The Red Sea: diving one of the world's finest underwater environments

The Red Sea doesn’t get its name from the colour of the water but probably from blooms of the algae Trichodesmium erythraeum that occasionally give it a reddish tinge. The water is in fact a very deep blue, with a clarity that few bodies of water on earth can match. The reason for that clarity is the same as for its exceptionally high salinity: the Red Sea receives no rivers. All its water comes from the Indian Ocean through the strait of Bab el-Mandeb, and all it loses is to evaporation. Without river inputs there are no sediments; without sediments, visibility of up to 30 metres in optimal conditions.

Why the Red Sea is different

The Red Sea’s coral reefs have exceptional characteristics. They are among the northernmost reefs in the world — a condition that would normally limit coral, which requires warm water — because the Red Sea functions as a natural greenhouse: its relatively shallow waters heat up quickly and maintain temperatures of 22 to 28 degrees year-round. The corals that have survived here for thousands of years are also particularly resistant to temperature bleaching, an adaptation that makes them an object of study for scientists looking for ways to save the world’s reefs.

The biodiversity is extraordinary: more than 1,200 fish species (of which around 200 are endemic, meaning they exist nowhere else), rays, sea turtles, dolphins and sharks are regular presences. The Red Sea’s shark species — mainly the oceanic whitetip (Carcharhinus longimanus) and hammerhead (Sphyrna) in open water — are not dangerous in normal conditions for divers. The 2010 Sharm el-Sheikh incident, which received extensive media coverage, was attributed to a combination of exceptional factors and is statistically irrelevant compared with the millions of dives made in the area each year.

Dive destinations and their differences

Hurghada is the most accessible destination from Cairo (50-minute flight or 6-hour drive) and has the largest concentration of dive centres on the entire coast. It also has the most damaged coral: the mass tourism of the 1990s and 2000s caused significant deterioration in the reefs closest to shore, and although active protection measures are in place, the difference from the rest of the Egyptian coast is notable.

Sharm el-Sheikh has in the Ras Mohammed National Park — situated at the southern tip of Sinai where the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba meet — one of the finest reefs in the eastern Mediterranean. The park’s protection has kept the coral in noticeably better condition than at Hurghada. Access from Europe is direct: charter flights connect dozens of European cities to Sharm.

Dahab is the favourite of instructors and technical divers. The Blue Hole, around 10 kilometres north of the village, is a sinkhole 130 metres deep whose circular opening at the sea surface measures roughly 50 metres in diameter. It is one of the most photographed dive sites in the world and also one of the most dangerous for technical deep diving: the number of recorded deaths at the Blue Hole since the 1990s exceeds one hundred, making it one of the deadliest dive sites globally. For recreational divers who stay within the 20 to 30 metre entrance zone, the Blue Hole is extraordinarily beautiful and perfectly safe.

Marsa Alam, at the far south of the Egyptian coast, is the most remote and the best preserved. Dugongs (the marine relative of the manatee), whale sharks in season and green turtles are regular sightings. The dive centres are fewer and smaller; the hotel options more limited. This is the destination for those who already know the Red Sea and want to see it at its most intact.

For non-divers

Snorkelling in the Red Sea is also extraordinary, especially in the shallow areas of Dahab (the Blue Hole lagoon, the Three Pools reefs) and at Marsa Alam. With a mask and snorkel you access 80% of what makes this sea special, without committing to a dive course.

An introductory dive (discover scuba) in Hurghada or Sharm costs between 30 and 50 dollars at most centres and requires no prior training. The full PADI Open Water certification course takes four days and costs between 200 and 350 dollars, depending on the centre and the season.

The complete Far Guides Egypt guide includes detailed Nile Valley routes, interactive maps and all the practical information you need to plan your independent trip.