Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on April 7, 2024
The rocky coast extending east of Mirbat, on the Arabian Sea coast of Oman, boasts many bays and coves to snorkel. Eagles Bay is one of the most accessible and recommended in the area. Moray eels, starfish, groupers, Moorish Idols and anemonefish are easy to spot around the rocks and coral found in the bay.
Eagles Bay is located east of Mirbat, on the Arabian Sea coast of Oman. It is just a 20 minutes drive (14km) from Mirbat’s city center. To reach the spot, you will need a car, preferably a 4×4, since there is no public transport in the region. The last part of the road, after Alila Hinu Bay resort, is unpaved.
If you have a 4×4, you can drive up to Kiwi Cove, which is the recommended water entrance point (see pin 1 on the map below). If you don’t, park your car at the end of the practicable road (pin 2 on the map) and then walk to Kiwi Cove (approximately 400m).
From Salalah, the largest city in southern Oman, the driving time to Eagles Bay is a bit more than 1 hour (85km).
Kiwi Cove, offering a nice sandy beach and calm sea, is the best spot to enter the water.
The best snorkeling area is along the rocky shore extending south of the beach (see map above). You can follow the coast for some 300 meters, but don’t drift too far if there is (even slight) current or if you are not a confident swimmer.
At this spot, the water depths are ranging from 1 to 30ft/0.5 to 10m. Snorkeling is especially good at low tide, as during high tide the deeper parts are difficult to see and you have to dive to enjoy it to the fullest.
Snorkeling along the coast, you’ll discover patches with kelp full of little fish, as well as really nice coral combined with rocks and sand. Different types of starfish and urchins are living on the seabed.
This spot boasts a wide diversity of fish, including spotted guitarfish, different species of moray eels, bluespotted groupers, long-spine porcupinefish, yellow boxfish and a lot more. Octopus and cuttlefish are also frequently seen around.
Eagles Bay is a great location for encountering the Oman anemonefish, only known from the Arabian Sea coast of Oman. Couples or small groups are found in the sea anemones from Entacmaea quadricolor and Heteractis crispa species living on the reef.
In normal sea conditions, the bay is very calm, with no mentionable currents.
The spot is never busy, even during the weekends and holidays, and you’ll have good chances to have the bay for yourself.
There are no amenities in Eagles Bay, as this spot is completely natural. A restaurant, a campsite, a resort, and some other lodging options are available less than 5km from the spot.
Discover Eagles Bay fascinating underwater world, including many laced morays and an incredible encounter with a guitarfish, in these videos 👇 shared by ajvessen!
These spots are accessible to anyone with basic snorkeling skills, and feeling comfortable in the water and with his snorkeling gear. You will enter the water from the shore (beach, pontoon, ladder, rocks) or from a boat. The water height in the sea entrance area is reasonable, but you will not necessarily be within your depth. Moderate currents can occur in the area, even when the sea conditions are good. The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas of the spot does not exceed 200 meters. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
