Untitled Page

:: About Us ::

Diving

Surrounded by vast deserts, the Red Sea expands 2000 km (1300 miles) from the north, the Gulf of Aqaba, to Bab el Mandeb in the south. The Gulf of Aqaba ending at the Straits of Tiran reaches a length of 180 km (110 miles). Following the Syrian-African Rift Valley the Gulf is 25 km (14 miles) wide, and 1800 m (6000 feet) deep. Fringing coral reefs developed all along the coast line.

There are many special aspects in this area : Water temperature is relatively constant. During summer maximun 28 º C and in winter not less than 21 º C. Seldom storms and rainfall (occasionally in winter), as well as mild currents prevent sediments to slow coral growth and allow excellent visiblility. Low humidity and the high rate of evaporation due to high temperatures, make the Red Sea one of the saltiest life-sustaining seas in the world. Salinity reaches 4.1 % and therefore a large variety of endemic species have developed.

As a result this area has one of the richest concentrations of varieties of marine life in all of the tropical seas.

Diving Sites in Egypt:

Sharm El Shiekh

Ras Mohammed

Ras Mohammed is situated at the extreme southern part of the Sinai Peninsula. Here, where the Gulf of Aqaba meets with the Gulf of Suez the ocean floor drops down to depths of more than 1000 meter. Here an underwater world has developed which is unique in the Red Sea.

Due to the topographical position, there a strong currents throughout the whole year which are often hard to predict even for experienced divers. However, it is exactly these currents which provide the reefs in the best possible way with the necessary nutrients.

No other dive site in the northern part of the Red Sea offers as much of a variety and density of species as Ras Mohammed.

Straits of Tiran

The Gulf of Aqaba is a approximately 2000 meter deep cut in the bottom of the ocean. At the southern end of the Gulf, the island of Tiran is located. Here the Gulf narrows and becomes shallower.

With the change of tides, huge quantities of water flow through this bottleneck and cause very strong currents. In the center of the Straits of Tiran, a ridge pushes up, running from north to south. On its highest elevation four coral reefs (Gordon, Woodhouse, Thomas and Jackson, which are named after British cartographers) have formed.

The currents around these reefs are the cause for the extraordinary diversity of corals and big fish swarms. Among others, you can see barracudas, snappers as well as sharks.

Naama Bay

One of the most unknown dive sites in Sharm is located right on our doorstep, Naama Bay. This is the only dive spot where you can dive all year round at any time day or night without using a boat or car.

Simply get geared up in the center and walk 50 m to the water edge and you start to dive. Here you will encounter all the sea life you can imagine. All kind of moray eels including the giant moray, schools of juvenile barracudas, sweet lips, rays and many more.

It is important to know where to find these treasures. The bay contains large areas of sand and sea grass. Here you will find a kind of marine life you cannot see on the drop offs and coral gardens. Many different kind of nudibranches and wart slugs, ghost pipe fish, shrimpfish, seahorses, crocodile and stone fish.

Night dives arranged on an individual basis in the dive center are a complete new experience with the activity of the nocturnal creatures in the reef. All day dwellers are sleeping in their night spots and can be observed from close range. Without any current and a gently sloping sandy bottom, the bay is perfect for Discover Scuba Dives and Scuba classes.

Wrecks

Dive sites such as Ras Mohammed, Jackson Reef, Blue Hole and many more are legends among divers. Names like Thistlegorm, Dunraven or Carnatic raise the attention of every wreck-loving diver.

Since the opening of the Suez Canal in 1860´s, many ships have passed through the gulf heading Europe to the Orient. Many have also perished, snared by the shallow reef that loom beneath the surface.

Most of the ships rest in safediving depth. So exploring them is not imposing any danger. During one week special wreck-safaris, the wrecks of Shab Ali and Shab Abu Nahas (Chrisola K.,Giannis D., Carnatic - to name some of them) are on the itinerary.

Dahab

The name Dahab means ‘gold’ in English and the inhabitants chose it because of the shimmering gold-coloured sandy coast. The region of Dahab stretches across a wide plateau of rock and sand at the end of Wadi Nasab and emerged from a small oasis where Bedouins once settled. Diving camps were set up in the areas around this inconspicuous little town, and then in the past few years developed into a diving and holiday paradise.

The little Bedouin village of Dahab, once known as a place for hippies and drop-outs, is about 75 km from Sharm el Sheikh on the East coast of the Sinai Peninsula and is surrounded by a bizarre high mountainous landscape. Nowadays in the center of the little Bedouin town Assalah, which is only a few minutes taxi ride from the hotels by the lagoon, there´s a great array of cosy bars, typical Shisha eating places, little restaurants and lots of shops all situated along the seafront.

