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| R E G I O N A L • T R A V E L • G U I D E Egypt | Jordan | Israel | Saudi | Sudan |
| The birthplace of our history, where great races built unrivalled monuments, the lands surrounding the Red Sea are realms of stark beauty. And legendary destinations for divers the world over. |
| THE REGION |
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The ‘title’ Red Sea is something of a mystery - although it appears in ancient and medieval documents the reason why is rather vague. Two common explanations involve an occasional red algae bloom and reflections from the coastal strip onto the water at sunset. Whatever the reason, this sea is far from red, but an intense variety of blues that mask prolific coral reefs. |
| MARINE LIFE |
| Being isolated from the both the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea (originally) means this most northern coral reef system has an unrivalled biological set-up. Almost 10 percent of her species are endemic - they might look like something you’ve seen somewhere else, but chances are they’re a unique form. There’s hard and soft corals, more species of little colourful chaps than you can poke a snorkel at and plenty of big stuff that you shouldn’t. Obviously. You’re likely to run into schools of reef fish and pelagic fish; sharks swoop past in the current, and dolphins playing in the bow are an almost daily occurrence. |
| Dive Destinations: |
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All the nations that rim the Red Sea have the potential for great diving and most have good dive facilities although some are still developing.. |
| EGYPT |
| Taking the lions share of attention, Egypt has some of the best this area offers. It’s not that her neighbours don’t have great dives too, it’s just that the infrastructure here is light years ahead. There’s nearly 900 miles of coastline populated by Bedouin and African tribes people, Coptic Christians and Moslems. You might think that this mishmash of religions and cultures would make her a little inaccessible, but Egypt adapts well to the changing world, something Europe’s dive communities discovered decades ago. When we first started diving, the “place to go” was the tiny fishing village of Sharm el Sheikh. Now Sharm is just one resort amongst many. North Sinai: The coast that borders the Gulf of Aqaba, reaching up to Israel, became popular when tourism starting spreading north from Sharm. There are two major towns, the port of Nuweiba and Dahab where a small number of hotels and dive centres have set up. The area is good for those who like the quiet life - numbers both on land and in the water are fewer here than at the better known resorts, yet the diving is still impressive. Nearby are St. Catherine’s Monastery and Mount Sinai, said to be where Moses received the Ten Commandments. South Sinai: Centred around the town of Sharm el Sheikh, the South Sinai is legendary. This area is one of those “must do” places: home to Egypt’s first marine park - Ras Mohammed National Park - the Straights of Tiran and the Straights of Gubal (entrance to the Suez Canal) where many a wreck is found. Despite the numbers of boats, operators and divers, this is an area of unparalleled beauty. The reefs are like rainbows and swarms of orange and blue anthias pepper colourful corals. At Ras itself, dramatic walls drop to colossal depths. Giant napoleon wrasse - and we are talking two metres here - happily swim beside divers and reef shark sightings are common. Manta rays, if you are lucky enough to spot one, are equally friendly - an adult once accompanied us throughout a whole dive! Sharm also has easy access to the renown HMS Thistlegorm. This British cargo vessel was bombed during WW2 on route to resupply troops. Now she is like a deserted shop, with holds full of motorbikes, engines and even toilets that never reached their destination. Many liveaboards that travel out from Sharm include the Thistlegorm on their itineraries as well as allowing access to reefs further afield. Hurghada: Opposite Sharm on the other side of the Straights of Gubal is Hurghada, once a small Bedouin encampment and now Egypt’s biggest beach resort. With over 70 dive centres, compared to Sharm’s 20 or so, her offshore reefs once suffered from over-diving. However, in 1992 a group of operators formed a conservation group, organised mooring buoys and protective schemes. The reefs are now safeguarded under the same rules as Ras Mohammed and regenerating well. Favourite dive: Little Brother |
| EGYPT FACT FILE: |
