Daymaniyat Islands SnorkelingDaymaniyat Islands Snorkeling Trip with Brunch
This is the trip most people end up on. Global Scuba's Daymaniyat Islands snorkeling trip with brunch carries 2,520 reviews at 4.7 — more feedback than every other listing in this comparison put together — and at $63 it sits near the bottom of the price range rather than the top. Four and a half hours, two snorkel sites, sandwiches and cold drinks between them. One line is missing from the listing, and it is worth knowing about before you pay.
About This Snorkeling Trip
4.5 hours, morning or afternoon departure
$63 per adult, down from a listed $105
4.7 from 2,520 reviews on GetYourGuide
Global Scuba LLC, English-speaking crew
Two sites, roughly an hour at the turtle stop
Sandwiches, snacks and soft drinks; towels are not provided
Listing at a Glance
The same fields on every tour page here, read from the operator's listing in August 2026. Prices and availability are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
- Tour name Muscat: Daymaniat Islands Snorkeling Trip with Brunch
- Operator Global Scuba LLC
- Booking platform GetYourGuide
- Product ID 529891
- Starting price $63 USD per adult
- Price last checked August 2026
- Rating 4.7 out of 5
- Review count 2,520 reviews
- Review source GetYourGuide verified bookings
- Duration 4.5 hours
- Time at the islands About 2.5 hours on site across two stops
- Departure point Varies by option — confirm on the voucher
- Crossing time Approx. 30 to 45 minutes each way
- Expected return About 4.5 hours after the start time
- Transport Speedboat from the marina
- Group size Shared boat; size not stated
- Guide language English
- Reserve permit (OMR 3) Not stated on the listing
- Snorkel gear Included
- Lunch Sandwiches and snacks
- Drinks Soft drinks and water
- Towels Not included
- Hotel pickup Not included
- Cancellation deadline 24 hours before the start time
- Reserve now, pay later Available
- Minimum age None stated
- Physical difficulty Easy; entry from the boat, life jackets available
- Wheelchair accessibility Not suitable
- Not suitable for Pregnant women, people with pre-existing medical conditions
- Snorkeling time Roughly an hour at the turtle site, less at the second stop
- Ethical notes Touching marine life prohibited; island landing 1 November to 30 April only
- Weather limitations Departures moved or rescheduled in rough seas
- Alternative tour Same operator, fixed departures at /morning-or-afternoon-trip/
Check Dates and Availability
Live prices and departure dates from the booking platform. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the start time.
Quick answer
Global Scuba's brunch trip costs $63 per adult, runs 4.5 hours, and takes you to two snorkel sites in the Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve with sandwiches, snacks and soft drinks between them. It is the most-reviewed Daymaniyat listing by a wide margin, at 4.7 from 2,520 reviews. The reserve permit is not mentioned in the inclusions, so budget OMR 3 per adult on top.
Key takeaways
- $63 per adult against a struck-through $105, checked August 2026
- Two snorkel sites, about an hour at the turtle stop
- The listing never mentions the OMR 3 reserve permit, unlike eight other trips
- Towels are excluded; sandwiches and soft drinks are included
- Meeting point varies by option — Seeb and Al Mouj are 20 km apart
- Reviewers routinely count 15 to 30 turtles; compare all nine Daymaniyat Islands snorkeling trips
What 2,520 Reviews Actually Say
The consistent part: turtles, and captains who move the boat
Across a year of reviews the same two things come up. First, the turtle numbers. Rose from the United Kingdom, July 2026: "He took us to a spot where over 15 turtles were all feasting on the coral — it was incredible to see so many." Sarah from Germany, the same month, counted around 30 in one place. Sallyanne from Australia in July described swimming with "great sea life with many turtles".
Second, the crews. Captains are named over and over — Nemo, Fuad, Banga Banga, Happy — usually in the context of moving the boat when the first site is quiet, or filming turtles on someone's phone and handing it back. That is the difference between a 4.7 with 2,520 reviews and a 4.7 with 30.
The recurring complaint: what "brunch" means
The platform's own summary of the last 300 reviews puts it plainly: travellers say clearer information about food would help, because the included lunch is closer to snacks. That matches the inclusions list, which reads sandwiches, snacks and soft drinks — not a meal.
Eat before you board, or book one of the two BBQ boats if a hot lunch is part of what you are buying: the catamaran at $63 cooks on the water for the same money, and the $99 BBQ boat is the full version. Value for money on this listing scores 4.5 against a guide score of 4.8, which is the same story told in numbers.
The permit gap
Eight of the nine trips compared on this site say in writing that reserve permits are included. This one lists boat trip, local guide, snorkeling equipment, snacks, soft drinks and sandwiches — with towels marked as excluded — and says nothing about a permit either way.
