Wreck diving off Sir Bani Yas Island

Plunge into the Arabian Gulf and discover an underwater world of wreaks steeped in history and magnificence. Start your explorations from one of the stylish Abu Dhabi villas on offer, such as the Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island Al Sahel Villas which is widely considered one of the finest resorts Abu Dhabi has to offer all its visitors. Local diving institutions such as the Desert Island Watersport Center will be more than happy to set you up with the appropriate gear for you to start your underwater adventures safely. A prime dive locality is situated around 10km away from Sir bani Yas Island. It is also partially framed by a reef, which attracts an intriguing selection of aquatic denizens. Some of the main aspects of the site to explore are the wrecks of what look like old pilot boats as well as an immense, upended barge. Encounter three huge stone blocks that are almost like guard towers presiding over the watery domain. You will witness the victory of nature over the manmade features, as the once overland objects have now been taken over by barracuda, angelfish, batfish, sweetlips, sea turtles, snappers, and other underwater citizens staking their claim over this strange non-oceanic object. The wrecks are at a depth of eleven metres, which means there is ample amounts of light to fuel any underwater photography. What used to be a submerged junkyard has now been transformed into a vibrant ecosystem exemplifying nature’s policy of adaptation to anything and merits exploration by diving enthusiasts.

Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and hopes to visit them all someday. Google+