Dahab is the ideal destination for a diving trip with friends or family. The small town which is an hour and a half from Sharm El Sheikh was originally a Bedouin encampment. It has long been the meeting place for backpackers and hippies, now it attracts many divers in a friendly atmosphere.
Dahab has kept a special atmosphere, unique on the shores of the Red Sea.
It enjoys a pleasant setting with the direct proximity of the Sinai and a few palm groves bordering the coast. You will have a superb view of the mountains of Saudi Arabia directly opposite, just 28km away. A diving stay in Dahab will allow you to discover superb diving sites, accessible from the shore, by jeep or camel. Other sites are more distant, such as Tiran or Ras Mohammed. The Blue Hole, the Straits of Tiran, Canyon, or the Bells are all dive sites, which will occupy your diving vacation.
Departing from Dahab, you can also go on a desert safari, a great way to combine diving and desert atmosphere.
Diving in Dahab
Diving at The Blue Hole
The Blue Hole is the most famous dive site in Egypt and the world of scuba diving travel. It is located 20 minutes from Dahab. It is accessible from the beach. We have set a Bedouin camp up around the entry points.
The Blue Hole is a vast underwater chasm, a hole in the reef, over 100m deep.
Sadly, also known for its dangerousness, many divers have lost their lives there.
You dive into the Blue Hole from the edge, but the dive usually begins at The Bells site, located a hundred yards away.
The Bells are a 30m deep chimney; we descend along the wall to come out in the blue. Then we drift along with a drop off to reach Saddle, an opening on the Blue Hole which is 7m away. Admire the life in the blue, jacks, sharks, turtles, or manta rays are frequent in this place.
Inside the Blue Hole, you can admire batfish and nudibranchs.
Inside the Blue Hole Pool, the currents can be violent.
Tek divers will reach The Arch, which is a tunnel that begins at a depth of 56m. They will have to travel about 26m to exit in the blue. This tunnel connects the blue hole to the ocean. The divers cannot do this technical dive without the right equipment and experience. Many divers have never found the entrance to the Arch or overestimated their ability to navigate this tunnel.
Recreational divers can also stay in the Blue Hole swimming pool and admire the divers who train.
Shore dives
Canyon. An earthquake is at the origin of the Canyon.It is a large crack covered with coral, with tunnels and caves. This dive site is extremely popular, it is north of Dahab, near the Blue Hole. A little further on, Fishbowl is a beautiful cave that has been closed to divers to allow the wildlife to roam in peace. Wrasse, rays, and lionfish are observed. Tec divers will continue diving at the bottom of the canyon.
Coral Garden is next to Canyon. It is a superb coral garden. The dive starts at the same place as Canyon and ends in a lagoon. We observe a beautiful fauna, anthias, “glassfish” or even crocodile fish.
Eel Garden. This site is awesome. The dive begins along with a drop-off. Then we arrive in a large area of beach where a multitude of garden eels seem to dance in time to catch the plankton. A little further, a school of barracudas watches over the place.
Lighthouse Reef is in front of Dahab, it is diving accessible to all levels. This spot is also immensely popular for night dives and snorkeling. We dive along a reef and around coral potatoes. Fauna is very present: napoleons, groupers, butterflyfish, crocodile fish, octopus, nudibranchs, and even Spanish dancers.
Islands. Easy, the place is immensely popular with snorkelers. Picasso, triggerfish, angelfish, napoleons, and turtles coexist to the delight of photographers.
Caves are located south of Dahab. Contrary to its name, you do not just dive into caves, but above stunning rock formations. The underwater architecture is incredibly beautiful, between sandy slopes, pinnacles, and small caves. There are nudibranchs, turtles, moray eels, and wrasse.
Gabr El Bint. 20km south of Dahab, the site is less frequented, and yet the place is magnificent. It offers 2 incredibly beautiful dives with beautiful underwater architecture. To the south, it is an enormous wall with a few caves, and to the north, a drop off covered with gorgonians. Trevally, turtles, eagle rays, nudibranchs, triggerfish, and dolphins inhabit the place.
Ras Abu Galum National Park
The beautiful Ras Abu Galum National Park is located 15km from Dahab. It is accessed by camel or by boat for the day. Access to the camel is fantastic, you will cross breathtaking landscapes to be welcomed in a Bedouin village.
Some diving centers offer stays of 2 days, one night to enjoy diving day and night, to sleep under the stars, and share the life of the Bedouins. Here we are extremely far from mass tourism and other spots along the Red Sea.
The dive begins slowly, then you arrive on steep walls, pinnacles, and coral potatoes. The underwater architecture is spectacular. Stay alert to the blue because the trevally, turtles, eagle rays, and manta rays roam around. Swarms of reef fish will accompany your dive.
For snorkelers, upon your arrival, a guide will show you the sites to explore.