended – even an odd – side effect of surges in terrorism and piracy, yet the presence of the armed forces also poses a threat to these giant fish: more than 50% of them bear propeller scars caused by speeding military boats.

Arabia’s seas have been written about prolifically since biblical times, but more recently they seem to have fallen into obscurity. Many of the region’s coastlines are off limits to foreigners and the threats of terrorism and piracy, together with harsh climatic conditions, have kept most visitors away. The Arabian Peninsula today is better known for oil, conflict and terrorism than for coral reefs, sea turtles and sharks. Few people know that the seas surrounding it form one of the most diverse bioregions in the world, comprising three distinct marine realms: the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Arabian Gulf. Despite being situated in close proximity to one another, each is so different from its neighbour that they could be located on opposite sides of the planet.

A small flock of Socotra cormorants roosts deep in a fjord along Oman’s dramatic and rugged Musandam Peninsula.

A loggerhead turtle returns to the sea early one morning after a strenuous night of digging a nest and laying eggs. More than 30,000 loggerheads nest on Oman’s Masirah Island each year, making it the world’s largest turtle nesting site.

Inaccessible to foreigners to a large extent, the Red Sea off the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is one of the most heavily restricted marine realms in the world. Whereas the Egyptian waters of the opposite shore have been visited by millions of scuba divers, the 1,770-kilometre stretch of Saudi Arabian coast is uncharted territory for underwater photography. Corals thrive in the crystal-clear, nutrient-poor waters of its northern section, where the Wedjh Bank and the recently discovered offshore ‘Saudi Great Barrier Reef’ are considered a global coral reef hotspot, with the level of reef fish endemism approaching 70%. Signature species are the Arabian surgeonfish, the Koran angelfish and the newly described Red Sea silky shark. Further south, nearer the border with Yemen, nutrients swept into the Red Sea from the Indian Ocean fuel productivity levels. The waters grow murky and sea-grass beds and mangrove forests replace corals. These injections of nutrients attract shoals of fish, whale sharks and manta rays.

The juxtaposed Arabian Sea is unique in that it provides seasonal cold-water habitat nestled between tropical seascapes. When the south-west monsoon blows from May to September, along the southern coasts of Oman and Yemen there is an upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water from great depth. The water temperature drops from 28 °C to 15 °C and kelp and seaweed forests thrive. Surprisingly, coral somehow survives the cooler months and for part of the year these two opposing ecosystems occur side by side. The kelp jungles are inhabited largely by coral reef fishes such as porcupine fish and angelfish, but also by temperate species that otherwise occur as far away as South Africa.

Humpback whales take advantage of this seasonal boost in productivity. After giving birth off the coast of Oman, they forage locally for food rather than undertake the arduous migration to Antarctica. In fact, this is the only population of humpback whales in the world that does not migrate. Large numbers of sperm whales also occur and, thanks to the proximity of the continental shelf to the shoreline, may be seen within five kilometres of the coast. In addition, the beaches adjacent to the Arabian Sea host some of the global hotspots for nesting sea turtles. The island of Masirah is the world’s largest nesting site for loggerheads, while the Damaniyat Islands have the highest density of hawksbill turtle nests in the world.

A loggerhead turtle returns to the sea early one morning after a strenuous night of digging a nest and laying eggs. More than 30,000 loggerheads nest on Oman’s Masirah Island each year, making it the world’s largest turtle nesting site.

At Saudi Arabia’s Wedjh Bank the fringing coral reefs originate in less than one metre of water and drop almost vertically to great depths. Diverse assemblages of hard corals stud the reef crests, which are pounded incessantly by waves during the windy winter months. Photo by Thomas Peschak

For two short months every year fierce desert winds whip up a thick plankton brew, attracting hundreds of juvenile whale sharks to the south-western reaches of Djibouti’s Gulf of Aden. Most whale sharks encountered here are about two years old and less than three metres long. Photo by Thomas Peschak

The Arabian surgeonfish is equipped with an orange-coloured, razor-sharp scalpel that is embedded in the caudal peduncle. Individuals use these formidable weapons in territorial bouts with other surgeonfish, competing for the best grazing territories on the reef flat. Photo by Thomas Peschak

In the steep fjords of the Musandam Peninsula, sheltered ledges provide space for luxuriant corals to grow just before the rock walls plunge into deeper water. These vibrant coral communities thrive on the shallow shelves. Photo by Thomas Peschak

Forests of kelp and seaweed engulf the rocky reefs of Oman’s southern coast during the south-easterly monsoon. A flamboyant red seaweed, as yet undescribed, has been torn free by wave action and drifts across the seasonal seaweed canopy. Photo by Thomas Peschak

On Kuwait’s unique mudflats male mudskippers launch themselves into the air to attract females during the breeding season. The densest colonies occur on the shores of Sulaibikhat Bay and on Boubyan Island. These fish are naturally nervous and any sudden movement will send them back into their burrows, where they will stay for up to an hour. Photo by Thomas Peschak

Indigenous male ghost crabs build formidable pyramids at the water’s edge on Oman’s remote southern beaches. The structures are designed to signal to passing female crabs the males’ strength and vigour. The sand used to construct the pyramid is taken from the burrow excavated next to it. Photo by Thomas Peschak

In the northernmost corner of the Arabian Gulf, where the waters of Iraq, Iran and Kuwait meet, shipwrecks are recurring reminders of
decades of conflict. This oil tanker was allegedly scuttled on Saddam Hussein’s orders to block access to southern Iraq from the sea.

The use of gill nets is epidemic in Arabian waters and huge swathes of lost or discarded ‘ghost’ nets carpet coral reefs. Slow to decay, the nets continue to trap living things, from reef fish to turtles, for many years. Photo by Thomas Peschak

A sea mount studded with hard corals rises from a great depth, dwarfing the research diver nearby. Photo by Thomas Peschak

The beaches of Dubai were once a prime nesting ground for turtles, but today coastal development prevents them from hauling out here in large numbers. To lend a helping hand, the Dubai Turtle Rehabilitation Project nurses back to health injured turtles that have been found by the public. A few times a year the rehabilitated reptiles are released back into the wild en masse. Photo by Thomas Peschak

A sea turtle nesting on Masirah Island, off the southern coast of Oman, has left this track. The full moon sheds its glow on the beach and clouds, while a small flashlight lights up the turtle track.

Arabia’s Seas