Marine life off the shores of Abu Dhabi is as colorful as it is varied. The bright colors of the corals are matched by their inhabitants, including the clownfish -- think Nemo -- and a range of anemones. You'll see starfish, stingrays, seahorses, eels, turtles and the orange-spotted grouper known as hammour. Keep your eyes peeled for the legendary dugong, or "sea cow," believed to be the basis for ancient mariners' tales of mermaids.
The water averages about 77 degrees Fahrenheit in Abu Dhabi, so you won't need more than a 3-millimeter wetsuit; you will probably prefer just a swimsuit during the hotter summer months when the water temperature rises past 90 F. Visibility ranges between 15 and 30 feet in the shallow waters. The offshore Desert Islands offer divers even clearer water and a wider variety of marine life.
Abu Dhabi is a wreck diver's paradise with both shallow and deepwater shipwrecks. Close to shore, several sunken cement barges in various states of decay shelter smaller marine life. Out in deeper waters, divers can explore a plethora of shipwrecks, including the MV Jasim, sunk in 1986 and broken into three pieces. Divers can explore the engine room living quarters and and the nearly intact bow section, and will encounter some unusual deep-water marine life.
For beginners and those seeking a fun dive, the Breakwater is an artificial reef with a small wreck and an array of reef fish. The reefs of Ras Ghorab, Delta Buoy, Empros and Saadiyat Island offer brain coral and octopus coral, perfect places to spot clownfish, butterfly fish and other coral dwellers. For a spectacular view of protected sea turtles, schools of barracuda and spotted eagle rays, dive the coral gardens around the island of Jazirat Sir Bu Nair.
