Page 9 - Whales and Dolphins

Chairman's Word

The Environment Agency celebrates the presentation of the book “Whales and Dolphins in the Omani Marine
Environment” as an addition to the Omani and international environmental library, and in confirmation of the roles
played by the authority in the field of conservation and management of natural resources in the marine
environment. The idea of the book came to introduce the types of whales and dolphins found in the seas of the
Sultanate, highlighting their structure and phenotypic characteristics, through a series of models and
illustrations, allowing the reader to easily identify them closely.

The book also includes a description of cetacean behavior, in addition to its natural habitats, and the paths it takes
across the Omani seas through a set of geographical maps. And also the risks faced by these organisms, studies
related to the phenomena and causes of their death or delinquency, and the efforts made by the authority's
specialists.

And based on the noble directives of His Majesty Sultan Haitham bin Tariq (may Allah preserve and protect him) to
follow in the footsteps of the late Sultan Qaboos bin Said bin Taimour (may Allah rest his soul) and be guided by
the immortal feat and his luminous words about protecting the environment and its natural resources, “We must
cherish, and preserve the This good land from everyone who wants to tamper with its beautiful nature that God
gave it.Protecting the made and the gifted nature is a national duty on each of us to bear his responsibility towards
them.

The geographical location of the Sultanate of Oman is given, through its
view of three seas: the Arabian Gulf, the Sea of Oman, and the Arabian Sea;
An amazing diversity of marine creatures, unique to our marine
environment. Where it lives in the depths of these waters, fourteen species
of dolphins ranging in size from small to huge, in addition to three types of
baleen whales, and three other types of toothed whales.

These marine mammals contribute to maintaining the stability and balance
of food chains, in addition to that their excreta plays a major role in
absorbing carbon from the atmosphere, and with the important and crucial
role that dolphins play in combating infectious diseases and ensuring the
reproduction of fisheries, they are very sensitive to environmental
disturbances, and activities negative human population, making it an ideal
indicator of the health of marine ecosystems.

In conclusion, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to everyone who HE. Dr/Abdullah Al Amri
contributed to the completion of this important scientific work, which we
hope will be a scientific reference for researchers interested in the field of Chairman of Environment
marine biodiversity. Allah grants success Authority

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