Red Sea

Red Sea Dive Area

From north to south, here are some of the most popular dive areas visited by Red Sea liveaboards.You can access the Red Sea from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Eritrea or Yemen.

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.

Liveaboards exploring the northern reaches generally depart from Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh 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 Seas 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. Northeast, in Dahab, is the famous Blue Hole dive site, known for the highest diver fatality rate.

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 Seas 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 its 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. Elphinstones 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 islands 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. Johns 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 Rockys strong currents attract a wide range of pelagics such as sharks, dolphins, manta rays, and turtles.

Right on the border with Sudan, the St. Johns 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.