Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Sharm el-Sheikh - Divine Diving in Egypt

As anyone who has visited the Philippines will know there are a number of amazing SCUBA diving sites including the islands of Cabilao and Boracay. Once you have explored them it’s likely you will be thirsty for some more diving adventures, so where in the world might your travel adventures take you? Most enthusiasts will agree that there are few dive destinations in the world as spectacular as Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt. Here’s why.

Location

Sharm el Sheikh, or ‘Sharm’ as it is widely known, is a port town on the southern tip of Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula. It’s coastal position on the Red Sea is what makes it so enduringly attractive to dive enthusiasts from around the world. Now a thriving town full of five-star hotels and all the commodities that tourists would expect, it’s hard to believe that Sharm was a sleepy fishing village only 40 years ago. Desert and rocky mountainssprawl behind the town- a stunning contrast with the glittering blue sea. There is an array of stunning dive sites around Sharm that can be reached by taking a boat from the town.


Ras Mohammed

Ras Mohammed National Park dive sites tend to be the most popular in the area and for good reason. The coral in this protected park thrives and the sea is full of plankton attracting a huge diversity of fish. There are several sites including Eel Garden, Jackfish Alley, Ras Ghozlani and Ras Za’atar. On a safari of the Ras Mohammed reefs you will seea number of big fish including sharks and barracudas as well as a vast array of smaller tropical fish and sea turtles.


Tiran

Also world renowned as one of the best diving spots out there, Tiran has a number of sites including Jackson Reef, Woodhouse and Gordon Reef. With wall dives, canyons and shipwrecks, the sites have a multitude of diverse diving experiences to offer. A number of sharks, rays and octopuses can be seen along with a host of colourful fish and anemones.


The Wreck of the Thistlegorm

This iconic shipwreck is world class when it comes to diving, just like the reefs around it. Diving through the wrecked hold reveals a number of wonders including sections of aeroplanes, motorbikes and trucks - a chance to take a glimpse back into history.

A number of other spectacular dive sites can be found around Sharm and the diversity of underwater life is nothing short of incredible. Have you recently explored this part of the Red Sea? Which was your favourite dive site?

Image by Derek Keats used under creative commons license

 

 

1 comment:

  1. Thank you so much admin i love all of your awesome article, I am always waiting your new updates your all the traveling info is mind blowing...I am great fan of your superb blog
    Thanks Really Nice Article!

    ReplyDelete

Comments are highly appreciated. Spread love, not hate! :)