Scuba Diving
Dahab is a paradise for Diving, Snorkelling and Freediving. All along the Sinai coast stretches a wide barrier reef. Corals with canyons and caves make up the underwater geography of the Dahab region, including the Blue Hole and the Canyon. These waters are rich with sea life of many varieties.
Dahab is primarily a shore diving area with most of the dive sites being reachable by jeep. This allows you to easily find less dived spots, and makes many Dahab dives suitable for all levels of divers. Some of the sites are only accessible by camel, which makes an excellent days safari.
Sites highly recommended for diving are The Blue Hole, Ras abu Galum, The Canyon, Eel Garden, Coral Island, Moray Garden.
If you are a snorkeller looking for equipment, a qualified diver looking for guided fun dives or to further your dive training, or if you want to give this fantastic sport a try, Alaska Camp & Hotel can help you arrange everything.
Dahab is primarily a shore diving area with most of the dive sites being reachable by jeep. This allows you to easily find less dived spots, and makes many Dahab dives suitable for all levels of divers. Some of the sites are only accessible by camel, which makes an excellent days safari.
Sites highly recommended for diving are The Blue Hole, Ras abu Galum, The Canyon, Eel Garden, Coral Island, Moray Garden.
If you are a snorkeller looking for equipment, a qualified diver looking for guided fun dives or to further your dive training, or if you want to give this fantastic sport a try, Alaska Camp & Hotel can help you arrange everything.
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Blue Hole The most famous diving-spot in Dahab has to be the Blue Hole, situated 10 km north of the city centre. The Blue Hole was created by the separation of the two continental plates of the East African Great Rift Valley. With a diameter of 100 metres and a depth of +200 metres, The Blue Hole is great for snorkelling, diving and freediving. |
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At 55-60 metres you will find the famous archway, which leads to the open sea. Not to be attempted by anyone other than the most experienced technical divers!!!Due to its location, The Blue Hole is sheltered in a small bay and doesn't suffer much from the windy weather conditions. Visibility remains clear under almost all weather conditions. Access to the water is made easy by walkway from the shore. This very popular site can be visited by jeep within 30 minutes of Dahab city centre.
Eel Garden
As the name suggests, a trip to the "Eel Garden" will reveal the hundreds of sand eels living here. The eels, which look like shiny silver ribbons, stick their heads out of a sandy slope, swaying in the current, vanishing into the sand as soon as you come too close.
As the name suggests, a trip to the "Eel Garden" will reveal the hundreds of sand eels living here. The eels, which look like shiny silver ribbons, stick their heads out of a sandy slope, swaying in the current, vanishing into the sand as soon as you come too close.
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The constant moving of the eels and the sliding slope give you the feeling of being on a different planet. Apart from the eels there is a wide array of aquatic life and wonderful coral, among which is an L-shaped pinnacle with overhanging soft coral, usually surrounded by fish.
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Eel garden is best snorkelled and dived at high tide and with little wind. The entry/exit in the lagoon is lovely, but on windy days there can be a strong current.
The Canyon
The Canyon is one of Dahab's most amazing natural phenomenons and one of its most memorable dive sites.
A narrow crack in the seabed at 18m marks the main opening into the canyon. Once through the crack, you float down to the 30m bottom
of a cavern.
The Canyon is one of Dahab's most amazing natural phenomenons and one of its most memorable dive sites.
A narrow crack in the seabed at 18m marks the main opening into the canyon. Once through the crack, you float down to the 30m bottom
of a cavern.
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Looking down, the sloping bottom disappears into the darkness and only the technical divers can experience the full blackness before reaching the exit at around 50m.
Snaking its way up from the depths, the Canyon emerges in a glassfish filled coral dome – the Fish Bowl. The opening of the Fish Bowl lies at around 12 metres. |
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From the outside and in, the canyon has the appearance of the fluted mouth of a clam shell, and is a sight not to me missed. The Canyon dive site offers an easy entry and exit point through a shallow, sandy lagoon. This leads out to beautiful coral gardens and drop-off, which can only be fully explored after several visits.
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Lighthouse
The "Lighthouse" is known as the training-site of Dahab but is still one of the best dive sites in town. Due to its sandy slope, the site is ideal for beginner divers and snorkellers, revealing some large and beautiful coral pinnacles. |
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The reef itself goes along a rocky point, with a mirage of soft and hard corals. The aquatic life at the Lighthouse is amazingly varied. You can find turtles, damselfish, clownfish, stonefish, lionfish, morays, rays, and a huge number of unicorn fish here. Even dolphins have been spotted here….
Islands
This site got its name from the two big coral islands just offshore, and has one of the largest selections of coral in the area - around 130 coral-types - including the biggest brain/cabbage coral around Dahab.
This site got its name from the two big coral islands just offshore, and has one of the largest selections of coral in the area - around 130 coral-types - including the biggest brain/cabbage coral around Dahab.
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Apart from living coral, the site also has some interesting 'broken coral'. A few years ago there was an earthquake that made some of the pinnacles break off.
Nowadays, that fallen coral gives a marvellous effect at what is called 'the bone yard'. One of the exits of the site is a small and narrow tunnel at a depth of two meters. Lovely, but not recommended for anyone with claustrophobia! |
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The "Islands" is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful sites in Dahab where plenty of big groupers, glittering anthias, glassfish, napoleons, lion fish and barracudas are to be seen. Not to be missed!
