Ras Mohammed peninsula separates the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. Currents flow out of both gulfs and bathe Ras Mohammed in rich nutrients, which assure plentiful and varied marine life. At Shark Reef and Yolanda wreck, many fish species can be found: groupers, barracuda, batfish, Napoleon wrasses, blue-spot stingrays and a special treat, crocodile fish. It's an amusing and memorable site to see groupers swimming around a huge mountain of toilets at the bottom of the sea.
Really several dive sites, Ras Mohammed has earned itself a reputation as one of the top diving areas in the world, here at the tip of the Sinai where the vast bodies of water, the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba meet has created an ecosystem like no other and wall diving is at its very best.

• Dive Type: Drift Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 18m

When divers think of Sinai, they think of Shark Reef and Yolanda. 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 (164ft) along its northeast and eastern sides, giving way to a steep reef slope as the reef proceeds southwest toward Yolanda. A shallow saddle lies between the two reefs at 18 to 20m (60-65ft). A second shallow patch lies south of Yolanda. This second flat patch is the site of what remains of the Yolanda, a wrecked freighter. The ship itself slipped into the deep in 1986 after a severe storm, but much of its cargo remains, incongruously strewn across the reef.
Coral is excellent, with good if sparse growth on the wall sections and dense coral gardens on the shallower flat areas. Big pelagics and schooling fish swarm these reefs in the thousands. The Most impressive concentration is on the wall at Shark Reef. On the reef, hundreds of different reef fishes can be spotted as can moray eels of a meter (3ft) and bluespotted and blackspotted stingrays.

• Dive Type: Drift Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 27m

The most northerly site for day boats out of Hurghada. A huge horseshoe shaped reef offering many dive sites on all sides. The north point can be home to Mantas in season. The lagoon is dotted with ergs and is renowned for sightings of the resident dolphin community; divers have previously spent up to 30 minutes with dolphins here.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth:

This isolated reef, lying between Shaab Umm Qamar and Giftun island is known to divers the world over for its large population of semi-tame moray eels. Weather conditions often make the exposed site difficult or impossible to dive. The reef itself centres on two peaks or pinnacles which brush the surface in an otherwise open sea. The valley between these pinnacles is about 16m (52ft) deep, and offers a wide range of dive possibilities for those not interested in deep diving. A few metres east of the saddle, a steep wall drops well beyond 40m (130ft), with a contoured profile offering many caves and cavelets for the more experienced diver. Reef composition is diverse, with most coral species, both hard and soft, making a vibrant and interesting coral habitat. As well as the famous eels, there are innumerable species of reef fishes. The reef’s isolation, combined with the deep water in which it lies, make it ideal for pelagic-spotting, and sharks are as likely here as at any reef in the area. Jacks, tuna and barracuda are also frequently spotted. The big draw is, of course, the large population of giant and other morays flourishing here, thanks in part to the numerous dive guides who have almost domesticated them with regular gifts of food. The eels vary in size, but several are at the upper limit of their growth range. They will often remain outside their lairs in the presence of divers. (27°18.700’N, 33°56.200’E)

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 40m

The sheer walls of this great reef plunge steeply into the blue, richly decorated with soft corals, sponges, gorgonians and fans. Sharks often swim by the spot to feed on the abundant reef fish population. The northern plateau is home to schooling hammerheads with frequent sightings of oceanic white tip sharks.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth:

A huge round reef with a lighthouse more than 40 miles away from the coast, features an excellent opportunity for spotting big pelagics including manta rays. All around its steep walls you will see an extreme variety of fish and coral. Good chance to see schooling hammerheads on the northern point. Strong currents possible.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth:

Famous for its large labyrinths of swim throughs. Huge porite corals and a resident napoleon. Often white tip reef sharks and a very nice anemone and clownfish settlement on a small pinnacle a little off the reef to the south.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth:

