Sharm El-Sheikh Attractions
Description
Venue: Sharm El-Sheikh When: Daily
Sharm El Sheikh is one of Egypt's two premier dive sites and spreads across 74km (40 nautical miles) of open sea between the tip of Ras Muhammad and the Egyptian mainland at Hurghada.
The isolated reefs, big tidal movement and lack of intensive fishing make for perfect reef diving conditions and the area boasts an extraordinary collection of marine life. Aside from the startling variety and colour of the reef species, there are sharks (including Hammerheads), sea turtles and dolphins. In fact, these reefs offer divers the best opportunity to swim with the dolphins in the northern Red Sea. The coral is also in excellent condition.
Arguably the real highlights are the wreck dives; a legacy of the maritime trade that has flowed through these waters for millennia. The wrecks are well preserved and accessible and litter the seabed across the entrance to the gulf of Suez. Ships include 19th-century mail steamers, modern cargo ships and historic spice traders.
Whilst most sites are accessible by a day trip from the shore, to make the most of the area go for a live-aboard trip and take in a few of the sites. All of the many operators in the town organise trips from one night on board to seven.
The Red Sea was created over 40 million years ago when shifting tectonic plates split the Arabian Peninsula from what we know as North Africa. Relatively isolated and surrounded by desert, it has developed its own endemic Indo-Pacific marine life and contains the northernmost fully-developed reef system on the planet, with more than 1000 different fish and over 200 coral species. The range and breadth of dive sites is breathtaking; from beautiful technicolour coral gardens to deep vertical walls and intact wrecks from back through the ages.
The conditions are better for diving throughout the summer, with perfect visibility, water temperatures in the upper twenties and air temperature nudging into the forties, so take plenty of sunscreen. Diving does continue through the winter and the water conditions remain good if a little cold, while the boat trips can get a little rough.
Sharm El Sheikh is one of Egypt's two premier dive sites and spreads across 74km (40 nautical miles) of open sea between the tip of Ras Muhammad and the Egyptian mainland at Hurghada.
The isolated reefs, big tidal movement and lack of intensive fishing make for perfect reef diving conditions and the area boasts an extraordinary collection of marine life. Aside from the startling variety and colour of the reef species, there are sharks (including Hammerheads), sea turtles and dolphins. In fact, these reefs offer divers the best opportunity to swim with the dolphins in the northern Red Sea. The coral is also in excellent condition.
Arguably the real highlights are the wreck dives; a legacy of the maritime trade that has flowed through these waters for millennia. The wrecks are well preserved and accessible and litter the seabed across the entrance to the gulf of Suez. Ships include 19th-century mail steamers, modern cargo ships and historic spice traders.
Whilst most sites are accessible by a day trip from the shore, to make the most of the area go for a live-aboard trip and take in a few of the sites. All of the many operators in the town organise trips from one night on board to seven.
The Red Sea was created over 40 million years ago when shifting tectonic plates split the Arabian Peninsula from what we know as North Africa. Relatively isolated and surrounded by desert, it has developed its own endemic Indo-Pacific marine life and contains the northernmost fully-developed reef system on the planet, with more than 1000 different fish and over 200 coral species. The range and breadth of dive sites is breathtaking; from beautiful technicolour coral gardens to deep vertical walls and intact wrecks from back through the ages.
The conditions are better for diving throughout the summer, with perfect visibility, water temperatures in the upper twenties and air temperature nudging into the forties, so take plenty of sunscreen. Diving does continue through the winter and the water conditions remain good if a little cold, while the boat trips can get a little rough.
Sharm El-Sheikh Information
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Looking for things to do around Sharm El-Sheikh? Here are some of the events and attractions happening in the area.
| South Sinai Camel Festival |
May 2009 (annual) Sharm El Sheikh |
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