
Local
Dive Sites | Ras Mohamed Dive Sites |
Straits
of Tiran | Red Sea Ship Wreck
Ras
Mohamed
National Park
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Facts about dive:
This site lies at the mouth of Mersa Berekia, the large
shallow bay that nearly separates Ras Muhammad itself from
the Sinai mainland. The reef follows the shoreline at the
bay's northern point; a sheer but shallow inshore wall
gives way to a sloping, patchy reef face below about 15m.
It's hardly worth listing the vast array of coral at this
site - if it exists in the Red Sea, you'll find here. Fish
life is abundant all across the reef in a riot of
scintillating color. This is possibly the nicest spot on
the southern coast for small reef species.
Unlike the popular, but overcrowded sites, such as Shark
Reef, this superb site is not visited by hordes of divers
each day, so its delicate beauty has been preserved.
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Access to the dive: By shore, or by local or
live-aboard boat from Sharm El Sheikh, Naama Bay or other
ports.
Conditions: Generally easy; some currents possible.
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Average visibility :
20 m. |
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Average depth :
18 m. |
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Maximum depth :
30 m. |
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Getting there :
By boat and from shore |
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Facts about dive:
The reef at this site is similar but more contoured than
Ras Ghozlani, with many cracks and fissures, some forming
small caves which can be entered.
There is a reasonable range of coral species, both hard and
soft and a large-scale growth of xeniid soft corals. Coral
quality is generally good, but suffers from silting and
sandfall, particularly to the north. Fish life is excellent
with a dense and diverse fish population that outshines Ras
Ghozlani.
The rich selection of Red Sea fishes makes the site a real
attraction, and more than compensates for the somewhat
lacklustre condition of the coral.
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Access to the dive: By shore, or by local or
live-aboard boat from Sharm El Sheikh, Naama Bay or other
ports.
Conditions: Generally easy, but visibility can be poor due to
sediment.
Experience grade: Everyone
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Average visibility :
20 m. |
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Average depth :
20 m. |
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Maximum depth :
30 m. |
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Getting there :
By boat and from shore |
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Facts about dive:
This site, also called Fisherman's Bank or Stingray
Alley, begins on a sheer wall. The early section of the
wall is very porous, with lots of small holes and
crevices, and boasts a couple of penetrable caves, each
featuring separate exit and entrence holes. Proceeding
southward, the wall gives way to a sandy plateau at
around 20m, well covered with coral heads and outcrops.
After widening out considerably, this plateau narrows
at its southern end to form a small channel or alley.
Further out from the wall, a second, deeper plateau can
be found. Coral growth is good overall and the fish
population is excellent, with plenty of the jacks and
stingrays that give the site at least two of its names
and all the usual reef fish.
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Access to the dive: By shore, or by local
or live-aboard boat from Sharm El Sheikh, Naama Bay or
other ports.
Conditions: Wind waves and currents can all be
strong making access tricky.
Experience grade: Everyone
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Average visibility :
20 m. |
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Average depth :
20 m. |
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Maximum depth :
40 m. |
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Getting there :
By boat and from shore |
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Facts about dive:
The site stretches from the foot of the observatory cliff
in the north, across the mouth of a shallow box-shapedinlet,
to the beginning of the Anemone City to the south. There
are two possible shore entry points, one inside the inlet
and a second in the small cove at the foot of the cliff -
both can be reached by road. In the past, it was possible
to see sharks here just by looking down from the clifftop
but with the advent of dive tourism and its attendant boat
traffic, the sharks have mostly moved on. The site is a
vertical wall, slopint outwards at its foot. The rugged
profile is most dramatic in the northern section, where the
reef face is especially contoured, with fissures, inlets
and crevices to explore. Coral growth is good with lots of
variety among both soft and stony species. The steep
profile does not encourage dense populations of smaller
reef species, so quality and quantity of fish are somewhat
dependent on currents and the pelagic life they encourage.