Tiny rock emerging a few feet out of the water, it offers one of the most incredible underwater scenarios of the whole Red Sea. Steep walls falling into the deep blue, currents, soft corals and a great abundance of pelagics and all kinds of fish.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth:

This incredibly beautiful reef lies Approx. 40km North of the Sudanese border and 20km south of Zabargad . The reef covers a huge area and many dives would be needed to explore the numerous coral heads and islands that make up this extensive area.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth:

The Thistlegorm was discovered in 1956 by Jacques Cousteau and is probably the most famous wreck in the world. It sank in 1941 when it was hit by a German bomb that blew a hole in the port side, igniting tank ammunition that was in the hold. The explosion ripped the roof of the ship backwards, rather like opening a tin of sardines.
The stern section of the wreck lies almost horizontal to the sea bed; the remainder of the wreck is nearly upright. Inside the wreckage, tyres, tanks, motorbikes, Bedford trucks, waders and wellington boots can be seen. Penetration is possible around the bridge and blast area. The large propeller is still in position and the guns on the stern are in excellent condition.
Artillery litters the blast area. A bath tub can be seen towards the bow and a toilet near the stern. The sea life is impressive with possibility of seeing tuna overhead the resident turtle. Expect this to be very busy, especially once the day boats have reached it; it is likely to be chaos both on the surface and under the water.

• Dive Type: Drift Dive
• Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 31m

This wreck of a British sail/steam cargo ship that sank on April 22 1876 was officially discovered in 1977.
The wreck now lies in two sections next to each other, both of which are penetrable, but there is not always an entire route through. The large brass propeller lies to the north end of the wreck and the reef to the west. The engine can be found in the northern section of the wreck.
The sealife is interesting here and a swim along the reef makes a good end to the dive. Napoleon fish are common, as well as lionfish and flathead scorpion fish. There is a particularly impressive brain coral on the reef as you leave the wreck that is only three metres below the surface.

• Dive Type: Drift Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 29m

Also known as “Ships Graveyard”, Abu Nuhas is located close to the busy shipping lanes of the Gulf of Suez. Four wrecks are lying in a chain on a sandy bottom of a steep sloping reef covered with table corals. The following wrecks are found there;

Ghiannis D was on the way from Rijeka to AI Hudayda at the southern end of the Red Sea, when the bow ran aground on the reef on April 19, 1984. The rear half of the wreck lies on the port side. At the front the funnel is the large letter “D” signifying the name of the shipping company, Danae. In front of the funnel is the bridge deck with different areas, an enormous winch and the bollard. Narrow portholes lead into the engine room. The mid-ship area resembles a scrap heap where steel girders are bent and torn up, and the side panels lie caved in on the bottom. Crocodile fish, scorpion fish, parrotfish, and groupers call the vessel home. This wreck is at 30 - 88 feet/10 - 27meters depth.

Carnatic was on the way from Liverpool to Bombay with 27 crew members, 203 passengers as well as a cargo of cotton, copper, and 40,000 pounds Sterling in gold. She ran aground in the night September 13,1869. Now the wreck lies at a depth of 65 - 88 feet/20 - 27 meters. The hull is covered with hard and leather corals.

Chrisoula K started her last trip on August 30, 1981 loaded with cheap Italian tiles. Chrisoula K ran aground due to a navigation mistake of the captain and sank in the same night. The wreck lies at 16 - 80 feet/5 - 25 meters depth.

Shaab el Erg: Shaab el Erg, also known as “Dolphin House”, is famous for dolphin sightings; it is not uncommon for a school of dolphins to join the dive. The reef drops down to a coral garden at 40 feet/12 meters deep with marine life like nudibranchs, tunas, trevallies, jacks, scorpionfish and sea turtles.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 25m

