Telegraph Island

Telegraph Island (Jazirat al Maqlab) is a 200-metre limestone island in the middle of Khor Sham fjord, about 90 minutes by dhow from Khasab Port. It is named after the British telegraph station built on the island in 1864 — a relay point on the London–Karachi underwater cable. The ruined stone walls of the station are still visible from the water; the dhows anchor in the same lee-side cove the British cable ship used 160 years ago. Today the island is the most-photographed snorkel spot in Musandam. The reef on the sheltered south-west side is a 3–8 m wall of hard and soft coral dropping to 14 m, with sergeant majors, parrotfish, butterflyfish, moray eels and — on about 30% of visits — a green sea turtle. Visibility is 10–12 m from November to April, 5–7 m in summer. Most visitors reach Telegraph Island on the full-day dhow cruise from Khasab (6 hours, OMR 20 / AED 250). The half-day cruise (3.5 hours) and the dedicated snorkel tour (3 hours) also stop here.