Dive
Sites
Rules:
Do not collect, remove or damage any material, living or dead,
from Protected Areas (corals, shells, fish, plants, fossils,
etc.).
It is prohibited to drive off marked tracks and to drive any
motor vehicles on any beach.
Camping is prohibited unless in designated areas (by notice).
Do not litter. Place garbage in proper disposal containers
or take it with you.
It is prohibited to access any closed area.
It is prohibited to walk or anchor on any reef area. Please
used marked access points.
Fish feeding upsets the biological balance on the reef and
is therefore prohibited.
Fishing and spearfishing are not allowed in Protected Areas.
All visitors must leave Protected Areas by sunset unless using
a designated camping area.
Access to diving areas is recommended at designated access
points only. This reduces damage to reef areas.
Please take note of any instructions posted in Protected Areas.Offenders
are subject to prosecution according to the terms of Law 102
of 1983.
(1)
Local dive sites
As we head south from
the straits, we reach the beginning of the local dive sites, so called
due to their closeness to the resort of Na'ama Bay in Sharm El Sheikh,
the main resort of the South Sinai. Thanks to short sailing times we
can offer local dives as a half-day excursion as well. Ras Nasrani is a
wall dive and coral life is in abundance, particularly on the corner
where currents are stronger. Ras Bob and White Knights have shallow
sandy areas and gentle sloping walls. Beautiful coral heads and a
breathtaking canyon are the main features of these 2 dives. Proceeding
towards Na'ama Bay we find Shark Bay, and The Gardens, the first sites
that were dived from Na'ama Bay. The Gardens are a great training area.
The Middle Garden, thanks to shelter from currents, has the largest
sandy shallow plateau and the Near and Far Gardens taper off to slowly
deepening walls. Wonderful gorgonians and pinnacles awash with sweeper
and glassfish adorn these two sites.
Leaving The Gardens,
passing Na'ama Bay and heading further south, we come to a number of
sites, the most popular being Tower, Ras Um Sid, Temple and Ras Katy.
Tower has a spectacular canyon descending to over 120 meters. The wall
dive of Ras Umm Sid is always abundant with reef fish life. Temple,
situated on a sloping sandy bay, is so named after the pillars
resembling a temple. Around the corner, Ras Katy has a sandy plateau
with a gentle drop off ideal for training.
This is the last local site.
(2)
Ras Mohamed (National Park)
 Now
we head to
the southernmost point of the Sinai to one of the most famous diving
areas in the world, Ras Mohammed, well known for its sheer walls and
huge schools of fish. The first sites are Ras Ghozlany and Ras Za'atr,
situated on either side of the bay of Marsa Bareika. Both are gentle
sloping walls, and make very relaxing drift dives. Jackfish Alley has a
sandy "road" where sharks are often seen resting, and exciting swim
through as well. Shark Observatory is an excellent wall dive and
Anemone City, as its name implies, is covered with heaps of different
colored anemones.
We come now to the most
popular dive sites, Shark and Yolanda Reefs. They are two spectacular
adjoining coral pinnacles, with the most amazing deep drop offs full of
circling schools of varied fish life. Shark Reef is quite literally a
breathtaking dive and should rank highly on anyone's list of "must-see"
dive sites. Yolanda has the remains of a shipwreck, from which it takes
its name, spread across its sandy plateau
(3)
Straits
of Tiran
Starting from the North
on the Eastern side of the Sinai Peninsula lie the Straits of Tiran,
one of the most famous diving areas in the Red Sea. Situated in the
middle of the straits are four coral reefs, Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse
and Jackson named after 19th century British cartographers. Enjoy
exciting drift dives, drop offs, amazing coral and friendly sharks for
the lucky at these dive sites. The beautiful lagoon next to Tiran
island is a popular destination for lunch and snorkeling.
(4)
Wreck Diving
The world famous wreck
SS Thistlegorm was sunk in 1941 in the area of Sha’ab Ali in the Gulf
of Suez. She was packed to the gunwales with a cargo of supplies
destined for the British Fifth Army based in Alexandria. Armoured Bren-Gun
Carriers, BSA Motorcycles, jeeps, trucks, rolling stock, aeroplane
parts, stacks of rifles, radio equipment, munitions, and a plentiful
supply of Wellington boots can all be seen during your dive. The
Thistlegorm is heaven for wreck enthusiasts, but is also one of the
most underrated fish dives in the area, attracting schooling barracuda
and providing a hunting ground for giant tuna and snapper. Our
excursions require an early start. After breakfast on board, you will
make two dives on the wreck before making a dive in Ras Mohammed
National Park on your way home. The supplementary charge for this
excursion includes your meals, drinks and the extra dive.
Another popular wreck is
the Dunraven, a Victorian steam- and sail-ship that was carrying
spices, gold and timber from India. She hit the reef after an allegedly
drunken dispute involving the Captain, his wife, and the First mate,
and sunk soon after near Sha'ab Mahmoud in the Gulf of Suez. Although
she was stripped of her cargo by a team of archaeologists in the early
eighties, the Dunraven still makes an interesting dive, and is home to
schools of glassfish, and some of the biggest Napoleon Wrasse you will
ever see.
We do need a minimum of
six people in order to make excursions to these wrecks, so if you are
interested, tell your guide and he or she will try to get a group
together for you. There are always plenty of people interested, so it
should not be a problem.
info@sinaicollege.com
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Sinai College 2003
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