Disaster waiting to happen at Qantab beach

If you are a regular to Qantab beach, you wouldn’t miss young Omani kids approaching you with a “boat” offer. Their “boat” translates into a boat ride around the enchanting sea for a few rials with their small boats that are normally used for fishing.

I happened to be in Qantab a couple of days back, and was appalled at the safety hazard such trips pose to gullible people who won’t mind spending a few bucks to go around the picturesque spot with their families. A combo of sun, sea and sand sends an adrenaline rush which propels these families to risk their lives for a joy ride. A majority of boats in the beach are equipped with wooden planks and powered by a Yamaha engine, and driven by kids who are in the age group of 14-20 years. The boats don’t have any safety equipments and are not designed to ferry passengers by all counts.

To be honest, I have taken those boat rides with my friends (all men) a good three years back, and I must admit there is a lot of risk factor attached to such trips. The driver who took us around acted like a Daniel Craig and did all sorts of stunts in his book -- I could imagine a chasing scene from a James Bond flick. Only saving grace on that occasion was all of us knew to swim in case the boat toppled. Another dangerous factor is these boats are handled by kids who have no great skills in maneuvering boats which can hold as much as 6-8 people, including women and children. Our friend who ventured into the sea yesterday with his family revealed how they felt shit scared when the young chap (driver) raced along the sea and made sharp turns are great speeds. In fact, they had to request the chap to cool down and reduce the speed. It is anybody guess the result if the boat topples in deep sea. Every time I am at Qantab, I have a silent prayer on my lips whenever I see a family getting into those boats.


There is a non-descript board in the beach put up by the Ministry of Tourism which states that those interested in boat rides must take boats approved by the ministry. This sets up a question. How does one know which boats are approved by the ministry and which are not. At a normal glance, all boats in the vicinity look illegal (no ministry approval). I am sure the ministry wouldn’t want fishing boats with zero safety features to ferry passengers on a dangerous trip. The place needs serious regulation from concerned authorities. Otherwise, the day is not far when Qantab will be in news for wrong reasons.