The Thistlegorm was discovered in 1956 by Jacques Cousteau and is probably the most famous wreck in the world. It sank in 1941 when it was hit by a German bomb that blew a hole in the port side, igniting tank ammunition that was in the hold. The explosion ripped the roof of the ship backwards, rather like opening a tin of sardines.
The stern section of the wreck lies almost horizontal to the sea bed; the remainder of the wreck is nearly upright. Inside the wreckage, tyres, tanks, motorbikes, Bedford trucks, waders and Wellington boots can be seen. Penetration is possible around the bridge and blast area. The large prop is still in position and the guns on the stern are in excellent condition.
Artillery litters the blast area. A bath tub can be seen towards the bow and a toilet near the stern. The sea life is impressive with possibility of seeing tuna overhead the resident turtle. Expect this to be very busy, especially once the day boats have reached it; it is likely to be chaos both on the surface and under the water.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth:

Rosalie Moller sank in the 1940's. She was hit by a bomb. Penetration is accessible as the cracks are huge, but it is not necessary as the significant parts of the wreck are visible from the outside.
The prop and rudder are still in good condition. The deck is in good condition and very clean. The sea life is amazing, with glassfish that can be seen by the deck and reef sharks that can be spotted.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 25m

A Ferry carrying pilgrims returning from Mecca, sank in 1991 after hitting the reef at night. 600 victims perished in one of the greatest marine tragedies of all time. Divers are asked to dive the wreck considerately with respect for the great loss of life and penetration of the wreck is forbidden.
The propellers make an impressive sight and the covering of hard corals now colonising the wreck show the power of the ocean to make new life out of this tragedy. Fish life is now abundant and the funnels of the wreck with large "S" and the name on the bow are clearly visible. The site is reasonably sheltered and is not exposed to strong current and can be dived at all levels from 12m to 30m.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 30m

Fury Shoals is a group of dive sites offering a variety of coral pinnacles, lagoons, drop offs and fast drifts.

Here you will have the opportunity to see hammerhead sharks, silvertip sharks, white tip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, bumphead parrotfish, turtles, spinner dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, surgeonfish, jacks, tuna, reef fish, colourful coral and sponges.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth:

The Straits of Tiran offers divers a choice of 7 dive sites, the Gordon reef, the Jackson reef, the Laguna reef, Million hope wrecks, the Tomas reef, the Woodhouse reef and Zingara. All these dive sites offer divers top quality diving with some sites offering maximum depths up to 100 metres.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 100m

Shag Rock is a large circular reef with two small wrecks on it. The Carina is a broken up wreckage of a 19th Century steamship that you drift past quickly. The kingston is another 18th century steamship, but is more intact than the Carina is. The reef makes quite a good dive with lots of branching coral, butterfly fish, yellow goatfish, sweet lips and sea cucumbers.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 16m

Home to the wrecks Kormoran and Million Hope. Both wrecks are located north of Laguna Reef and so you need good weather to dive them as they are very exposed.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 18

A 400 meter long island offering fabulous wreck diving and wall diving. The wreck of the Numidia lies on the northern tip between 10 and 80 meter. The north-west side of the island houses the wreck of the Aida. On every section of this reef the wall is covered with corals and life.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 18

Boasts a very high concentration of life within a very small area. Fan coral forests, overhangs, hard and soft corals in a variety of astonishing colors… and of course there are plenty of fish! With regular sightings of hammerheads, thresher sharks, grey sharks and white tip reef sharks, at the right time of year.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 18

Along with Sha'ab Claudio, this is one of the most visited reefs in the Fury Shoals reef system. The main attraction here is the southern part of the reef, which is situated directly next to the boat. This is an explorer's dream. The reef formation is like a playground of craggy corals, canyons and labyrinthine caves all waiting to be discovered. There is a famous cave in the middle of the reef with small baby sharks... It is also possible to explore the northern part of the reef where a beautiful hard coral garden lies. Be sure to dive the west and east side close to the reef. Here there are large coral blocks with an amazing cover of hard and soft corals. Almost every kind of Red Sea fish can be found here. Even at the south end of the reef, you can find enough coral blocks here to make four dives! This is one of the most prolific dive sites in the Red Sea and not to be missed.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 23m

At the gate of the Straits of Gobal is ‘Bluff Point’, which gets its name from the turbulence created by strong currents that beat the eastern wall of the island.
The wreck of the ‘Ulysses’ lies on the reef 300m north of the lighthouse, starting at 5m and sloping to 25m. ‘The Barge’ wreck, south of the lighthouse, provides divers with a fun and unusual night dive. The wrecks skeleton creates protection for all types of night creatures.

