Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
walls is a concern now that younger generations head to town in search of easier work
than farming.
Arabia's other principal mountain range is found in the east of the Peninsula. Here,
Oman's Hajar Mountains protect the communities around the Gulf of Oman from the en-
croachment of deserts from the interior. Terracing similar to that of Yemen can be seen on
Jebel Akhdar and on pocket-handkerchief scraps of land in the Mussandam. The southern
mountains of Oman, in the hills of Dhofar, catch the edge of the monsoon from India
bringing light rains that cause the arid hills to burst into life during the summer when most
of the rest of the Peninsula is desiccated by the heat.
The hills of southern Arabia are home to the elusive leopard, one of Arabia's most mag-
nificent animals. It is the largest but not the only predatory mammal of the Peninsula: ca-
racals, wolves, striped hyenas and sand cats are all resident (though in small and diminish-
ing numbers) in the mountains and wadis of Oman in particular, where they prey on
snakes and the plentiful rodents.
The mountains are the best (though far from the only) place to see wildflowers. After
rains they bloom in abundance. In the wadis there is an abundance of pink-flowering
oleander and tall stands of Sodom's apples; on the mountainsides juniper trees, wild
olives, lavenders and many plants with medicinal properties flourish.
Ostriches once roamed the savannah-like plains of Arabia and crocodiles inhabited the rivers, but chan-
ging climate and human encroachment resulted in a change of resident wildlife.
Seas
The Peninsula is bordered by three distinct seas, each of which has its own character.
The Red Sea, with its world-renowned underwater landscape and great diversity of
tropical fish, is mostly calm, and its shores flat and sandy. Grouper, wrasse, parrotfish and
snapper inhabit the colourful gardens of coral, sea cucumbers and sponge, while shark and
barracuda swim beyond the shallows, only venturing into the reefs to feed or breed.
Books: Seashells
Collectable Eastern Arabian Seashells (Donald Bosch)
Seashells of Eastern Arabia (Donald Bosch et al)
The Arabian Sea, home to dolphins and whales and five species of turtle, many of
which nest along the eastern Arabian shore, has a split personality. Calm for much of the
