Diving in Egypt

Diving in the Red Sea introduces divers to such a variety of marine life that it would be easier to say what life can’t be found here than what can. The reefs which stretch along the coast and appear out of the deep offshore are home to a huge variety of creatures. Soft and hard corals can be found all over with two hundred different species growing here. Living on these corals are over a thousand different species of fish, many of which can only be found in the Red Sea, such as the Red Sea Pipe Fish and the Flasher Wrasse.

There are a huge number of bigger pelagics with the late spring bringing whalesharks to the reefs. Mantas are also frequent visitors following the plankton blooms, these bizarre creatures can be seen swooping over reefs through currents. Once the waters cool, divers will see more sharks particularly hammerheads and thresher sharks. There are lots of non-seasonal marine animals as well with dugongs, dolphins and turtles frequently seen in certain areas.

Elphinstone is one of the most popular dive sites in Egypt for more advanced divers. This sausage shaped reef is almost invisible from the surface and is home to an eye watering coral reef. There are black and white tipped reef sharks patrolling over the reef and if you are lucky you might spot oceanic white tips and hammerheads near the plateaus at either end.

Well known as one of the best dive sites in the Red Sea, Daedalus Reef is an offshore reef with some of the best life to be found in Egyptian waters. If diving in Egypt is all about pelagic life for you then this is one of the best dive spots for you. Perched on the amazing coral reef, divers can see mantas, oceanic whitetips, thresher sharks and even whale sharks during the season. Technical divers also have the opportunity to explore the shipwreck of the zealot over the edge of the reef.

In the very South in the inlet of Foul Bay, St Johns reef offers some of the best scuba diving in the Red Sea. The huge reefs of St Johns have of everything from caves full of eels and cardinal fish to Mantas and Hammerheads passing by in the blue.

Close to the resort of Sharm el Sheik sits one of Egypt’s most famous shipwrecks, The Thistlegorm. The ships fascinating cargo including two locomotives, tanks and a hold full of ammunition are a real must for wreck lovers. Nearby the two reefs that make up the Brothers is a top dive spot for pelagics with steep drop-offs from the reef. Oceanic whitetips, hammerheads, grey reef and silvertip sharks are all on show at the Brothers.

One of the top dive tours in the Northern Red Sea is a visit to the Ras Mohammed marine park in the Sinai Peninsula area, near to Sharm el Sheik. Some of the best dive sites in the Red Sea can be found here. The reefs here are stunning, teeming with sharks and caked in over 200 different kinds of corals. If that isn’t enough to get you on a dive trip there, the visibility is known to reach 40 meters on the reefs!

Also worth a visit in the North are dive sites in the Straits Of Tiran. With famous dive sites such as Woodhouse Reef, Jackson Reef & Gordon Reef offering some amazing marine life sightings, there really is something for every diver in the Red Sea.

Diving in Egypt is amazing all year round although the temperature drops from 30 degrees to 20 degrees from the summer to winter with February being the coldest month. This should be no problem, just remember to bring the right exposure suit for your dive trip. Whaleshark season is from May to July and if you want to see Mantas the best season to visit the Red Sea is in summer. The colder water in the spring and winter attracts hammerheads and thresher sharks so this is usually the opportune time to go shark diving.

Scuba diving in Egypt is open to all levels with a huge number of people choosing to learn to scuba dive in the Red Sea. Excellent conditions and shallow waters make it perfect for novice divers. It is probably worth clocking up a few dives before attempting any of the offshore reef dives like Daedalus as the current can be very strong and the drop-offs are very deep.

There are regular flights to the resorts of Hurghada, Marsa Alam and Sharm el Sheikh offering international flights from mainland Europe and connections further afield. There is a wide selection of Egyptian liveaboards to take you scuba diving in the Red Sea which usually depart from the harbours nearby to these resorts. It is worth noting that the price for diving in the Red Sea can vary depending on which dive spots you want to visit.