The coastal waters Mark is paddling through are blooming into life. The upwelling cooler water is bringing with it nutrients from the deep, providing the fuel for the phytoplankton soup that plays such pivotal role in the food chain of the marine ecosystem.

This phytoplankton bloom has given Mark a wonderful sight, bioluminescence has been lighting up the water as every waves crashes onto the shore of his night time campsite. He is camping on the edge of the Sharqiya Sands. Formerly known as the Wahiba Sands, it is one of only 3 fog deserts in the world and an incredibly rare, isolated sand sea ecosystem, making it an ideal living laboratory.

In this podcast, join Mark in conversation with long-time friend of Oman, the inspirational Nigel Winser. In the mid-1980s, as deputy director of The Royal Geographical Society in London Nigel led The Wahiba Sands Project, a multiyear multidisciplinary study of this unique environment.

Discover more about the expedition and track Mark at Oman 3165

The Oman 3165 podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio

Sandwich Tern recorded by David Darrell-Lambert and used with permission under Creative Commons licence

As Mark launches into the next stage of the Oman 3165 Expedition he drops into see marine ecologist Andy Willson in Muscat. Andy set up Future seas, an Oman based marine research and conservation company and has been a huge supporter of the expedition.

During the expedition pause, Andy has been servicing the hydrophone and setting up the analysis of the recordings Mark has been gathering each day.

In this fascinating conversation, Andy gives Mark a preview of the marine habitats he will be passing through and an insight into the oceanography that makes this section of the Omani coastline so special.

Discover more about the expedition and track Mark at Oman 3165

The Oman 3165 podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio

Sandwich Tern recorded by David Darrell-Lambert and used with permission under Creative Commons licence

Mark is finally back on the water after two days stormbound on land. Today’s leg starts near one of Oman’s stunning pink lakes, just south of Al Ashkharah and took Mark south along the coast to Ras Jibsh.

Landing at Ras Jibsh Mark reflects at the joy of being back on the water again, especially as this was the final paddling day of Leg 1 of Oman 3165. So Mark takes a moment to reflect back on the last 36 days of the expedition.

So far they have collected 6 eDNA samples, gathered over 120 hours of underwater acoustic recordings, captured hundreds of 360 images on land and on sea, while every couple of days Mark has been having online conversations with school children around the world and in Oman.

Go and check out the expedition Story Arc on the website to see more of the Omani coastline and learn about the expedition.

Leg 2 of Oman 3165 starts in early January when Mark takes to the water again to head south towards the border with Yemen.

Discover more about the expedition and track Mark at Oman 3165

The Oman 3165 podcast is produced by Adventurous Audio

Sandwich Tern recorded by David Darrell-Lambert and used with permission under Creative Commons licence