Diving with The Kuwait Mantas
Kuwait stands at the North Eastern end of the Arabian Gulf. There are many good coral reefs in Kuwaiti waters which support a rich and varied underwater ecosystem. The offshore islands of Kubbar, Maradim and Qaruh have extensive fringing coral reefs. There are also a few submerged reefs, some close to shore such as Donkey Reef and some more remote like Mudayarah Reef. The reefs off Kuwait are some of the most Northerly coral reefs in the world. Considering the local conditions of high turbidity and salinity and wide temperature fluctuations there are some remarkably good hard coral formations.
Generally the diving is limited to a depth of 15 metres or so. Although some of the reefs shelve off quite rapidly to 25 metres or more the conditions limit coral growth to about 15 metres at most. The exception is a small wreck lying in 36 metres close to Qaruh. This is a demanding dive usually requiring decompression stops so only for experienced divers.
Underwater visibility varies from less than one metre on occasions to more than 20 metres on others. Generally you can expect 6 to 10 metres. It can produce thrilling glimpses of turtles, rays and barracuda and regularly provides a fascinating kaleidoscope of submarine life. Even whale sharks have been seen on occasions! The waters of Kuwait can be dived without a wetsuit for much of the year - the water can reach 32 or 33 degrees centigrade in the summer - but a wetsuit (or even a drysuit) is definitely needed in the winter months when the water temperature can fall to 12 degrees or less.