| Entry: EU and Commonwealth, visa issued on entry, currently about £10. Seasons: Dry all year. November - windy, Dec - Mar, cooler, July - a roasting 40° C. Airports: Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada and Marsa Alam for UK charters or Cairo for scheduled Egypt Air flights, with internal transfer. DIVING Visibility: 20 - 30+ metres Water temperatures: 22-30 degrees Deco chambers: Sharm, Hurghada, El Gouna, and Marsa Alam GENERAL: Language: Arabic and English Money: £1 = c.£10 Egyptian Electricity: 220 volts Health: drink bottled water and take plenty of tummy-trouble medicine! Tipping: is a way of life - up to you but up to 10% DIVE CENTRES: There’s an enormous choice of dive centres, hotels and liveaboard boats. We recently travelled with Orca Dive Clubs and found them to be very professional. The best recommendation you can ever get is from someone who has been there. But do your homework.... operations change quickly, new boats leap onto the scene. All of which means competition is high and prices low. And sometimes quality will suffer. |
| ISRAEL |
| Possessing a mere four miles of Red Sea coastline, the nation of Israel is still a good diving destination. The country is a cultural melting pot, full of history and tradition, yet has surprisingly modern facilities in Eilat’s dive centres. Shallow reefs, prolific fish life and calm waters make it a great place to learn to dive. For qualified divers, the biggest draw is probably Dolphin Reef. This site is a commercial entity, where rescued dolphins are given refuge in a sea water enclosure. You can dive with them, interact with them and watch the ongoing research. The dolphins are not captive - free to come and go, their incentive to return is regular feedings of fresh fish. The current political situation will result in many people avoiding the country. Once resolved, divers will undoubtedly return to experience Israel’s unique mix of ancient and modern. |
| JORDAN |
| Location of our first ever visit to the Red Sea, Jordan also owns only a tiny snip of the Red Sea coast. Her fifteen miles enclose an amazing amount of underwater scenery that has been protected over the years by the charming and hospitable Jordanian people. The Royal Family are great exponents of diving and patrons to a dive centre south of Aqaba. The diving is comparatively challenging. Some of the sites closer to the Saudi border drop steeply and have exceptional hard corals while ones closer to town are sloping reefs. There is a superb wreck, the Cedar Pride, but our strongest and fondest memory would be shore diving from the Royal Diving Centre on their gentle house reef. Called the Aquarium, there is no doubt that it is exactly that. Away from the diving, there’s Lawrence of Arabia’s Wadi Rum and the rose red city of Petra is probably one of the most spectacular of all ancient monuments. |
| SAUDI ARABIA |
| Despite the efforts of many, Saudi remains an unexplored frontier for both tourism and diving. The country’s traditional regime has discouraged tourists in the past but this is gradually changing. Entry requirements are very strict so should you manage to visit, a great deal of respect for the religion, laws and customs of the country is required, especially by women. Having said that, Saudi has the longest segment of Red Sea coastline with nearly 80% of the eastern shore. Most dive sites are around the capital, Jeddah, where onshore development has affected off shore visibility. Night diving is surprisingly good though and anything more remote is relatively untouched. |
| THE SUDAN |
| First dived by pioneers like Jacques Cousteau, the Sudan’s coastline has enormous potential for recreational divers. Unfortunately, past political instability and poor internal infrastructure, has made diving here difficult. Every time the situation alters, dive operator permits issued and plans made, another change occurs and access is once more restricted. We have planned to visit several times in the last decade, but never quite managed it. Meanwhile, tales that come from the Sudan are enough to make us keep hoping that one day we will. The quantity of schooling fish is said to be phenomenal and blue water pelagics like barracuda and sharks are prolific. The reefs are said to be equally impressive, with both soft and hard corals |
| The Rest of The Red Sea FACT FILE: |
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Getting there: GENERAL: Disclaimer: All facts were checked at time of publication but things change! Check with relevant authorities for updates. |
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