 Ras
Mohammed National Park
There are many dive sites to visit at the Ras Mohammed National
Park area, but the most spectacular reefs-Shark Reef and Yolanda
Reef- located at the southern tip of the park are only available
by boat. These sites are so popular that the National Park had to
put a rotation system to control the amount of divers per day.
Located at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula strong underwater
currents provides lots of nutrient for all living species. Over
2 thousand fish and over 3 hundred different hard and soft coral
species have been recorded in the Ras Mohammed area. Napoleon Wrasse,
Moray Eels and Turtles are permanent inhabitants. If you can cope
with the summer heat Ras Mohammed is spectacular from June to mid
Sept . It is mating season for a lot of fish species and large schools
of fish can be seen in the blue. It is just breathtaking!
Like the Straits of Tiran some of the dive sites are challenging
with unpredictable currents and steep drop offs.
Guests diving with us will not be taken to Ras Mohammed on their
first day.
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Shark
Reef/Yolanda Reef
These are two small twin pinnacles, peaks of a single
coral tower rising out of the depth just off the Ras Mohammed
coast.This dive is conducted as a drift dive either with water
entry at Shark Reef or at Anemone City. Shark Reef, the eastern
most of the two, stands out with its breathtaking drop off
to 800m depth. The steep reef wall is covered with soft corals
and strong currents can be recognized by watching schools
of snappers lining up in a vertical row. A shallow saddle
between the two reefs gives marine life the chance to hide
from currents, huge moray eels, groupers and blue-spotted
stingrays can be found.
Yolanda Reef, less steep covered with little coral pinnacles
and heads, ends with a shallow patch at the south side. Remains
of the Yolanda wreck gave it the name. The cargo - Ideal Standard
sanitary equipment - is spread over the reef and nowadays
used for shelter. |
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Anemone
City
Located just inshore from Shark Reef,
it is a popular boat entry point for a drift dive around
the twin pinnacles. The reef is a steep slope with rich
coral growth and huge numbers of anemone, with attendant
anemone fish, which gave the dive site its name.
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Shark
Observatory
Situated just beside Jackfish Alley,
this dive site can be accessed by boat and shore. It is
named after the observation point on the cliff top on shore.
The cliff formation continues underwater as a vertical wall,
sloping outwards at its foot. Visibility is excellent and
keeping a little distance from the wall gives the impression
to dive in an amphitheater. Crevices and little caves in
the wall invite for a closer look. |
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Jackfish
Alley
This dive site is often dived as the
second dive of the day. Drifting with the current it is
an easy and relaxing dive. Two penetrable caves, each with
separate exit and entrance holes and an alley formed by
a second reef plateau parallel to the coastline made this
site popular. Plenty of jacks and stingrays can be seen
in the alley and white soft coral gardens make you dream.
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Ras
Zatar
Located
on the northern tip of the Ras Mohammed Peninsula it is
not visited as often as the other sites. Steep walls with
some large caves filled with glass sweepers and soft corals
make the drift dive enjoyable. In shallow areas of the wall
many small invertebrates, like the feather worm tubes and
nudibranches can be found, an excellent dive site for macro
photography. |
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