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Dahab and Nuweiba Dive Sites

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Dive Sites of Dahab and Nuweiba in the Egyptian Red Sea:

Emperor Angelfish

The Red Sea has some of the best diving in the world, including Dahab and Nuweiba whose dives are detailed here. For diving centres in Dahab and Nuweiba click here.

Dive Sites in Dahab Dive Sites in Nuweiba Further Reading

Dive Sites in Dahab

Dahab means "Gold", and it was named by the Bedouin for its golden sands that jut out into the sea. On the Sinai coast, it overlooks the Gulf of Aqaba. You can reach Dahab overland either from Sharm el-Sheikh or Eilat. The dives are mostly shore dives. Most British divers consider Dahab to be a bit out of the way, but if you like driving around the desert in 4x4’s and jumping in the water from the shore to find a complete contrast between the desert above and thriving life below, then Dahab is well worth a visit. Don’t though, expect it to be quiet and without other divers; Dahab is very popular with Russian, German, French and Italian divers.

"All amazing dive sites, especially Islands, Eel Garden and the Canyon. Crystal clear water, excellent vis, beautiful fish and coral etc. Regarding accomodation, Oasis Fighting Kangaroo had some brilliant rooms for about £1 a night. "
Rachael King

"Good shore diving with amazing corals. Loads of fish including Napoleon (Maori) wrasse. Good for all levels, some difficult dives with fierce currents. "
Matthew Moore

"Look out for the Red Sea Walkman when diving in Dahab. I have dived a lot in the Red sea but have only found it there. "
Nickyh
Note: The Red Sea Walkman or Two-Stick Stingfish (Inimicus filamentosus) is a scorpion fish that can use its front fins to walk over the sea bed.

The Blue Hole Depth: 80 m
soft coral

Rating: 4 stars

The Blue Hole is just that - a very large hole over 200 m in diameter and dropping to over 80 m. You can enter the water at the Bells, which is just of the northern edge of the car park and Bedouin cafés area. The entry is a gully and tube that drops straight from the shore via an arch to a depth of 200 m. We exited at 30m and turned south along the reef back to the Blue Hole. Traverse around the side of the hole back to shore.

We previously dived the Blue Hole in 1990 and were somewhat taken aback by the change to the on-shore environment. When we visited then, we were the only divers there, and it was at the end of a track which went for miles through unpopulated desert and felt like it was at the end of the world. Now there were about 50 vehicles there (in summer the number rises to 200+), and either side of what is still a track are Bedouin tents acting as cafes and rest areas for the divers. The Canyon too, seems overdived; worth doing, but probably best as a privately organised dive either before or after the commercially organised groups fill it up.

"Lovely dive, coral wall, sea bottom over 800m below, just a blue expanse below hence name. Several plaques to divers who died here at entry point. A bit scary to see but no need to be (apparently a tempting underwater arch at 55m has caught a few over adventurous divers out) no danger to well behaved divers and well worth a visit. Lots of fish life: parrot fish, trigger fish, lovely coral, exciting water entry!"
Gordon

"fantastic diving! Great for deep dives along coral wall. Not too touristy either."
Tal

"The Blue Hole has it's own magic - we are not sure how a 70 - 105 m deep crater (about 40 - 60 m in diameter) in a shore reef 5 m from the beach came into existance. That's not all. It has a washed out arch starting at 53 m below the surface, best dived around 60 to 65 m, just magic diving through on your back, like looking at a large bridge from underneath! The deep blue due to less sunlight, the sheer straight walls down, then the arch! Great! "
Wolfgang, 2008

"One of the best sites in the Red Sea "
Hesham Atia, 2009

The Canyon Depth: 50 m

Rating: 4 stars

One of the renowned dives of Dahab is the Canyon which starts at a round coral bowl - the fish bowl, with lots of glass fish, and descends as a tube down to around 50 m. The tube is has openings in the top at which provide access and escape at various depths. We dropped in through the top at a depth of 18-20 m into the canyon where the bottom was 30 m and progressed back up to the fish bowl.

"Nice underwater structure descending to 30 m with big mad fishball lurking inside. Enjoyable dive for AOW. "
Gordon

The Islands Depth: 18 m

The Islands are just south of the town and are formed by a coral table criss-crossed by gullies producing a very confused topography, and ideal for a shallow dive (17-18 m). Dolphins come close to shore and transit up and down the coast for week or two each year when the temperature drops in the winter. If not dolphins then you'll see schools of Yellowtail Barracuda and Twinspot Snapper.

Eel Garden

Named after the colony of eels that populates its sandy slopes. A gentle, shallow dive with schools of Barracuda and many hard and soft corals.

"Wonderful eels on a sandy floor. As you go forward on your dive they start to dive in the sand - words cannot describe the beauty. "
Hazem Hashem

Golden Blocks
clownfish

Rating: 4 stars

"Lots of nice fish life: turtles, lovely pipefish, cornet, trevally, lionfish, even a few squid. Nice snorkelling between dives. "
Gordon
 


Diving in Nuweiba

"Reflects the best the Red Sea is famous for. You can find everything Sharm el Sheikh is famous for without the hassle, cost and being one of 500 divers in the water! Excellent experience! Would strongly recommend! "
Christian Vohl, Germany, 2006

Ras Shaitan 15 m

Rating: 4 stars

"There is a stunning reef wall to 15 m, with a sandy slope and coral garden. Can find hundreds of nudibranches, rays ... and a guitar shark! "
Christian Vohl, Germany, 2006

Ras Mumlah 15 m

Rating: 4 stars

"One of the most stunning dives in my experience. A stunning coral garden with a spectacular drop off from 20 m to deeper than I have ventured! Many ravines, caves and chimneys, and hundreds of fish! "
Christian Vohl, Germany, 2006

"These were incredible wall dives with beautiful gorgonians and so many different corals, and a dropoff into the deep blue. I often saw turtles and families of Napoleon wrasses as well as many big fish passing by in the blue. "
Noelle Rucinski, USA, 2006

Ras Abu Galum 15 m

Rating: 4 stars

"Made 2 dives here, the first on a straight wall, with large groupers, snapper and jackfish, and large, colourful corals, and the second on a sandy plateau where we found 4 scorpion fish, amongst the corals, and saw a large, friendly turtle, One of my favorite dive sites! "
Christian Vohl, Germany, 2006

African Divers Housereef & Pipeline 15 m
softcoral

Rating: 4 stars

"Only a quick drive from the diving center, these are two of the most beautiful dives in Nuweiba. Housereef is a stunning coral garden with octopus and pegasus and clouds of anthias and basslets. Pipeline has an amazing amount of soft corals, lionfish, scorpionfish , and hidden treasures to be found in every crevice! There were also schools of large jacks and batfish that I'd never seen so close to shore. "
Noelle Rucinski, USA, 2006

Al Ma'agana 15 m

Rating: 4 stars

"This site begins with a seagrass bed with many funny little pipefish, and where a careful eye can spot beautiful, shy seahorses! There are several different dives to do at this one site, including exploring coral pinnacles where I saw over 30 nudibranches in one dive. On the reefs, there were huge zoanthids and we spotted octopuses and nudibranches, including spanish dancers, hidden amongst the coral. "
Noelle Rucinski, USA, 2006


Further Reading


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