Scuba Diving in the Red Sea
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SCUBA DIVING THE RED SEA & EGYPT HIGHLIGHTS
As one of the seven wonders of the underwater world, the Red Sea & Egypt offer scuba divers some of the world's most beautiful coral reefs, plentiful marine life, and a wide variety of diverse dive sites. Both northern and southern Red Sea areas offer excellent diving, with the former offering amazing wrecks including the world-renowned SS Thistlegorm, and the latter, including the islands of Big Brother, Little Brother, and Daedalus, offering dramatic encounters with manta rays and various shark species.
RED SEA DIVE RESORTS / LIVEABOARDS
The Red Sea is a great destination for exploring, both from a resort or a liveaboard. Resorts are clustered around the northern towns of Sharm el Sheikh and Dahab, however, inshore reefs can get busy during peak tourist season. Most divers choose to explore the Red Sea by liveaboard, and this is the best option for avoiding the crowds and seeing as much as possible in a short time.
Check out some other great liveaboard destinations.
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Best Dive Sites - Marine Life & Environment - Diving Conditions
Best Time to Dive - How to Get There - How to Dive the Red Sea -
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Intro to the Red Sea
Located in the Middle East, the Red Sea is a northern offshoot of the Indian Ocean. While these bodies of water share many of the same habitats and marine life, the Red Sea has evolved to provide unique habitats for numerous endemic species. Due to little rainfall, high evaporation, and a relatively isolated location, the Red Sea has one of the world's highest rates of salinity. These same factors also provide excellent diving conditions, and the Red Sea boasts a phenomenal 360 dive days a year. Furthermore, the Red Sea has few river tributaries feeding into it, which means limited microalgae allowing excellent visibility.
The Red Sea is easily accessed from Europe; the main tourist hubs are centered around the north and the crowds thin as you explore further south. While there are small resort areas in Israel, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates, the vast majority of diving in the Red Sea is facilitated through Egypt and a handful of liveaboards in Sudan.
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WHEN TO GO
The Red Sea is diveable year-round, although many liveaboards take a break in January.
RED SEA DIVING INFORMATION
THE NORTH
The northern reaches of the Red Sea offer hugely varied diving and conditions suitable for all levels of diver. From world-class wrecks to colorful reefs teeming with life, this region is also home to exciting deep walls and drift dives, all of which can be accessed by day boat or liveaboard.
If you enjoy wall and drift diving but fancy somewhere further afield, have you considered scuba diving Bunaken?
Liveaboards exploring the northern reaches generally depart from Hurghada and head northeast through the shallow lagoons of El Gouna and the Straits of Gubal to explore the renowned Abu Nuhas reef, known as the Red Sea’s ‘ship graveyard’. Wrecks that appear regularly on liveaboard itineraries include the Carnatic, the Chrisola, and the Giannis D, known for her fascinating engine room. Dolphin House Reef is also a popular start or finish to a liveaboard trip, where a local pod of dolphins is sometimes encountered flitting between shallow coral heads on the white sandy seabed.
To the east, there is plenty to explore around the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, including the specially protected Ras Mohammed Marine Park, the wrecks of the world-famous SS Thistlegorm, and the wooden-hulled Dunraven. The reefs here are spectacular, teeming with life and healthy corals. Even though mild currents can be expected, sheltered sites favoring calm conditions make this an ideal destination for new divers.
RAS GHAREB
Although relatively unheard of on the Egyptian diving scene, the wrecks around Ras Ghareb in the Gulf of Suez are developing a reputation as exciting new dive spots, prime for exploration by divers who have had their fill of the standard northern itineraries. To date, four wrecks have been charted; the best known is the SS Scalar, a former WWII oil tanker. It is believed there are many more wrecks still to be discovered in this frontier location and the area is now starting to appear on northern liveaboard schedules.
RAS MOHAMMED MARINE PARK
One of the best protected marine areas in Egypt, Ras Mohammed Marine Park is located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula where the Gulf of Aqaba and the Gulf of Suez meet. This 330 square mile area has been a national park since 1983 and boasts some of the Red Sea’s healthiest reef habitats. Medium to strong currents bring a variety of pelagic species in to mix with the local reef life, with steep drop-offs and walls adding drama to the diving.
Ras Mohammed is home to famous sites such as Shark & Yolanda Reefs, littered with bathroom porcelain from the Yolanda wreck, and Jackfish Alley where it’s not uncommon to spot barracuda, jack, and snapper lingering out in the blue. Both dives feature regularly on liveaboard itineraries, and they are accessible by day boat from Sharm el Sheikh.
