Diving in the Red Sea

The Red Sea is really a gulf (in the Indian Ocean) situated between Africa and Asia. It is connected to the Mediterranean Sea through the Suez Canal, and is the most northern tropical sea on Earth; hence Red Sea diving trips are popular with Europeans.

Having said this, as the Red Sea is habited by myriad species of tropical fish as well as numerous hard and soft corals, Red Sea scuba diving appeals to divers of all ages and levels of experience from all over the world.

What Do You Need to Know About the Red Sea?

The Red Sea washes the shores of many countries in the region: Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the Sudan, Eritrea and the Yemen. Its surface water temperature (70–77 °F/21–25 °C) and good visibility makes Red Sea diving an extremely pleasurable sensorial experience. Although many Red Sea diving areas are suitable for divers of all levels, some parts are subject to strong winds and currents. So if you are thinking of booking a Red Sea diving holiday it would pay to either take advice from your travel agent or speak to a recognised authority of Red Sea diving when you arrive (your hotel or diving center should be able to best advise you).

Why Take a Red Sea Diving Holiday?

There are some truly wonderful diving sites in this part of the world, which make a diving holiday Red Sea style a must. Eilat (Israel), is a good place to learn to dive or build on your current qualifications. There are several hostels/hotels in Eilat, which will organise for you not only a Red Sea scuba diving course and/or other general Red Sea diving excursions but will also offer you numerous excursions unrelated to your diving holiday.

Red Sea Diving in Egypt

Heading south into Egypt, the resorts of Sharm-El-Sheikh and Hurghada provide some of the best sites that Red Sea diving has to offer; some would say that a Red Sea diving holiday would not be complete without a visit to this part of the gulf.

Sharm-El-Sheikh offers the Ras Mohammed National Park which is a truly superb dive site, recognised as offering the ultimate Red Sea scuba diving experience and at the same time is considered one of the best areas to dive in the world. You will see the very best that Red Sea diving has to offer here; sharks, rays, dolphins, turtles, schools of barracuda and tuna as well as fantastic reefs and shelves littered with brightly coloured corals which provide the spectacles that make scuba diving so popular.

Hurghada, founded in the early part of the 20th century, was a small fishing village that has become an important tourist location offering many water sports; the Red Sea diving holiday being key due to its underwater “gardens” located just offshore. Hurghada also has a museum and aquarium, which can provide useful background knowledge to compliment your experience on the Red Sea diving “riviera”.

Red Sea Scuba Diving

In terms of a scuba holiday, Red Sea diving locations truly are some of the world’s most beautiful underwater places: in 1989 the Red Sea was named as one of the seven wonders of the underwater world. Consequently, whether you have dived before or not. a Red Sea holiday will be one of the best vacations you have had… so book early to avoid disappointment!