Leg 370 OOSA Salalah (Oman) to OOMA Masirah (Oman)
OOSA - Airport Info
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ICAO code: OOSA
Airport name: Salalalh
Location: Salalah
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Salalah Info
Salalah, is the capital and seat of the governor or Wali of the southern Omani province of Dhofar. The population of Salalah is 178,469 as of 2005.
Salalah is the second largest town in the Sultanate of Oman and a traditional stronghold and birthplace of the Sultan, Qaboos bin Said. The Sultan traditionally lives in Salalah rather than in Muscat, the capital and largest city in Oman; Qaboos has bucked this trend, however, and he has lived in Muscat since he ascended to the throne in 1970. He does however visit Salalah fairly regularly to meet with influential tribal and local leaders; his last visit was in 2006 and before that he visited in 2002.
The city of Salalah is known as the “perfume capital of Arabia”. The city is a popular destination for tourism due to the natural attractions of the nearby mountains and abundant stands of frankincense trees lining mountain wadi courses. Around the city and into the mountains the countryside is lush and green during the monsoon period with the vegetation supporting herds of cattle. The climate supports wildlife often more commonly associated with East Africa, such as leopards and hyenas.
The beaches and coastline are also major attractions for scuba diving and bird watching.
Salalah is a city of antiquity, boasting both the ruins of the fortified town Sumharam, an important port from 100 BC – AD 400, and the alleged resting place of Job in nearby Jabal Gadu. It is also the alleged resting place of Nabi Imranfather of Hazrat Maryam. Modern Oman is also represented by the Port of Salalah, located approximately 15 km to the southwest of the city. The strategic location of this port has made it one of the major entry points to India, the Middle East, and Africa.
OOMA - Airport Info
ICAO code: OOMA
Airport name: Masirah
Location: Masirah
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Masirah Info
Masirah is an island off the East coast of Oman, 95 km long north-south, between 12 and 14 km wide, with an area of about 649 km², and a population estimated at 12,000 in 12 villages mainly in the north of the island (9,292 as of the census of 2003, of which were 2,311 foreigners).
Administratively, it forms one of the eleven provinces of the Ash Sharqiyah Region. It contains an Omani air base and a fish factory, as well as a few small towns. Previously, the BBC had a relay facility consisting of both HF and MF broadcasting transmitters stationed there. Most of the island's interior is deserted, with access to the island only possible by a small ferry for cars or by Omani Air Force Hercules (RAFO) flights.
The main industries are fishing and traditional textile manufacturing. Formerly, traditional ship building was important.
The rugged terrain of the island and surrounding rough coastline has led to the appearance of many wrecked dhows on the beaches of the island, most of them well preserved by the salt water and intense heat.
The ocean bottom environment surrounding Masirah is hostile as the majority of the area is covered in either sand or hard rock. There is a swift current flowing through the area with a very sharp halocline visible on the surface of the ocean. The water depth nearby is around 10 meters and is not conducive to side-scan sonar searches due to the shallow water and choppy surface conditions. Despite the poor quality ocean bottom, the area is very productive with marine fisheries, and any hard objects (barrels, engines) are immediately colonized by local fauna.
On 5-6 June 2007, 7000 people on the island were forced to temporarily leave their homes due to the high storm waves produced by the powerful Cyclone Gonu, the strongest to hit the Persian Gulf region in 60 years.