STRAITS OF TIRAN
On the eastern side of the Sinai Peninsula, the Straits of Tiran are an 18-mile stretch that separates the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. More suited to experienced divers, many sites feature strong currents and deep drop-offs in dramatic contrast to the shallow reefs and coral gardens of the west.
The four keys sites in Tiran are Jackson Reef, Woodhouse Reef, Thomas Reef, and Gordon Reef, named after the cartographers that first mapped them. Lined up across the strait, these four reefs are home to several wrecks, but are best known for exciting drift dives along colorful walls smothered in gorgonians, corals, and algae. Many small critters and fish can be spotted sheltering in cracks and crevices, while looking out into the blue may afford a lucky glimpse of a hammerhead or tiger shark.
A popular stop on many liveaboard itineraries, these sites are also within day-trip distance of Sharm el-sheik, and so become very busy during peak season.
THE BROTHERS ISLANDS, DAEDALUS REEF, AND ELPHINSTONE REEF
Sixty miles from shore, the two small pinnacles that make up The Brothers offer legendary pelagic diving and are a highlight on many liveaboard itineraries. Both islands feature sheer walls and deep drop-offs covered in dense populations of hard and soft coral, huge gorgonians, and vast schools of anthias, glassfish, and sweepers. Little Brother plateau is a fantastic dive for shark sightings, promising a good chance for spotting oceanic whitetips, threshers, silky, and the occasional hammerhead shark. Big Brother Island also boasts two wrecks that are now vibrant artificial reefs covered in colorful corals and swimming in bright anthias. The Brothers are only accessible via liveaboard from Hurghada or Marsa Alam.
Elphinstone Reef is known for its rich diversity of marine life, huge gorgonian fans, and sea whips characterizing the reef plateau. It covers a quarter-mile lying from north to south off the coast of Marsa Alam and is easily accessible by day boats and liveaboards. At each end of the reef system, wide plateaus reaching a depth of 131ft are covered in corals and Cnidaria, and feature hunting barracuda, giant trevally, and reef sharks. The southern point is popular with oceanic whitetips, especially between October and December. Elphinstone’s Eastern Wall offers some awesome drift wall diving, while the Western Wall features steep ledges and caverns, home to titan triggerfish, soldierfish, and squirrelfish.
Farthest south, Daedalus Reef is an isolated outpost 50 miles from the nearest coast, sporting pristine reefs along its steep walls. At the island’s northern tip, large schools of hammerheads are not uncommon in the strong currents, with trevallies and tuna also making regular appearances. The southern tip is also known for occasional thresher shark sightings. Similar to The Brothers, Daedalus is only accessible by liveaboard from Marsa Alam.
All three sites are best suited to experienced divers as they have strong currents and deep drop-offs. The open-ocean locations of The Brothers and Daedalus mean rough surface conditions and surge can often be a contributing factor.
THE DEEP SOUTH
The most southerly of the Egyptian Red Sea areas, referred to as the Deep South, features relaxed and very varied diving on colorful reefs with plenty of marine and macro life. Roughly speaking, the Deep South can be split into three key areas; Fury Shoals, Zabargad and Rocky Islands, and St. John’s Reef.
The vast reef and plateau system of Fury Shoals offers a plethora of gentle drift dives through abundant coral gardens featuring turtles, dolphins, sharks, and bumphead parrotfish. Depths ranging from 30 to 120ft offer diving for all abilities, with some wrecks, caves, and the chance of spotting a hammerhead shark if conditions are favorable. Sometimes dived from day boats out of Hamata, Fury Shoals is usually visited via liveaboard on itineraries out of Marsa Alam.
Just south of the Tropic of Cancer, turquoise blue lagoons feature a multitude of wildlife both above and below the surface of Zabargad and Rocky Islands. Sitting around 50 miles from the town of Berenice, both islands are surrounded by shallow fringing reefs covered in healthy corals, sea fans and stunning black coral trees. Zabargad is home to the ‘Russian Wreck’ thought to be The Khanka, while Rocky’s strong currents attract a wide range of pelagics such as sharks, dolphins, manta rays, and turtles.
Right on the border with Sudan, the St. John’s Reef system is isolated, unexplored, and in excellent condition. Underwater topography features caves, tunnels, and overhangs smothered in a patchwork of soft corals and patrolled by schooling pelagics. Best explored by liveaboard, strong winds from October to April can sometimes cause choppy surface conditions.