• Dive Type: Wreck Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 25m

Zabargad is the largest of Egypt's 4 Southern Red Sea marine parks and lies just 5 km northwest of Rocky Island in the deep south, 70 km off the mainland. The island has exquisite turquoise bays, sandy beaches and a 235m high hill at its centre. Zabargad means topaz in Egyptian, and you can still find evidence of an island community that mined the semi-precious stones here.

Red Sea diving is at its best on Zabargad Island's south east coast in the sheltered Turtle Bay. Here you'll find a wall to 15m then a coral reef slope down to 30m or so and then a drop off into the blue. The reef slope is a maze of coral patches and dome turrets, forming refuges to reef fish such as pufferfish and sweetlips, and invertebrates such as cuttlefish and octopus. The floor is home to bluespotted stingrays, scorpionfish and crocodilefish, and of course turtles are found here too. Green and hawksbill turtles hatch on the beach here in the month of August.

It's best to dive along the reef wall here as the coral growth is dense and there are many caverns and gullies to explore. There are also a couple of passageways that lead directly into the inner lagoon behind the reef wall.

Outside of the sheltered bays, Zabargad has steep walls that offer some great Red Sea drift diving. The usual sharks can be sighted here, such as oceanic whitetips and grey reef. It's also a good place for manta encounters, where these rays come into the reef to attend cleaning stations dotted along the ledges at 15-30m.

On the northeast coast of Zabargad lies the Khanka Wreck, a 70m long USSR transport/surveillance ship that sank upright in 24m of water in the 1970s. The bow has impact damage and lies on its port side but the rest of the wreck is in good condition. The main superstructure lies just 10m below the water's surface. Although there is little coral growth here yet, there are several interesting sections of the ship to explore on a dive, such as the holds, bridge and engine room, which are filled with glassfish and are easy to explore from the 2 large openings to be found in the bow and stern.

Large winches and heavy chains are in evidence towards the bow. You can access the engine room through the hatches in midships. The bridge is found down a narrow stairwell where you can still find the helm, chart room and control panels. The main mast is intact and is a great place for a safety stop since it rises to just 2m below the surface.

Down the west coast of the island, lies the remains of the Neptuna. This was a German Red Sea diving safari boat that sank here in 1981. It has now broken apart but much of what remains is visible on the sea floor. The area is fairly shallow with coral bommies rising from 15m. Sometimes night dives are taken here

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 30m

The south plateau offers a superb diving site. You will find here three coral pinnacles, which are overgrown with red soft corals, they contain several caves and crevices where glassfish, groupers, morays and other creature hide among the soft corals and gorgonias. Fish are also plentiful and large schools of carangids, surgeons and other small fish can be seen here. With luck you can see sharks at the edge of the plateau.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 40m

Gota Soraya is rated as possibly one of the best wall dives in the Red Sea, with overhangs and cracks in the reef wall full of glass fish and sweepers and an abundance of corals, Grey Reef, Silvertips and Hammerhead sharks.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 30m

Gota Kebir is a massive reef, famous for its tunnels and south plateau, where jacks and barracudas can be seen and the occasional manta. The tunnels are ideal for novice cave divers.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 30m

Weak to Medium Current. A reef in the north and south divided by a bay.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 35m

Wadi El Gamal National Park is a national park in Egypt. It is located South of Marsa Alam and North of Ras Banas.

