Top secret Seas – Explore Oman’s special underwater environment

Secret Seas is a stunning e book which not only has lovely shots but is awash with details on Oman, its seas and underwater everyday living. Even the most skilled divers will discover from this book and all will be enchanted by the superb pictures.

Whale shark in blue water

As the authors’ describe, the diving in Oman is actually one of a kind. Nowhere else do you have kelp forests and coral gardens co-exisiting in the identical place. The seasonal coldwater upwellings in the south of Oman carry vitamins and minerals and great ailments for temperate large seaweeds. By the end of August diving below would resemble diving in the United kingdom or Norway, if it was not for the presence of tropical fish and coral communities – a lot of, like the Dhofar parrotfish, only observed right here. By the conclusion of September while, the sea temperature rises and the algae get started to vanish, at the time more revealing a tropical coral reef.

Omani clownfish on carpet anenome, amongst the increasing seaweed

Oman is household to in excess of 1600 species of fish and pretty much 200 species of coral. 4 out of seven species of turtle nest below. The upwellings have led to many endemic species – which are observed nowhere else in the entire world.

Turtles are frequently solitary animals, besides throughout the copy season when males chase females. This tiny cluster of 5 inexperienced turtles was extremely strange and consisted of juveniles too occupied feeding on algal turf to get recognize of the photographer.

The reserve opens with a dialogue of Oman and its history. It speedily progresses to the diving in the distinct sections of the country and in its different seas – the Arabian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Arabian Sea. While the early sections contain substantially detail, from now on the amazing photographs choose centre phase. These are annotated with fascinating bite-sizing particulars of behaviour or peculiarities. Each part of the guide now focuses on just one aspect of the underwater environment, these as The Reef, Nudibranchs, Sharks and Rays, Cephalopods, Blue Water, Less than the Rainbow and Threats to the Oceans.

The teira batfish (Platax teira) is frequently viewed in faculties, swimming near the area over sunken reefs or pinnacles.

The reef area for illustration attributes spectacular near ups of delicate corals. Colours are revealed equally effectively lit by the photographer’s flash and occasionally also as they would be at first observed in normal light-weight by a diver. Some of the photos are of species not nonetheless described by researchers.

This colonial sea anemone is a parasite of whip corals.

Paul Flandinette has been an underwater photographer for about 20 decades and has preferred to develop a professional top quality underwater photographic e-book for as prolonged as he can keep in mind. In 2014 he been given an underwater images fee from Oman’s Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth (as it was then recognised). Distribute in excess of 6 months this undertaking gave him a comprehensive perception into the magnificence and biodiversity of Oman’s underwater planet. Paul states “It didn’t take me extensive to learn there was no photographic reserve on Oman’s underwater earth. It’s uncommon to uncover any undertaking which is never ever been performed right before so, constantly up for a problem, I commenced this journey which was to very last around 7 yrs.

He ongoing “For my co-creator Michel and me it is not just about generating a stunning and useful e-book. We hope that becoming section of the effort and hard work to promote Oman’s underwater earth Magic formula Seas will assist improve consciousness of the have to have to conserve and shield this extremely exclusive maritime atmosphere.

The lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris) can develop up to three metres. They are observed in shallow tropical waters and are identified to return to particular nursery web sites to breed

This definitely is a wonderful reserve. Totally critical if you system to dive in Oman, but also truly attention-grabbing and educational for any diver, no matter of their spot. Through a time whilst lots of of us are unable to journey to dive, an inspiring ebook which helps us improved comprehend the underwater globe. This guide is excellent both for seasoned divers with a deep understanding of marine lifestyle, and persons just at the get started of their diving journey. Highly advisable.

Al-Munasir, an Oman Royal Navy ship was scuttled in 2002 to
supply divers with new diving chances. These kinds of artificial
reefs raise the diversity and the biomass of fish by creating
new habitats. Bandar Al-Khiran

A hardcover e-book with 240 webpages, the authors incorporate 295 images and deal with 160 species. Measuring 24 cm by 30 cm, it has been printed on 170gsm matt art paper making use of sustainably sourced papers. Magic formula Seas is readily available from the author – Paul Flandinette. It expenses £36.85.

About the Authors

Paul Flandinette

Paul Flandinette

Paul Flandinette is an award-successful film maker, expert underwater photographer, writer and artist. He is passionate about the underwater globe and has dived extensively in the in the Much East, Crimson Sea, Caribbean and the British isles. He has been living in Oman considering the fact that 2013 and has put in the last seven decades photographing Oman’s underwater earth.

Michel Claereboudt

Michel Claereboudt is Professor of Marine Ecology at the Division of Maritime Sciences and Fisheries at Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat. He is an internationally recognised authority on corals and echinoderms and proceeds to analysis the ecology and biology of corals and other reef invertebrates.

Michel has been dwelling in Oman considering that 1997 in which he has created hundreds of dives and has an intimate awareness of Oman’s underwater planet that couple can equal. He is also an underwater photographer.

Extra Photos from Key Seas

Ordering

Key Seas
by Paul Flandinette and Michel Claereboudt
July 2021
ISBN: 978-99969-849–7
240 web pages, £36.85

To purchase make contact with Paul Flandinette – [email protected], +968 9138 2281. The reserve costs £36.85. Postage is £6.50 to the Uk, £16.95 to the relaxation of Europe and £31.95 to the relaxation of the environment.

By Harmony