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Dive like an Egyptian
There are a handful of places every scuba diver wants to visit before they die- Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and the islands of the Caribbean for example- but most of the best known global diving and snorkelling destinations are getting very busy and very expensive too. Over the last few years underwater sports enthusiasts have been seeking out new places to explore. Dive resorts have sprung up from Thailand to South Africa. Even Iceland has a small but thriving dive tourism industry these days.
One place that is fast becoming recognised for warm water, good conditions, and stunning wildlife is the Egyptian Red Sea Coast. For many European divers it’s the closest really warm water, and without warm water you just don’t get the variety of beautifully colored fish that make the tropical coral reefs such a tremendous pleasure to visit. Even at the coldest time of year, the waters in this part of the world are about 20C or 68F. For comparison, the waters off the southern coast of the UK don’t get that warm at the height of summer. Sea temperatures off Scotland are rarely more than 12C or 13C.
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The tropical color is a big drawcard for those more used to blue tones, but the Red Sea Coast is also home to some very large marine animals. Mantas are the world’s largest rays, and can span 25ft or more than 7.5m across. Even the shadow of a manta ray cruising along the sea floor is an unforgettable sight, although they are completely harmless. As plankton feeders they’re incapable of taking a bite out of a human. Egypt’s Sharm El Sheik is one of the very best places to see these magnificent creatures, and it draws hopeful divers from all over the world.
Visibility is another key consideration for anyone who wants to see what’s going on under the surface, and the Red Sea has plenty to offer here too. Wave action is generally quite limited. This keeps visibility high and most of the popular dive sites. It’s always worth carrying an underwater camera and the gentle waters also mean that the area is a great place for beginner divers or those who aren’t confident in heavy conditions. You can, of course, learn to dive while on holiday too.
There are sharks off Egypt’s Red Sea coast. Most divers consider an encounter with a silky shark or a whitetip as something to be celebrated rather than feared. It has to be said that there have been a few nasty interactions between people and sharks in the waters around Sharm El Sheik but there are usually only about 10 fatal shark attacks per year across the whole globe, so they shouldn’t be considered terrible predators- in the vast majority of cases sharks have no more interest in human divers and snorkelers than manta rays do.
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In total, it’s estimated that there are about 200 different species of coral to be found in the Red Sea and more than 1000 different fish species, 200 of which are found nowhere else in the world. Above the water, there are white sandy beaches and warm sun to enjoy. As a destination for diving (or even for those interesting in trying scuba for the first time), the Red Sea is fantastic.
Jess Spate has been a certified diver since her mid-teens, and still loves it. She is also a rock climber, a surfer, and editor of Outdoor Equipment Online.