SUDAN
Diving in the Sudanese Red Sea is wild and relatively untouched, with far fewer visitors exploring these exotic waters. Pristine reefs, huge shoals of fish, and plentiful pelagics attract experienced divers who are seeking a step up from the Egyptian itineraries. There is also an interesting mix of unusual topography including huge coral pinnacles, caves, and mysterious drop-offs. Additional challenges like deeper dives and wreck penetrations are available. Diving in the Sudanese Red Sea is almost exclusively from liveaboards departing from Port Sudan or Marsa Alam in Egypt.
Find out more about diving in Sudan.
MARINE LIFE AND PHOTOGRAPHY SUBJECTS
The Red Sea boasts a prolific marine life, home to over a thousand fish species, one-fifth of which exist exclusively in this body of water. The region’s extremely sunny conditions are ideal for coral growth, and over 200 soft and hard corals can be found in extensive gardens lining the Red Sea’s shallow shelves. Beyond these lively reefs, the median central trench drops to depths of over 7000 feet, facilitating a water circulation system that supports a healthy marine environment.
Outer pinnacles and islands such as The Brothers and Daedalus are a magnet for big pelagic animals including manta rays, dolphins, and several shark species. Oceanic whitetips, hammerheads, and threshers can all be spotted alongside healthy reef shark populations.
For those looking to photograph wrecks, the Red Sea has the full range, from traditional wooden-hulled sailing vessels to iron steamships and even a modern liveaboard. These have been overgrown by the Red Sea’s abundant marine life, adding variety and drama to the already exciting reef system.
If you love spotting new and unusual species, consider diving Raja Ampat, where you will find the highest biodiversity in the world!
TYPICAL DIVE IN THE RED SEA
Shore dives from the northern resorts and beaches are generally organized by the inhouse resort dive centers, and many offer unlimited diving on their house reef. Day trips out to Ras Mohammed and Tiran tend to involve two or three dives from a large day boat, often at busy sites with a lot of other divers and snorkelers.
Many divers opt for a liveaboard trip which gives better access to remote areas making the most of the quieter times of the day. Dives are generally from the back of the liveaboard or from tenders which take divers close to the reefs. Many Red Sea dives are drift dives, so the use of an SMB is mandatory.
Diving Conditions
- Water temperature: Temperatures in the Red Sea reach 84°F (29°C) in the summer months, with temperatures as low as 70°F (21°C) in the cooler months
- Visibility: Visibility is excellent, reaching up to 200 feet (60m)
- Depth Range: 16-131ft (5-30m)
- Diving Difficulty: Suitable for all levels
BEST TIME TO DIVE THE RED SEA
Diving is available in the Red Sea year-round. However, March to May and September to November are often cited as the best times to visit. Topside weather conditions are comfortable and the sea temperature isn’t too cold during these months, but this also attracts many other tourists, and dive sites can be extremely busy.
During June, July, and August, uncomfortably hot topside temperatures mean resorts are quieter, but it's still worth considering since you may encounter hammerhead sharks on the outer sites.
Travel Information
How to Get To the red sea
There are regular flights directly to Sharm El-Sheikh International Airport (SSH) from the UK and other European hubs, and some direct flights from the US. To reach Hurghada or Marsa Alam where many liveaboards depart from, it may be easier to connect at Cairo International Airport (CAI).
How to Dive the Red Sea
There are hundreds of tourist resorts around the northern Sinai coast, in particular from Sharm el Sheikh north up to Dahab. Many beachfront resorts have great house reefs and offer day-trips out to Ras Mohammed Marine Park, but day boats tend to get very busy in peak season.
The Red Sea is known for its wide range of high-end yet affordable dive liveaboards, offering a wide variety of itineraries. Similar to the Maldives, you can enjoy luxurious amenities at a lower price than you might find in other world-class dive destinations. Also, there are a good number of budget liveaboards that still maintain comfortable accommodations and excellent service at lower rates. To give you an idea, almost all liveaboards in the Red Sea cost around $150/night or less.
For a fantastic liveaboard destination further afield, check out our guide to diving Tubbataha Reef.
Most liveaboards depart from the Egyptian ports of Hurghada or Marsa Alam (Port Ghalib), however, it is also possible to dive the Sudanese coastline, departing from Port Sudan. The Red Sea is diveable year-round, with liveaboard boats taking a break in January when the water is at its coldest.
OTHER THINGS TO DO IN EGYPT AND THE RED SEA
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Other Useful Information
- Currency: Egyptian Pound (EGP)
- Language: Arabic
- Time Zone: Eastern European Standard Time (GMT+2)
- Electricity: 220 V
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