COVER N. 397 - OMAN

Postmark: Illegible 04.01.2024

Posted on the 4th January; received on the 23rd January 2024 

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Another cover from the Gulf region, this time from Oman, again a much appreciated courtesy of Eric. Hartelijk dank, Eric!

The Persian Gulf is not a good place to be sailing these days, but luckily, animals, and intelligent animals in particular, which seems not to be the case with our own species, care nothing about it, just as they  care nothing about borders, and care nothing about religions, and care nothing about geopolitics, and care nothing about a whole lot of other stuff that we have been caring for ages, with the results that we all know...

Benefiting from this superior state of mind, these animals continue to roam freely in the waters of the Gulf... maybe one day we can all follow their example, either in the Persian Gulf, or everywhere else on Earth....

On 24DEC2020, Oman Post issued a five stamp se-tenant stamp strip (2 x 100; 200; 300; 500 Baisa) dedicated to Dolphins and Whales of Oman.

The 300 and 200 Baisa stamps used on this cover are illustrated, respectively, with photographs of:

- Spinner Dolphin (Stenella longirostris), a species distributed globally across the world in tropical waters, known for its spinning out of the water habit from where it gets its name;

- Indian Ocean Humpback Dolphin (Sousa plumbea) distributed  from Southern Africa to Western Indochina, and which, contrary to the Spinner Dolphin, categorised as a "Least Concern" species by the IUCN, is considered to be an Endangered Species.

The Postmark is illegible as to the place of issuance.