Top 10 Reasons to Dive the Red Sea
Never been to Egypt and dived the Red Sea? Well you are missing out and just a warning, you will keep going back for more!
1. Spectacular Wall Dives
The Red Sea is known for its great wall diving with reefs that rise up in spectacular fashion from the depths. It is exhilarating to “hang out” on the walls which are alive with corals and fish life. A dive not to be missed is Shark and Yolanda reef which is famous for its sheer 800m drop off, and the schools of fish that mass together in the wall and in the blue. To find out more: https://prodivetravel.co.za/news/why-you-should-dive-shark-and-yolanda-reef/
2. Perfect Diving Conditions
They refer to the water as “gin clear” with the average visibility being between 20 and 50m all year around. Quite a mind blow when you can see a wreck in all its entirety while watching the zodiac on the surface and divers 50m away. This incredible visibility transforms the underwater world into an aquarium & photographer’s delight!
As for the water temperature it is warm all year around and varies from 20 degrees in the winter months up to 30 degrees in mid summer (August)
3. Historic Wreck Dives
The Northern Red Sea in particular is an epic wreck diving destination, with the most famous Second World War wreck being the SS Thistegorm. This merchant vessel was on route to North Africa loaded with military supplies including motorbikes, trucks, ammunition etc. and was attacked by German bombers In October 1941 . The variety of cargo makes for great exploration and is a highlight and bucket list dive site for most divers. To find out more about this wreck read our blog https://prodivetravel.co.za/news/thistlegorm-one-of-the-best-wreck-dives-in-the-world/
Another highlight are the wrecks located at the Abu Nuhas reef which proved to be treacherous for many ships …Giannis D, the Carnatic and Chrisoula K .
4. Beautiful Coral Reefs
The Red Sea has over 220 species of hard and soft corals. The wall dives are alive with soft corals of every colour…purples, reds, oranges & yellows and the pristine reefs of Ras Mohamed National Park, Brother Islands, Daedalus Reef & St. Johns are worth a mention. The sheer size and magnitude of the hard coral structures are incredible.
5. Incredible variety of Fish Life
When you think Red Sea you think Red Sea Anthias…the reefs are alive with thousands of bright orange anthias darting amongst the corals. There are over 1100 fish species recorded in the Red Sea and the diversity and beauty of the tropical fish is amazing… Groupers, Angelfish, Surgeons, Unicorns, Tangs, Boxfish, Lionfish & the list goes on and on!
6. Caves and swim throughs
There are numerous shallow dive sites that have natural cracks and swim throughs sometimes forming a network of passages which are well lit and easy to swim through. This adds to the diversity of the dives and I will never forget my first dive at Jackfish Alley in the north, where I followed a group of divers along a wall and we disappeared into a natural crack in the reef at 5m and popped out at the other side.
7. . Dolphin Sightings
It is extremely likely that you will encounter dolphins at one stage or another when visiting the Red Sea. They love to surf the wake of the liveaboard while cruising in between the dive sites and if you are in luck they might visit while underwater. We have had some amazing interactions with dolphins at Gubal Island where they turn up unannounced and zoom around playfully saying “hi” to the divers. Super special!
The most common dolphins in the Red Sea are the Bottlenose Spinner and Risso Dolphins.
8. Shore and Boat Dives
The Red Sea is a divers paradise and it is not always necessary to dive from the boat. There are beautiful reefs that provide spectacular snorkelling and shore dives. Infact, most of the dive sites in Dahab are shore dives which are accessible by car, foot or camel!
Once you have managed to arrive at the dive site and navigate a short way into the water you will be mesmerised by the marine life & coral shelf that drops off into the blue.
9. The Big Stuff
Besides the crazy visibility and mind blowing coral reefs there is a chance to see sharks, dolphins, whale sharks, turtles, manta rays, moray eels and even dugongs etc. The sharks most commonly seen in the Red Sea are the Grey Reef sharks, Whitetip & Blacktip Sharks, Oceanic Whitetip, Hammerhead Shark, Tiger Shark, Thresher Shark, Silky Shark & Leopard Sharks.
10. Egyptian Ancient History
A great way to start or end your holiday is to take some time discover some of the amazing ancient treasures that Egypt has to offer. Whether it is getting to pose infront of the Pyramids & Sphinx, exploring the amazing collection of artifacts at the Egyptian Museum or gazing at the temples in Luxor. Taking to time to explore is a must!
January 19, 2022So today, you have discovered ten reasons why you cannot afford not dive the Red Sea. If you are excited about joining our next dive trip, send us an email now and let’s begin your exciting journey’.
