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Far Garden is our house Reef in front of Reef Oasis Blue Bay Resort, it is situated in the northernmost part of a splendid bay just north of Naama Bay. Because of the many coral formations and their configuration, Far Garden is considered a veritable underwater hanging garden. It differs from the other localities in the bay, since there is a series of large coral pinnacles located between the ledge along the reef and the drop-off, which becomes gradually steeper in an eastward direction. The current, which generally runs eastwards, tends to get stronger closer to the headland. You will see gorgonian fans, lionfish, glassfish and frequently we see mantas and turtles.
The Temple is our house reef. It is located on the north side of Sharm El Sheikh Harbor. Formed of a group of three pinnacles that rise up from 20 metres below to the surface. This is a flat, sloping reef with two major, and a few minor, pinnacles adding contour to the reef face. The largest of the pinnacles is ‘The Tower’. Its bulk is split by two major fissures, one of which can be swum through. The second should not be entered, to avoid damaging the delicate gorgonians growing along its sides. All the pinnacles hide a surprisingly rich variety of reef animals.
RAS MOHAMED National Park has 9 dive sites: Ras Ghozlani, Marsa Barieka, Ras Zatar, Jackfish Alley, Eel Garden, Shark Observatory, Anemone city, Shark & Yolanda Reefs. South of Sharm el Sheikh the coast is totally deserted, with no shelter for more than a mile, up to the small bay named MARSA GHOZLANI, where the RAS MOHAMMED NATIONAL PARK begins. This is followed by another bay, MARSA BAREIKA which is much
A beautiful dive site to dive in the Ras Mohamed Nationa park. This site has an superb array of beautiful table corals, glassfish covered pinnacles and a wonderful corals landscape.
Situated at the southern entrance of the large bay Marsa Bareika, this dive combines a vertical wall, impressive chimneys and blue water. This is a good place to find large tuna, barracudas Jackfish and in summer, cruising grey reef sharks.
The name of this site derives from the white sandy road between the coral ledge bordering the coast and a parallel satellite reef that is often frequented by Jackfish and other predators. Jackfish Alley, which was originally known as Fisherman’s Bank, is south of Ras Za’atar. You will have to make it as a drift dive, lookout for Gorgonians, stingrays, trevally, Glass fish, triggerfish and sometimes you might see a Whitetip reef shark.
A world ranked dive site formed of two little underwater islands, the Shark reef and the Yolanda reef. Shark Reef, is a vertical wall dropping to 700 meters, covered with fantastic corals. While the Yolanda Reef has a wide plateau with a coral garden and lots of of pinnacle corals. Between Yolanda reef and the Ras Mohamed reef lies the remains of the wreck of the Yolanda that is 74m long and was carrying bathroom supplies heading to the Gulf of Aqaba when she crashed in 1980. The presence of strong currents is often at this site. Diverse marine life to watch : scorpionfish, crocodilefish, groupers, turtles, tuna, big morays and napoleon fish, Red Snapper, batfish, unicornfish, barracudas and more which of course sometimes attracts the predators such as Grey reef or black tip Sharks.
This historic wreck was a 79 meters long, British steam sail ship which was built in Newcastle and struck the reef in 1876 en route from Bombay to Liverpool. Soon after she slid off the reef and turned upside down. It is now covered in so much coral growth, that it is hard to tell where the reef stops and the wreck begins. After taking a look at her rudder and propeller, divers are taken through the hull of the wreck. Swimming inside Dunraven is like swimming through a Cathedral with beams of light pouring through her portholes. Old Hessian ropes and the remains of wooden cargo boxes bring this ship alive. The sight of her enormous boilers are a reminder of the magnificent age of steam engines. A safety stop on the reef brings schools of yellow goatfish, baby barracudas and a numerous of stonefish.
The Thistlegorm, named after its Gaelic meaning “Blue Thistle,” was a British transport ship owned by the Albyn Line shipping company. Measuring 126.5 meters long and with a capacity of 4,898 tons, it was powered by a three-cylinder steam engine generating 1,860 HP, giving it a speed of around 10 knots. Built to transport wartime materials for British troops, it embarked from Glasgow, Scotland in May 1941, carrying a diverse cargo including munitions, bombs, rifles, motorbikes, trucks, tracked vehicles, and locomotives. On the night of October 5-6, 1941, the Thistlegorm was attacked by two German Heinkel HE III bombers, causing it to sink after being hit by two bombs in hold no.4 where munitions were stored. It sank upright on a flat, sandy seabed 30 meters deep. Jacques Cousteau discovered the wreck in 1955 but kept its location secret until 1991 when it was rediscovered by an Israeli skipper. Since then, the Thistlegorm has become a popular destination for scuba divers worldwide and is now the most visited wreck in the Red Sea.
The Straits of Tiran, situated at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba, are delineated by the coast of Sinai to the west and the island of Tiran to the east. Within this channel lie four reefs named after 19th-century English cartographers: Jackson Reef, Woodhouse Reef, Thomas Reef, and Gordon Reef. These reefs divide the straits into two passages: the Grafton Passage to the east, utilized by northward-bound ships, and the Enterprise Passage to the west, for ships heading south. Strong currents prevalent in the straits transport plankton and nutrients, nourishing the corals and supporting a diverse marine ecosystem. Consequently, divers exploring the waters of Tiran are treated to abundant coral reefs and a variety of reef and pelagic fauna, including barracuda, jackfish, tuna, and sharks.
