Uncovering the undersea treasure

From the Times of Oman: Uncovering the undersea treasure
MUSCAT: Turquoise waters with bright yellow fish, vivid pink corals, and other sea creatures will captivate viewers when Oman’s first underwater documentary airs during the National Day holidays later this month.

‘Oman’s Undersea Treasure’ is a 45-minute documentary made by Mohammed Al Kindi, a director and script-writer at Oman TV. It is the first of a series of films that showcase the variety of species living along Oman’s coast.

“The target is to document our species underwater, show people what we have, and encourage them to go diving,” said Al Kindi, while talking to Times of Oman.

Al Kindi teamed up with diving instructor Sami Said Al Riyami, who has the experience of filming underwater. With the help of a few other Omanis, they filmed nine hours of footage for the documentary, which focuses on the waters of Musandam.

“I liked the idea and nobody did it before. One of the most beautiful things we have in Oman is under the sea,” said Al Riyami.

Al Kindi, who is from Nizwa, had to learn to dive and the team had to invest in special waterproof camera equipment and lights.
“I was in a different world my first time,” said Al Kindi, his eyes sparkling at the memory.

The team filmed underwater, going to depths of 30m, where they saw a plethora of species, including sharks, clown fish, hamour, shrimp, lobster, eels, corals, and jellyfish. They even saw a barracuda, which Al Kindi admits, was the most frightening moment since it tried to attack them.

The documentary also highlights the connection between the mountains in Musandam, the people who live there, and the sea. The mountains provide nutrients and breeding places for the fish, and the fish provide for the people.

“They are working in harmony,” Al Kindi explained.
Next year Al Kindi and Al Riyami will continue the series and make documentaries about the sea life in Batinah, Muscat, Sur, Al Wusta, and Dhofar. Despite the challenges they face filming underwater, such as currents, poor visibility and barracuda attacks, the men want to keep filming so they can share what they see with Omanis, and the world. Al Kindi said Oman TV wants to spread the film to other markets and attract more foreigners.

“I felt this film chose me. I felt it was my responsibility because Oman has many treasures and we need to show them,” said Al Riyami.

The men also love being under the sea because it gives a new perspective on the world. Al Riyami said he had gone on more than 6,000 dives in his life and the experience never gets old because the aquatic life is constantly changing.

“Each time I dive I see something new and each season it’s different. One movie is not enough,” Al Riyami said.