Whales and Dolphins

In the underwater world along the Omani coasts of the Indian Ocean, you can find whales and dolphins from the northern region Musandam to the southern region of Dhofar. These mammals evolved about 50 million years ago in our world's oceans. The biggest challenge for these animals was to adapt breathing to life in water. Nature solved this problem by developing nostrils into what are called blowholes on the top of the head. Movement was optimized by their streamlined bodies. The tail fin and dorsal fin developed for navigation. The fur needed on land was no longer necessary and was replaced by a warming layer of fat. This evolutionary adaptation protects the animals from cold in polar oceans and great depths. It also serves as an energy reserve.

Almost all regions of the world's oceans are inhabited by whales. They even give birth to their young underwater. However, there is one thing they still cannot do: breathe underwater. Therefore, they regularly come to the surface to take in air. Within a few seconds, large whales exchange air through the blowhole. They breathe approximately every two minutes and can stay underwater for up to one and a half hours with full lungs, diving to great depths. Dolphins, on the other hand, breathe about three times per minute and can stay underwater for a maximum of 15 minutes. This, however, is an exception. While whales tend to glide slowly through the water, dolphins are fast swimmers and can reach speeds of over 50 km/h.

In general, a distinction is made between baleen whales and toothed whales. As the name of the latter suggests, this suborder has teeth. Examples include dolphins, sperm whales, porpoises, Amazon river dolphins, etc. Baleen whales have plates of keratin where their teeth would be in the upper jaw. They feed on krill and plankton. The largest whales, except for sperm whales, belong to this suborder. A well-known example is the blue whale, the largest whale in the world. Unfortunately, it is estimated that there are only about 10,000 individuals left. The Omani organization Oman Whale and Dolphin Research Group has documented only seven sightings since 2000.

Very interesting is the behavior of a humpback whale group residing in Oman. This is the only one in the world that permanently stays off the Omani coast and does not cover large distances like others. Spotting whales is generally more difficult than spotting dolphins. In Oman, the likelihood of seeing these mammals is relatively high. In the Dhofar region around Salalah you can join groups for so-called “whale watching.” However, patience is still required here. It is easier to see different species of dolphins. The most common species in Oman are spinner dolphins, round-headed dolphins, and bottlenose dolphins. These can be observed on organized boat tours.