The Best Dive Sites in Sharm El-Sheikh 

RAS MOHAMED 

Anemone City The name itself gives you an idea of this site's main feature: dozens and dozens of sea anemones concentrated in a few square metres of coral, naturally accompanied by their usual inhabitants, clownfish and cleaner shrimp. It is a splendid coral garden featuring soft corals and sea fans, and when there is a current, large numbers of various trevallies can be spotted. This dive is usually combined with Shark and Yolanda Reef or, depending on the current direction, with Shark Observatory.

Shark Observatory Unlike the previous reef, this site does not take its name from its inhabitants, meaning that the chance of seeing sharks here is the same as in other spots—there is no specific concentration! Instead, this is where you will experience what it truly means to dive in the "deep blue". Vertical walls plummet seemingly without end, adorned with stunning soft corals and sea fans. You can observe countless caves populated by glassfish, sweepers, lionfish, scorpionfish, canyons, and crevices hiding large groupers. Like all dives in Ras Mohammed, this is a drift dive, and the direction is decided on the spot based on the current. In the southern section, approaching Anemone City, the landscape transforms into a remarkable coral garden where turtles are frequently encountered. Never forget to cast an occasional glance into the blue, as passing pelagic fish are always a possibility.

Shark & Yolanda Reef Located at the extreme southern tip of the Sinai, this dive site marks the meeting point of the two gulfs bordering the peninsula: Suez and Aqaba. Because of this, the currents promote prolific coral growth and abundant food, resulting in the presence of large schools of various fish, including barracuda, snappers, amberjacks, unicornfish, and batfish. Naturally, there is also the thrilling chance to encounter every diver's dream: the shark. Napoleon wrasse, blue-spotted stingrays, eagle rays, and turtles are commonly seen. A small sandy plateau divides these two reefs, which are usually visited in a single dive. Shark Reef is the easternmost of the two. Featuring a vertical wall that drops down to 800 metres, it is completely covered in blue soft corals and small sea fans, and serves as the starting point for this drift dive. Continuing westwards, you reach the small plateau (at around 30 metres depth) where a coral garden marks the beginning of Yolanda Reef, which is completely different from its neighbour.

STRAIT OF TIRAN

Gordon Reef This is the southernmost of the four Tiran reefs, and perhaps the most famous due to the wreck of the "Loullia", which ran aground on its northern edge over 30 years ago. The eastern side of this site features a large plateau with coral pinnacle formations and a maximum depth of 30 metres. To the southeast lies a wide sandy area about 150 metres from the main reef, nicknamed "the shark pool" due to the frequent presence of whitetip reef sharks resting from their continuous swimming.

Jackson Reef This is the northernmost of the four reefs and is characterised by currents that can be very intense. Two different drift dives can be done here: one on the inside and one on the outside of the reef. It is the best spot in Sharm El-Sheikh to spot scalloped hammerhead sharks during the summer season. The walls are rich in soft corals and sea fans, and in the northern section, turtles are seen on almost every dive.

Thomas Reef This is an essentially circular reef featuring a small plateau on its eastern side that ends in a canyon named after the reef itself. The depths here drop well beyond recreational diving limits. The dive is conducted from south to north along a wonderfully colourful wall where pelagic fish abound. The theoretical end point of the dive is at a canyon fringed by sea fans, where you can see groups of resident fish and turtles.

Woodhouse Reef Situated between Jackson and Thomas Reefs, this is a site where diving is not always possible due to surface conditions, as it offers no shelter for boats. In the northern section, the currents create a vortex nicknamed the "washing machine" that tends to push divers out into the blue, where large pelagic fish can be seen. This is a dive suited for experienced divers.

SHARM COAST REEFS

Far Garden A slope that descends fairly gently from 12 to 25 metres, dotted with pinnacles—some reaching the surface—followed by consistent walls dropping into the blue. The best way to tackle this dive is to descend to the maximum depth of 25 metres, keeping the reef on your left and glancing out into the blue, before slowly ascending to 10-12 metres. Here, you will find an area filled with small caves teeming with glassfish, ending the dive near the boat mooring by swimming among highly spectacular coral pinnacles. The area is frequented by trevallies, Napoleon wrasse, and moray eels.

Ras Nasrani Located at the end of the Strait of Tiran on the Sinai Peninsula, this site consists of several shallow bays (5-6 metres) before plunging into walls dropping to 60 metres and beyond. The best depth to fully appreciate the colours of this site is around 12-15 metres, where you will find small caves and swim-through tunnels. Being a small peninsula, the current can quickly turn against you and sometimes become very strong as you round the corner; this is where you might encounter schools of pelagic fish and, rarely, manta rays. Whale sharks have also been spotted here on occasion.

Near Garden This is the closest site to our diving centre. It features a vast plateau where you can explore vividly coloured pinnacles covered in soft corals, with guaranteed Napoleon wrasse encounters. It is also famous for a spectacular red sea anemone hosting small clownfish. Ranging from 8 to 22 metres in depth, this is an easy dive suitable for all divers and one of the best spots for macro photography.

The Tower Taking its name from a fossilised coral tower located south of the bay, this site is characterised by a small canyon and numerous little caves where large groups of glassfish can be seen. Brown and marbled groupers are also abundant. Out in the blue, you can spot schools of fusiliers pursued by their usual predators (trevallies, snappers, barracuda). Several sea fans can be found in the southern section. Visibility at this site is typically excellent, and depths range from 12 to 30 metres.

Ras Umm Sid A classic Sharm El-Sheikh dive. Sea fans, soft corals, table corals, barracuda, Napoleon wrasse, and amberjacks can all be seen along a wall that drops to 90 metres. At the extreme tip of this promontory lies a wide plateau adorned with beautiful coral towers and teeming with smaller fish such as sweetlips, coral groupers, triggerfish, pufferfish, and crocodilefish. Strong currents can also be encountered here.

The dive descriptions provided above are for informational purposes only and do not necessarily constitute the official diving programme. The schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the dive centre due to weather conditions, technical factors, or other operational requirements.