Muscat Governorate

Muscat Governorate runs along the Gulf of Oman coast between the Hajar Mountains and the sea, a narrow strip of rugged limestone cliffs, rocky coves, and occasional sand pockets that constitutes the capital region of Oman. The tidal regime is mixed semidiurnal; spring range at Muscat Port is 1.5–2.0 m above Chart Datum, neap range 0.6–1.0 m. The combination of the semi-enclosed Gulf of Oman basin and the Indian Ocean tidal signal produces two unequal highs and two unequal lows per day on most lunar phases, with occasional diurnal days near the equinoxes. The Hajar Mountains drop to the coast as a series of steep wadi mouths and headlands. True sandy beaches are rare near the Muscat urban area; the main ones — Qantab, Al Bustan, and Bandar Jissah — are found in embayments between the rocky headlands. Bandar Khayran, 30 km southeast of the city centre, is a sheltered multi-cove inlet reached by boat from Qantab jetty or by 4WD on the unpaved coastal track; at low tide the shallow sandy bays in the inlet are accessible to swimmers and kayakers while the deeper outer channel remains navigable. Sea surface temperatures in the Gulf of Oman range from around 22°C in winter (January–February) to 30–32°C in September. The SW monsoon (khareef) affects Dhofar Province far more than Muscat, but June–September brings elevated humidity and occasional reduced visibility to the capital coast. Green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting is recorded on isolated Muscat-area beaches; the primary turtle conservation site in Oman is Ras Al-Hadd (Ra's al-Jinz Turtle Reserve) to the south. The National Hydrographic Office of Oman publishes official tide tables for Oman ports. Open-Meteo Marine is the source for this site's predictions: accuracy ±45 min / ±0.2–0.3 m.