The Gulf of Oman

Leaving the Arabian Sea behind us we enter the Gulf of Oman. The Gulf of Oman is a strait (and not an actual gulf) that connects the Arabian Sea with the Strait of Hormuz, which then runs to the Persian Gulf. It is generally included as a branch of the Persian Gulf, not as an arm of the Arabian Sea. On the north coast is Pakistan and Iran (Persia). On the south coast are Oman in the east, and the United Arab Emirates for a short distance in the west. The Persian Gulf is rich with good fishing grounds, extensive coral reefs, and abundant pearl oysters, but its ecology has come under pressure from industrialization, and in particular, repeated petroleum spillages during recent wars.