THE DIVING IN THE RED SEA
The clear blue waters between Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada hide some of the Red Sea's biggest surprises, such as stunning reefs and mysterious shipwrecks, the legacy of the maritime trade that has flowed through the region for millennia. Strewn across the Straits of Gubal, gateway to the Suez Canal, the reefs of this region are as rich in history as they are in natural beauty.
This area includes dive sites in Shaab Mahmud and Shaab Ali, the Straits of Gubal and Hurghada, spread across 74km (40 nautical miles) of open sea between the tip of Ras Muhammad and the Egyptian mainland at Hurghada. The sites can be reached form either Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada.The range of coral species is astounding, and while the occasionally rough sea conditions in these open waters can cause some damage to the reefs, most of the coral growth is in excellent condition. The area boasts some extensive reef systems, incorporating branching Acropora, vast fields of cabbage coral, bommies and outcrops of massive species such as Favites and Porites and gently waving dendronephthiid soft corals.
One of the real highlights of diving in this region is the well-preserved, accessible shipwrecks that litter the seabed across the entrance to the Gulf of Suez. At least six major wrecks lie in easy reach of Sharm El Sheikh or Hurghada. There are 19th century mail steamers, modern cargo ships and historic spice traders lying on the bottom of this stretch of sea, all waiting to be explored
As more and more divers discover the diving areas of northern Egypt, attention has begun to turn to the dive sites of southern Egypt. South Egypt offers warm, clear waters and lush coral gardens without a hint of pollution, along hundreds of kilometres of almost uninhabited coastline. South Egypt is the area along the Red Sea coast from just south of Hurghada all the way to the southern border with Sudan.
Diving here is fantastic. Stick a pin in the map almost anywhere on the coast, and you would most likely find prime dive site of pristine beauty. This is an area of elaborate coral gardens, maze-like labyrinths of caves and canyons, drop-offs and gentle slopes, shallow undersea playgrounds and submarine valleys.
Most of the reef fish species abound in huge numbers, and display little of the timidity which has become common further north. Huge schools of snapper, surgeonfish, barracuda, fusilier and jacks are extremely common, while solitary reef fishes are present in numbers usually reserved for schooling species in other parts of the Red Sea. Grouper reach incredible sizes, big moray eels fill nooks and crannies in the reef, colourful angelfish of many species abound, and looming giants such as Napoleon Wrasse and huge bump head parrotfish patrol the waters along the reef's edge. The sandy bottoms along the coast support a variety of rays, as well as oddities such as guitar sharks and crocodile fish. Other sharks, including reef white tips, grey reefs, hammerheads and even the majestic whale shark, have all been seen in these waters.
The area's other marine residents are sea turtles, squid, cuttlefish and octopus. This is also one of the few places in the world where wild dolphins have been known to play with divers in the water. There are even areas where that most elusive of marine mammals, the Dugong, have been seen by divers.
|
