Bimmah Sinkhole – swimming in a turquoise natural pool

A hole opens up in the ground in front of us and we look down deep into the turquoise blue water. We are standing at one of the most interesting natural phenomena in Oman, the Bimmah Sinkhole.

The Bimmah Sinkhole or Hawiyyat Nadschm is located on the north-eastern coast of Oman. If you are looking for it, you will find it near the village of Bimmah about 130km / about 1 hour and 20 minutes south of Muscat or about 77km / about 1 hour north of Sur along the highway. We made a stopover here during our drive from Muscat to the desert to visit this natural phenomenon, which is unique in Oman.

What is a sinkhole and how is it formed?

The coastal section of Oman where the sinkhole was formed consists of limestone, which is covered by a layer of gravel about 5 meters thick. Limestone is a relatively soft rock. Limestone also has the property of being water-soluble. Rainwater and groundwater can gradually dissolve the underground limestone over the course of many, many years. This can create cavities.

The Bimmah Sinkhole was formed when the solidified cap rock above such an erosion collapsed. The resulting hole is also known as a sinkhole.

Legends about its formation

If you ask the locals how the sinkhole was formed, the first thing you will hear are the legends. One legend says that the crater was created by the impact of a meteorite. This is why the hole would also be called Hawiyyat Nadschm, which means shooting star.

Others claim that a piece of the moon hit this spot. The sinkhole has therefore been given the nickname Bait al Afreet, which means House of the Demon.

Bimmah Sinkhole – is it worth a visit?

There are plenty of parking spaces in front of Hawiyyat Najm Park, where the sinkhole is located. During the week, it is usually relatively quiet here. It can get very crowded at the weekend, with not only locals but also many tourists visiting this attraction in Oman.

The park is fenced off, there are public toilets and seating invites you to stay a little longer, and well-paved paths lead towards the sinkhole, which is surrounded by an additional barrier.

From there, we look down into a deep hole about 40 meters wide. Around 70 percent of the bottom is covered with shimmering turquoise water, the remaining 30 percent is uneven rocky ground. Some visitors swim in the water, others sit on the rocks and enjoy the sun.

We circle the crater and reach a concrete staircase that leads us 20 meters into the depths. The steps vary in height and I am glad that I can hold on to a railing until we finally reach the accessible base of the sinkhole.

The sinkhole is actually much deeper. Trained scuba divers have discovered on dives that it goes a few meters deeper here. A guide line takes experienced divers about 10 meters deeper to a point where an orange-brown layer makes visibility almost impossible. If you then dive even deeper, the water becomes clear again. At a depth of around 60 meters, there is an entrance to the open sea. As a result, salt water enters the sinkhole and mixes with the groundwater in the crater, making the water appear more turquoise and bright.

Walking over the uneven rock, we reach the water. It is a pleasant temperature and I can understand why visitors like to refresh themselves there. I have read that there are small fish swimming in the sinkhole. The Garra Rufa fish, which we know from the fish spas, for example (nibbles off skin scales), is also said to be found there. However, I did not see any animals.

From the bottom of the sinkholes, the side walls look very impressive. They rise up steeply and I found it a bit oppressive to stand so deep in a “hole”. But I still liked it. The water, the colors, this incredible natural phenomenon – I had never experienced that before. Simply beautiful!!!!

Visitor information

The visit to the Bimmah Sinkhole was part of a tour with Zahara Tours.