Jacks, barracuda and occasional grey or blacktip shark
liven things up when the current is running; snapper,
surgeons and unicorns are present in schools of varying
size, and larger reef fish such as big grouper and
napoleons are usually on hand. Divers should be careful of
the strong currents which are common in this area and those
who enter from shore should be doubtly cautious. Once
beyond the point to the north, there is no shore exit point
- do not round the point if current could prevent you from
returning to the exit point.
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Access to the dive: By shore, or by local or
live-aboard boat from Sharm El Sheikh, Naama Bay or other
ports.
Conditions: Strong currents can cause problems, especially for
shore access.
Experience grade: Everyone
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Average visibility :
20 m. |
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Average depth :
20 m. |
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Maximum depth :
40 m. |
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Getting there :
By boat and from shore |
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Facts about dive:
Anemone City is one of the nicest sites in the Ras Muhammad
area. The reef is steeply sloping, cut by deep bays and
inlets. The sharply angled profile is broken by a number of
plateaux or large shelves, on which densley grown pinnacles
and coral heads stand. Coral growth is very rich,
particularly on the portion of the reef streching to the
right from the shore entry point, in the direction of Shark
Reef.
There are of course huge numbers of anemone, with attendant
anemonefish. The site also boasts some prolific fish life,
particularly in the mornings when the site is bustling with
activity. Near the surface, barracuda and silvery
needlefish hang patiently in the water.
Shore access, from a parking area at the edge of the
shallow inshore bay, can be rather tiring at low tide, as
it involves crossing the shallows in the bay; the easiest
route is along the left edge of the bay as you face the
sea. |
Access to the dive: By shore, or by local or
live-aboard boat from Sharm El Sheikh, Naama Bay or other
ports.
Conditions: Some strong currents and mild downdirfts, shore
entry can involve a long wade.
Experience grade: Everyone
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Average visibility :
20 m. |
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Average depth :
18 m. |
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Maximum depth :
40 m. |
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Getting there :
By boat and from shore |
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Facts about dive:
When divers think of Sinai, they think of Shark Reef and
Jolanda. The two reefs are actually the twin peaks of a
single coral seamount rising just off the Ras Muhammad
coast, separated from the mainland by a shallow channel.
Shark Reef, the easternmost of the two, boasts a sheer wall
dropping to well past 50m along its northeast and easteren
sides, giving way to a steep reef slope as the reef
proceeds southwest toward Jolanda. A shallow saddle lies
between the two reefs at 18 to 20m.. This second flat patch
is the site of what remains of the Jolanda, a wrecked
freighter; the ship itself slipped into the deep in 1986
after a severe storm, but much of its cargo remains,
incogrously stewn across the reef.
Coral is excellent, with good sparse growth on the wall
sections and dense coral gardens on the shallower flat
areas. Big pelagic and schooling fish swam these reefs in
their thousands - the most impressive concentration is on
the wall at Shark Reef. Big sharks of many species -
hammerheads, gerys and blacktips among them - can be seen
in the blue, particularly off the northeast corner of Shark
Reef. On the reef hundreds of diverent reef fishes can be
spotted as can moray eels of a metre and bluespotted and
blackspotted stingrays.
As a boat dive, the two reefs are normally done as a drift,
with the boat collecting you from the shallows beyond
Jolands; this alleviates many of the current-related
problems common here. You can also dive the site from
shore, entering at Anemone City and swimming across the
channel to Shark Reef; this should only be attempted if
current is manageable, and extreme care should be taken to
conserve enough air for the return trip. Shore entry option
is inadvisable if you are not a strong swimmer.
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Access to the dive: By shore, or by local or
live-aboard boat from Sharm El Sheikh, Naama Bay or other
ports.
Conditions: Very strong currents are common.
Experience grade: Everyone
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Average visibility :
20 m. |
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Average depth :
20 m. |
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Maximum depth :
50 m. |
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Getting there :
By boat and from shore |
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Sinai College 2003
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