Marsa Alam

Marsa Alam (alias Mersa; arabian: Marsa Alam) lies on the Red Sea in South Egypt, 271 km South of Hurghada. Edfu is about 220 km away, it is 250 km to Ash-Shalatin and 131 km to the north lies al-Quesir. During the last two decades it has grown from a small coastal village with only a handful of small stone huts into a small town. It's importance lies in it's location on the main coastal through-road, at the main cross-roads to Edfu in the Nile valley and to the recently growing tourism.

Since November 2001, Marsa Alam can be more comfortably reached from the new airport Marsa Alam, which lies about 60 km NNW.

The approx. 6000 inhabitants are mainly fishermen; keep sheep, goats and dromedaries; work in the few mines, marble and granite quarries; many are unemployed. Mining has been done in this area for thousands of years. During the time of the Pharaohs and later, under the Romans, the region was well known for it's deposits of gold, emeralds and semi-precious stones, as well as for copper and lead. The road to Edfu was probably built during the reign of Ptolemaus II and travels past many important historical sites, such as Wadi Miya with its famous temple built by Seti I and Wadi Baramiya where the ancient Egyptians operated mines. The business of grinding quartz containing thin veins of gold producing about 20 g gold per tonne continued into the period of English occupation before being closed down as longer cost effective. A few years ago, the mines were reopened for operation once more by Australian investors using modern methods of mining.

The residents in the area original belong to one of two tribes: the Ababda from the north and the Bedsha- Bedouins from the south, who have lived for generations in the eastern desert and were already used in the defence of the border by the ancient Egyptians. Later they intermingled with the Arabs, who also brought the Islamic religion into the country. They keep and breed animals, are well known for producing charcoal and were famous hunters.

They're houses are called Kisha and are usually built on slopes in order to prevent the inevitable flooding after the heavy rains. The building of the houses is the work of the women, erecting them from tree branches and covering them with palm leaves.

Often rock drawings (Petroglyphen) which date back to pre-pharaonic times have been found throughout the whole area. These drawings the animals found in this area during that period, such as giraffes and cattle, can be seen and they also depict hunting scenes. Also, there are many interesting geological sites.

The National Parks

Coral reefs are one of Nature´s masterpieces, as well as the chief reason for diving the Red Sea. Paradoxically, we divers who so enjoy the beauty of the reef also constitute its greatest enemy.

The survival of the reef depends on an intricate balance between all of its components from the tiny polyps which build the calcium carbonate exoskeleton of the reef, to its great pelagic visitors. The diver is an alien from another dimension.

Each fin-stroke, each unwary movement of the diver may raise a cloud of sediment or worse still, break off a coral branch which will take years to repair. In order to protect the reef, and to raise divers´ awareness of their ecological impact, certain areas were designated National Parks by the Egyptian authorities.

In 1983, Law 102 came into force declaring the region of Ras Mohammed, including the Ras Mohammed peninsula as well as the islands of Tiran and Sanafir, a Marine Protected Area. In June 1989, the area´s boundaries were enlarged and the region was declared a National Park from Shaab Mahmud in the west to Sharm el Sheikh in the east. In 1991, the area of Ras Nasrani was added to the Park, which was extended further north to Ras Abu Galum in 1992.

Including the 1987 declared St. Catherine Protectorate in central Sinai, a total of 11000 square km are now National Parks. 52% of these area are Egyptian shore-lines and coral reefs on the southern Gulf of Aqaba.

Hurghda

In Hurghada both beginners as well as experienced divers will find plenty of diving sites from a favourite sandy bottom with shifting white sand dunes to dramatic, steep outer reefs to the legendary wrecks in the Straits of Gubal. Note that Sinai Divers Hurghada is a member of the environmental organisation HEPCA (Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association).

Hurghada’s northern top reefs are situated just in front of our diving center. Favourite sites like Abu Galawa, Abu Nugar, Sha’ab El Erg (Dolphin House), Um Gamar and Carless Reef are reached within 25 to 60 minutes boat ride. There are only very few other dive centers which go to the same places at the same time. Sometimes the Sinai Divers boats are even the only ones at the site. There are over 30 different dive sites and, apart from a very few exceptions, they are just as good for snorkelling because the reefs come high towards the surface. Wreck dives to sites like the legendary Thistlegorm and to the ship ‘graveyard’ Abu Nuhas (with wrecks such as Giannis D., Carnatic, Kimon Ml, Chrisoula K.) are organised as day trips (early morning departure) and also as live-aboard multi-day safaris.

Nowadays the wrecks have become fantastic artificial reefs offering a home to countless species of fish.

The above-mentioned wrecks are all situated in diver-friendly depths of 15-30 metres. In many cases one can safely dive into the wrecks themselves. There are two other wrecks, which can be reached on a normal day trip. One is the minesweeper ship (sunk by Israeli fighter bombers in 1970), the other is the Excalibur (a dive safari boat which sunk in 1995). Both are situated in the Hurghada harbour area.