That is not a sign anything is being skipped; the Daymaniyat reserve is patrolled and boats need clearance to be there at all. It does mean the operator has not committed to covering the OMR 3 (about $7.80) day permit for non-Omani adults. Ask at check-in and budget for it, or take a listing where the line is spelled out — the $60 Seeb Marina trip and the $66 Seeb Port trip both state it.
How the Day Runs
The listing sells morning and afternoon departures and does not publish a minute-by-minute schedule; this is the shape reported consistently in reviews.
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Check-in
Marina office
Meeting point varies by the option you select, so read the voucher rather than assuming. Gear is fitted and the crew briefs the group before boarding.
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+30 min
The crossing
Thirty to forty-five minutes depending on the port and the sea. Sunglasses and hats need securing; the boats move fast.
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+1 h
First site: the turtles
The long stop, about an hour. Entry from the boat, life jackets for anyone who wants one, turtles feeding on the seabed within a short swim.
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+2 h
Sandwiches and the move
Snacks, chips, watermelon, juice and water on deck while the crew repositions to the second site.
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+2 h 30
Second stop
A second snorkel site, or between November and April a beach landing on one of the islands with time to walk up for the view.
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+4 h 30
Back at the marina
Alongside about four and a half hours after the start. No hotel drop-off is included, so arrange the taxi back.
Where You Are Going
The reserve sits about 18 km off Barka, north-west of Muscat. Boats leave from Seeb or Al Mouj depending on the option booked.
Who This Trip Suits
Book it if
You want the highest-volume evidence base in the catalogue and a price at the low end. Two and a half thousand reviews mean the operation is repeatable — the boats run, the turtles get found, the crew is competent — in a way that a listing with ten reviews cannot demonstrate yet.
- You want the most-tested option rather than the newest
- You are happy with sandwiches instead of a cooked lunch
- You would rather pay $63 than $99 for the same islands
- You can carry your own towel and arrange your own transfer
Book something else if
You need the permit line in writing — take the Seeb Marina morning trip at $60, which states it. You want a fixed departure time you can plan a day around — the same operator's 08:30 or 13:30 trip publishes both. You want the footage — the GoPro trip includes an underwater camera.
Or you want lunch to be lunch, in which case the two BBQ boats are the answer.
Questions About This Trip
How much is the Daymaniyat brunch snorkeling trip?
$63 per adult, checked in August 2026, against a struck-through list price of $105. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before the start time and reserve-now-pay-later is available. Add the OMR 3 (about $7.80) reserve permit unless the operator confirms it is covered. How the nine trips compare on price
Is the reserve permit included?
The listing does not say. Its inclusions cover the boat, the guide, snorkeling equipment, snacks, soft drinks and sandwiches, with towels excluded — no permit line either way. Eight other trips in this comparison state the permit is included, so ask at check-in and budget OMR 3 per adult in the meantime. What the permit costs
Where does it leave from?
The listing says the meeting point varies depending on the option you select, which in practice means Seeb or Al Mouj. They are roughly 20 km apart and one traveller on a sister listing was sent to the wrong one in June 2026. Check the voucher the evening before, not on the morning. Both marinas explained
What is included for food?
Sandwiches, snacks and soft drinks, served between the two snorkel stops. Reviewers describe chips, watermelon and juice alongside them, and the platform's review summary notes that people expected more than snacks. If a cooked meal matters, the BBQ lunch boat and the catamaran are the trips that provide one.
Can non-swimmers join?
Yes. You enter from the boat, the turtles are within a short swim, and life jackets are available. The listing does exclude pregnant women and people with pre-existing medical conditions, and it is not suitable for wheelchair users. Children are not given a minimum age here; the Seeb Marina trip accepts them from three.
Will I definitely see turtles?
Nothing in a nature reserve is promised, but green turtles are resident year-round and this is the site crews build the trip around. The pattern across reviews is 15 to 30 sightings in a session, with captains relocating the boat when the first stop is quiet. Whale sharks are a July to September possibility and are not guaranteed on any boat. What lives there
What Travellers Said
Great experience! Captain Nemo kept everyone safe and made sure we had fun. He took us to a spot where over 15 turtles were all feasting on the coral. Plenty of snacks and drink were provided whenever you wanted. The boat even had a toilet on board. Good value for money.
Cool snorkeling spots, huge colorful corals, lots of fish and, of course, a huge number of turtles – there were definitely 30 of them in one spot. There were chips, sandwiches, melon, and plenty to drink.
Great sea life with many turtles to swim with. The boat ride was good and the captain was excellent and very friendly. The manager was helpful in organising transport to our hotel afterwards.
Verified reviews for this listing as published on the booking platform.
Page last reviewed August 2026. Price, rating and review count read from the listing on August 2026. Prices, availability and terms are set by the operator and confirmed at checkout.
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