Masirah Island

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Masirah (Arabic: مصيرة‎) is an island off the East coast of Oman. It contains an Omani air base and a fish factory, as well as a few small towns. The BBC used to have a relay facility consisting of both HF and MF broadcasting transmitters. Most of the inland is relatively deserted, and access to the island is only possible by a small car ferry or Omani Air Force Hercules (RAFO) flights.

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.

[edit] External links

• Masirah: Tales from a Desert Island
• A military history