Red Sea Liveaboard Diving in Egypt

Dive the Sinai Peninsula and the Southern Red Sea

With fascinating natural seascapes and underwater environments, surrounded by towering red mountains and vast expanses of arid desert, the Red Sea is one of our planet's most exotic liveaboard destinations. As interesting as it is unique, the Red Sea is a sea in the form of a cul-de-sac, resulting in an array of unusual marine life indigenous to the region.

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From the unspoiled Sinai Peninsula in the north through to St. John's pristine reefs at the Sudanese border in the south, the Red Sea shimmers as an example of dedicated environmental conservation. The success of the region's sea life is largely thanks to conservation efforts implemented in the early 1990's. The Egyptian government is planning further expansion of their conservation effort, which is good news for Red Sea liveaboard divers, like you!

In the north, Egypt's Sinai Peninsula provides the opportunity to discover sun, sand and sea. With Sharm El Sheikh as your base, Red Sea diving cruises to the well-known Ras Mohammed National Park are quick and convenient. Unparalleled diversity with an abundance of coral growth and prolific marine life is the park's hallmark.

The Sinai Peninsula stretches from Ras Mohammed all the way to the Straits of Tiran. Within this area the reefs are healthy and vibrant, with an abundance of coral reef fish and invertebrates, the likes of octopus, cuttlefish and squid. Wrecks are the main attraction including the Dunraven and the spectacular and world-renowned SS Thistlegorm. The sites are full of life with the headlines being stolen by hawksbill turtles, sharks and even dolphin sightings.

On Red Sea diving safaris in the south, the weather plays a slightly more prominent role but rewards divers with awesome visibility, sheer walls, lots of wrecks and pelagic action in droves. Characteristic of the region are sheltered reef dives and towering pinnacle dives, a favourite habitat of a diverse shark populations. Dark clouds of schooling reef fish, swarming snappers and heaps of surgeons also abound. Divers speak in hushed tones of sites such as The Brothers, Elphinstone, Daedalus and St John's.

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• Egypt

Northern Red Sea - Sinai Peninsula & Wrecks

The Northern Red Sea encompasses the dive sites around the Sinai Peninsula, as well as the multitude of wrecks and reefs that lie between Hurghada and Sinai. The 'North & Wrecks' region offers a large number of fantastic sites to Egypt liveaboard divers, each bringing something unique, but all being fascinating.

Thistlegorm - This is the best known and most popular wreck in the Red Sea and with good reason. She sank with a large inventory of wartime supplies many of which can still be seen today in their watery home: jeeps, motorbikes, rifles and more!

Ras Mohammed National Park - Some 20 km south of Sharm El Sheikh is the most popular national park in Egypt which consists of numerous different dive sites. Including sites such as Yolanda Reef and Anemone City, Ras Mohamed is characterised by a spectacular array of reef and pelagic fish, diverse coral reefs and luxuriant sea walls.

Wrecks - It's a wreck diver's dream come to life with all the choices laid before you. Choose from the wrecks of the Thistlegorm, Giannis D, Chrisoula K, Carnatic, Kingston, Rosalie Moller and the Dunraven, or simply take your time and do them all.

For more detailed information, visit our Hurghada or Sharm El Sheikh website sections.

Visit our Sinai Peninsula liveaboard section to explore your options.

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• Sinai Peninsula

Southern Red Sea

The south and deep south of the Red Sea, from Hurghada down to St. John's, possesses a plentitude of fine liveaboard-only dive sites, each fascinating in its own right and offering something different. The marine parks' northerly sites such as Brother Islands and Elphinstone form popular routes for Red Sea liveaboards, as does the southern marine park combination of Daedalus Reef, Zabargad Island and Rocky Island. Highlights further south include St John's and Fury Shoals.

The Brothers - Despite being only accessible by Egypt liveaboards and in an exposed location, this is among the most beloved places in the Red Sea. Flourishing soft and hard coral growth overwhelms sheer walls where many pelagic fish dominate the blue.

Daedalus Reef - Due to its remote location, this is a pristine site and one of the best to visit on Red Sea dive cruises. Currents, while occasionally trying, mean predators such as trevally, tuna and hammerheads are common visitors along with the less commonly sighted thresher sharks.

St John's Reef - In the most southerly of Egyptian waters, this reef system is riddled with tunnels and swim-throughs as well as shallow flats and sheltered reefs. It therefore provides something very different from many other areas of the Red Sea. There is a great mix of pelagic action here as well as vibrant reef life.

For more detailed information, visit our Southern Red Sea website section.

Visit our southern Red Sea liveaboard section to explore your options.

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• Southern Red Sea

Diving Season

Both the Northern and Southern Red Sea favour the diver all year round, with the warmest water in the European summertime (June to August).

However, it should be noted that winds can blow any time of year on the Red Sea, especially during the winter months of October to April. There is always the possibility that Southern Red Sea dive safaris in particular might be re-routed if the winds make it unsafe to travel.

In May and June Oceanic whitetip sharks can be frequently seen at St. John's, and from October until the end of the year at Elphinstone and the rest of the Southern Red Sea. Thresher sharks occur in the Autumn and Winter months around the Brothers and Daedalus Reef. Hammerhead sharks can be seen at Daedalus in the summer time when congregations of females are attracted there.

Whale shark sightings are best from the end of May until the end of July when they can be spotted mainly on northern Red Sea liveaboards but also occasionally in the south. To witness the sardine runs you need to visit between the cooler end of December and the beginning of February. Hammerhead sharks and schools of barracuda are more frequently seen in the Sinai Peninsula between July and September

For the ultimate adventure of a lifetime, you can combine your Red Sea diving safari with a tour to discover the historical sights of Egypt. Take an overland tour of Cairo to visit the pyramids of Giza, the Sphinx and the national museums, or a Nile River cruise through the Valley of the Kings: Egypt antiquity tours.

Reef Summary

Great for: Wreck diving, value-for-money, visibility, wall diving and large animals
Not so great for: Small animals
Depth: 5m - >40m
Visibility: 20m - >40m
Currents: Moderate
Surface conditions: Can be choppy in some places
Water temperature: 22°C - 30°C
Experience level: Beginner - advanced
Number of dive sites: >200
Recommended length of stay: 1 - 2 weeks

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