Environment Authority urges public to rely only on official sources over Dhofar beach colour

Muscat: The Environment Authority has clarified that the recent change in water colour observed on several beaches in the Dhofar Governorate is entirely related to the Khareef Dhofar season and is not the result of oil pollution. Following reports of discoloured water and unusual odours, the authority conducted rigorous testing on marine water samples at the Environmental Laboratory within the Directorate General of Environment in Dhofar. The laboratory results officially confirmed that the collected samples were completely free of any oil contamination.

Investigators determined that the visual changes are the result of a completely natural phenomenon, driven by strong waves during the monsoon season that push seaweed up to the water's surface. This process forms a distinct green layer, which serves as one of the initial indicators of the annual green tide phenomenon that regularly occurs along the Dhofar coastline. The Environment Authority explicitly stated that there is absolutely no connection between this natural occurrence and the recent ship grounding incident in the Hallaniyat Islands, urging the public to rely solely on official sources for information and to ignore misleading rumours.