This describes the northernmost reef in Tiran, known for the wreck of the Cypriot merchant ship Lara, which sank in 1985. Diving usually starts on the sheltered southern side with mooring points and a wall descending steeply to -45 meters. Moving westwards, divers encounter gorgonians and a red anemone at 28 meters, followed by a plateau connected to Woodhouse Reef. The southwest corner, with fire corals, experiences strong currents. Drift diving on the eastern part is possible, revealing a sandy ledge at 15 meters where turtles and pelagic fish like White-tip, Grey reef, and Hammerhead sharks can be spotted, particularly from July to September.
Woodhouse Reef is narrow and long, dive are done only as drift dives and only in good weather conditions. the most interesting part is the northern half of the eastern side with a canyon starting at 30 meters. Lots to see there from red anemones, great potential for sea turtles, jackfish and eagle rays. In case of choppy sea it is recomended to end the dive and to surface before the northen point as the turbulence created by powerful whirling currents and strong winds can be present.
This reef stands out as one of the most breathtaking diving sites in the northern Red Sea, appealing to both recreational and technical divers. Due to the absence of mooring points, drift diving is essential. Starting from the southern corner, divers follow an underwater route along the eastern side, where a vibrant coral wall descends to a sandy plateau beginning at approximately 25 meters depth. Here, diverse marine life including large Alcyonarians, striking gorgonians, and colonies of black coral can be observed. At 35 meters depth, a stunning and deep canyon emerges, adorned with impressive arches. A strong counter-current may be encountered at the northeastern corner, but if navigated successfully and under favorable conditions, divers can circumnavigate the entire reef. This provides opportunities to explore the northern and western walls, revealing shelters, splits, crevices, caves, and an abundance of sea turtles and reef fish.
Gordon Reef is easily identified by the wreck of the Panamanian cargo ship Loullia which crashed in 1981. Enjoy the various species of coral, small nudibranches hidden in the crevices and the soft corals, you can encounter as well White Tip Reef Sharks and Eagle rays. By the middle of the reef you will see some metal drums that homes Octopus and different types of eel such as Moray, Peppered and Gold edged morays. Divers need to be careful of strong current at the north and southern ends of this reef.
In August 1984 the Kormoran, built in 1963 in the Rostock shipyards (Germany), was coming from Aqaba with a cargo of phosphate when an error in navigation caused it to hit the reef bordering the island of Tiran (Laguna Reef). The impact was tremendous and the vessel, lost almost all of its bow, two large cracks opened on it’s left side and the superstructure was irreparably damaged. Now scuba divers at Sharm el-Sheikh can enjoy the new and interesting experience of going to see the wreck, which is still relatively unknown, Best to be dived when the sea conditions are good, stunning views of attractive colours of coral formations on the surrounding seabed.
This wreck is rarely dived due to its proximity to the shore line. However if you are lucky enough to dive it you will be in for a treat. Some parts of the ship are still visible above the surface, but the majority is below to a max depth of 30m. There is a crack which is the result of an impact, it is used to swim through into the empty hold. You can make fantastic shots of the huge propeller, so take a camera and male a full 360 degrees tour round the wreck, where very few get to dive.
The small city of Dahab lies 80 KM north of Sharm el Sheikh and has seen considerable tourist development in the last few years. The number of scuba divers visiting its diving sites has risen amazingly, yet many of these divers are not clients of the over 30 local dive centers here but come from Sharm looking for different dives in a more relaxed and calm atmosphere. In contrast to Sharm el Sheikh where scuba diving is mainly by boat, in Dahab the sites are easily accessible by land and boats are rare. THE BLUE HOLE and CANYON are the most famous dive sites of Dahab, representing the most beautiful and interesting diving sites for the underwater marine life and crystalline water.
The Canyon in Dahab is a top dive site, especially for cave enthusiasts. It reaches depths of up to 10 meters and is almost completely sealed at the top. Emerging into a large dome filled with glassfish, known as the Fishbowl, it offers stunning views. After entering from shore, divers cross a sandy lagoon leading to a gently sloping reef with coral heads. The Canyon features three main openings: the fishbowl at 12 meters, a large bowl at 20 meters, and a narrow exit at 52-54 meters. The walls almost close over, forming a tunnel, resembling a clam shell from the top. Technical divers can explore the Canyon to the exit at 54 meters and descend to ‘Neptune’s Chair,’ resembling a rock throne at 73 meters. Behind it lies a cave extending around 15-20 meters with a maximum depth of 75 meters. A torch is essential for exploring the cave, which is a dead end, eliminating the need for a guide line.
The entry point “Bells” is a crack in the reef that leads underwater like a chimney to a depth of 28 meters, with corals surrounding it. Upon reaching maximum depth, divers turn right and explore a wall adorned with coral overhangs and Red Sea fish. The dive gradually ascends until reaching a beautiful coral saddle at about 7 meters, leading into the Blue Hole. For technical divers, the Blue Hole features an archway at 56 meters, not directly below the saddle but on the eastern side. To locate the arch, descend to 30 meters at the western side where a sandy gully leads to it. It’s crucial to descend another 4-5 meters to cross the arch seamlessly, as it’s at 55 meters depth. The arch is 26 meters long and 25 meters wide, requiring a torch. Strong downward currents may occur at the arch exit. Follow an “if-then” scenario for safe navigation.
The name of this locality means Christian cape in Arabic. The diving is done from a small sandy plateau that begins at a depth of about 6 meters, where a sand flow originates then you head northwards towards the cape, taking advantage of the current, which ranges from weak to moderate and tends to get faster near the headland. After you have passed some large gorgonians located at about 20 meters depth, you will come upon large colonies of mushroom-shaped Porites coral heads; These become even more numerous beyond the cape. The dive goes through the zone between the reef slope, which has many small shelters studded with multicoloured Alcyonarians, and the drop-off situated about 30 meters away. Ras Nasrani has the best shallow coral available to snorkellers in Sharm.
