Sha'ab Al Ali

Sha'ab Al Ali is a submerged reef shoal about 55 km north of Doha that acts as the primary aggregation point for Qatar's seasonal whale shark sightings, typically occurring between April and June as oceanic plankton blooms drift through the northern Gulf. Researchers from the Qatar Whale Shark Research Project use this site as a tagging station, and their presence has helped establish reliable encounter windows. Outside whale shark season the shoal still delivers large pelagics — schools of cobia, Spanish mackerel, and occasional hammerhead sharks cruise the current lines.