The coastal area features coral reefs with 450 species of coral and over 1200 species of fish. Approximately 17% of the marine life is native to the Red Sea. It also includes five islands, including Wadi El Gamal Island. These islands are a breeding ground for 13 bird species, and local sea grasses are important sources of food for the endangered dugong and green turtle.

• Dive Type: Boat Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 14m

The Salem Express is a former 100m long car and ferry passenger. She was finishing the trip from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia to Safaga full of pilgrims returning from the Mecca when she sunk December 17, 1991 in the middle of the night.

The Salem Express is quite shallow. The wreck starts at 12m and the seabed is at 30m deep. This is a huge wreck and you will need at least 2 dives to explore it all. Even after two decades in the water, there is still little fauna around the wreck. There is also now a bit of coral growing on the shipwreck.

• Dive Type: Wreck Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 30m

The El Mina was bombed by the Israelis in 1969 in Hurghada bay, but still has a sister ship afloat nearby which is worth looking at to compare to what you are about to dive. The wreck now lies on its side and there are a lot of small holes to peer into and penetration is possible, although tight, through a significant amount of the wreck. Sea urchins are abundant on the wreck and a very large moray was found living in one of the holes. An interesting dive.

• Dive Type: Wreck Dive
• Diver Level: Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 30m

In 1869, the Suez Canal established the Red Sea as the most important stretch of water near Egypt. Known as the Red Sea ‘graveyard’, Abu Nuhas is located north of Shadwan Island (the Egyptian Red Sea’s largest island). The submerged reef has claimed more vessels than any other in the Red Sea with at least four complete wrecks and other wreckage scattered throughout the area. The wrecks are laying in a chain on a sandy bottom of a steep sloping reef covered with table corals. Some of the items the wrecks carried were copper, port wine, and gold. The four wrecks the Red Sea Aggressor II dives are the Giannis D, Carnatic, Chrisoula K and Kimon M:

Ghiannis D is a 100 meter long cargo ship originally built in Japan then bought by a Greek shipping company and renamed the Giannis D in 1980. She was enroute from now known as Croatia bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia carrying a cargo of wood. After passing through the Suez Canal and into the Strait of Gubal, the ship ran aground into the reef of Sha'ab Abu Nuhas in 1983. The stern is partly intact at around 25 meters and the bow at about 18 meters.

The rear half of the wreck lies on the port side. At the front the funnel is the large letter “D” signifying the name of the shipping company, Danae. Crocodile fish, scorpion fish, parrotfish, and grouper call the vessel home. This wreck is located at a depth of 10 - 27 meters.

Carnatic is thought to be the oldest wreck found at Sha'ab Abu Nuhas. A steam and sail powered clipper, the Carnatic was sailing from Bombay (Mumbai), India to Suez when she struck the reef in 1869. The ship broke in half when the crew and passengers were abandoning it resulting in the loss of 31 lives. The ships cargo included cotton, copper, and a huge load of gold. Salvage operations claim to have recovered the gold, however rumors still exist that there still might be gold hidden on the wreck. The wreck lies at a depth of 10 - 27 meters with the hull covered in hard and leather corals.

Chrisoula K was originally built in Germany and christened the Dora Olendorff. The 100 meter long cargo ship was bound for Jeddah, Saudia Arabia carrying a cargo of Italian floor tiles. After leaving the Gulf of Suez, a navigational error saw the ship run full speed into the Abu Nuhas reef. The crew were safely rescued but the ship sank and now lies between 5 - 25 meters.

The Kimon M cargo ship sunk in 1978 after hitting the Sha’ab Abu Nuhas Reef. It was carrying lentils and is also known as the ‘Lentil Wreck’ and lies in 32 meters of water at the stern. It initially was stuck on the reef until the storm and waves pushed the ship breaking the bow then the main body which sank in 10 – 29 meters depth.The stern with the huge propeller is still intact and easy to dive. Due to its size, it is impressive to swim around from the outside and is home to schools of batfish and a huge napoleon.

• Dive Type: Wreck Dive
• Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
• Max Depth: 25m