AlSharm Reef

Top Dive Time

51-51Min

Distance

Skills

All Levels,

Site Features

Shipwreck, Snorkelling, Coral Garden, Plateau,

This area covers two exciting dives. The first offers advanced divers the chance to explore a fascinating shipwreck that has been slowly reclaimed by the sea. Meanwhile, further north, the second site features a beautiful reef littered with sea fans and coral gardens just 15–20m beneath the surface.

The ship that rests on the seabed is purportedly the SS Iona, a British warship lost during World War I. Researchers were able to identify the wreck due to its visible engine number, but how the ship met its fate is still unclear. Experienced divers can venture inside the ship, where much of the port side remains intact. Light permeates down from above, and you’ll likely see shoals of small silverside fish sheltering in the hull. The outside of the vessel has completely succumbed to its new maritime habitat and is covered in hard and soft coral and a myriad of colourful sponges.

The second dive site encompasses a spectacular drop-off, where a patchwork of hard and soft corals adorns the reef wall. The route descends to a depth of 19m, but even for those less confident, the splendour of this underwater paradise can still be fully appreciated from above. The visibility is excellent, and divers can expect to see titan trigger fish, tropical parrotfish and schools of vibrant anthias among the enchanting coral forests and hidden caverns. Large red and orange sea fans are also particularly notable here; their flat branches protrude from the coral, reaching out like hands as they sway gently in the current.

Best undertaken in the afternoon when lighting and sea conditions are at their most optimal, divers will be treated to a slice of history, followed by a glorious swim around some of the Red Sea’s most incredible coral pinnacles.

Silversides, part of the Atherinidae family, are distinguished by their unique silver stripes made of reflective scales. The fish use these to create a sudden flash that disorients potential predators, giving the silversides a chance to escape.