Declared
in 1983 and subjected to a comprehensive development
program initiated in 1989, the Ras Mohammed National
Park has since become an essential feature to
the economic development on South Sinai.Coral
reef ecosystems found in the National Park are
recognized internationally as among the world's
best. This recognition is based primarily
on the diversity of flora and fauna, clear, warm
water devoid of pollutants, their proximity to
shorelines and their spectacular vertical profile.
The reef exists as an explosion of color and life
in stark contrast to the seemingly barren desert
adjacent to it. In reality, the desert is
rich in fauna, mainly nocturnal. These ecosystems
are intrinsically linked and thus must be managed
as a single unit.
Facts about dive:
This site lies at the mouth of Mersa Berekia,
the large shallow bay that nearly separates
Ras Muhammad itself from the Sinai mainland.
The reef follows the shoreline at the bay's
northern point; a sheer but shallow inshore
wall gives way to a sloping, patchy reef face
below about 15m.
It's hardly worth listing the vast array of
coral at this site - if it exists in the Red
Sea, you'll find here. Fish life is abundant
all across the reef in a riot of scintillating
color. This is possibly the nicest spot on the
southern coast for small reef species.
Unlike the popular, but overcrowded sites, such
as Shark Reef, this superb site is not visited
by hordes of divers each day, so its delicate
beauty has been preserved.
Access to the
dive: By shore, or by local or live-aboard
boat from Sharm El Sheikh, Naama Bay or other ports.
Conditions: Generally easy; some currents possible.
Facts about dive:
The reef at this site is similar but more contoured
than Ras Ghozlani, with many cracks and fissures,
some forming small caves which can be entered.
There is a reasonable range of coral species,
both hard and soft and a large-scale growth
of xeniid soft corals. Coral quality is generally
good, but suffers from silting and sandfall,
particularly to the north. Fish life is excellent
with a dense and diverse fish population that
outshines Ras Ghozlani.
The rich selection of Red Sea fishes makes the
site a real attraction, and more than compensates
for the somewhat lacklustre condition of the
coral.
Access to the
dive: By shore, or by local or live-aboard
boat from Sharm El Sheikh, Naama Bay or other ports.
Conditions: Generally easy, but visibility can be
poor due to sediment. Experience grade: Everyone
Facts
about dive:
This site, also called Fisherman's Bank
or Stingray Alley, begins on a sheer wall.
The early section of the wall is very
porous, with lots of small holes and crevices,
and boasts a couple of penetrable caves,
each featuring separate exit and entrence
holes. Proceeding southward, the wall
gives way to a sandy plateau at around
20m, well covered with coral heads and
outcrops. After widening out considerably,
this plateau narrows at its southern end
to form a small channel or alley. Further
out from the wall, a second, deeper plateau
can be found. Coral growth is good overall
and the fish population is excellent,
with plenty of the jacks and stingrays
that give the site at least two of its
names and all the usual reef fish.
Access
to the dive: By shore, or by local
or live-aboard boat from Sharm El Sheikh, Naama
Bay or other ports. Conditions: Wind waves and currents can
all be strong making access tricky.
Experience grade: Everyone
Facts about dive:
The site stretches from the foot of the observatory
cliff in the north, across the mouth of a shallow
box-shapedinlet, to the beginning of the Anemone
City to the south. There are two possible shore
entry points, one inside the inlet and a second
in the small cove at the foot of the cliff -
both can be reached by road. In the past, it
was possible to see sharks here just by looking
down from the clifftop but with the advent of
dive tourism and its attendant boat traffic,
the sharks have mostly moved on. The site is
a vertical wall, slopint outwards at its foot.
The rugged profile is most dramatic in the northern
section, where the reef face is especially contoured,
with fissures, inlets and crevices to explore.
Coral growth is good with lots of variety among
both soft and stony species. The steep profile
does not encourage dense populations of smaller
reef species, so quality and quantity of fish
are somewhat dependent on currents and the pelagic
life they encourage. Jacks, barracuda and occasional
grey or blacktip shark liven things up when
the current is running; snapper, surgeons and
unicorns are present in schools of varying size,
and larger reef fish such as big grouper and
napoleons are usually on hand. Divers should
be careful of the strong currents which are
common in this area and those who enter from
shore should be doubtly cautious. Once beyond
the point to the north, there is no shore exit
point - do not round the point if current could
prevent you from returning to the exit point.
Access to the
dive: By shore, or by local or live-aboard
boat from Sharm El Sheikh, Naama Bay or other ports.
Conditions: Strong currents can cause problems, especially
for shore access. Experience grade: Everyone
Facts about dive:
Anemone City is one of the nicest sites in the
Ras Muhammad area. The reef is steeply sloping,
cut by deep bays and inlets. The sharply angled
profile is broken by a number of plateaux or
large shelves, on which densley grown pinnacles
and coral heads stand. Coral growth is very
rich, particularly on the portion of the reef
streching to the right from the shore entry
point, in the direction of Shark Reef.
There are of course huge numbers of anemone,
with attendant anemonefish. The site also boasts
some prolific fish life, particularly in the
mornings when the site is bustling with activity.
Near the surface, barracuda and silvery needlefish
hang patiently in the water.
Shore access, from a parking area at the edge
of the shallow inshore bay, can be rather tiring
at low tide, as it involves crossing the shallows
in the bay; the easiest route is along the left
edge of the bay as you face the sea.
Access to the dive: By shore,
or by local or live-aboard boat from Sharm El Sheikh,
Naama Bay or other ports.
Conditions: Some strong currents and mild downdirfts,
shore entry can involve a long wade. Experience grade: Everyone
Facts about dive:
When divers think of Sinai, they think of Shark
Reef and Jolanda. The two reefs are actually
the twin peaks of a single coral seamount rising
just off the Ras Muhammad coast, separated from
the mainland by a shallow channel.
Shark Reef, the easternmost of the two, boasts
a sheer wall dropping to well past 50m along
its northeast and easteren sides, giving way
to a steep reef slope as the reef proceeds southwest
toward Jolanda. A shallow saddle lies between
the two reefs at 18 to 20m.. This second flat
patch is the site of what remains of the Jolanda,
a wrecked freighter; the ship itself slipped
into the deep in 1986 after a severe storm,
but much of its cargo remains, incogrously stewn
across the reef.
Coral is excellent, with good sparse growth
on the wall sections and dense coral gardens
on the shallower flat areas. Big pelagic and
schooling fish swam these reefs in their thousands
- the most impressive concentration is on the
wall at Shark Reef. Big sharks of many species
- hammerheads, gerys and blacktips among them
- can be seen in the blue, particularly off
the northeast corner of Shark Reef. On the reef
hundreds of diverent reef fishes can be spotted
as can moray eels of a metre and bluespotted
and blackspotted stingrays.
As a boat dive, the two reefs are normally done
as a drift, with the boat collecting you from
the shallows beyond Jolands; this alleviates
many of the current-related problems common
here. You can also dive the site from shore,
entering at Anemone City and swimming across
the channel to Shark Reef; this should only
be attempted if current is manageable, and extreme
care should be taken to conserve enough air
for the return trip. Shore entry option is inadvisable
if you are not a strong swimmer.
Access to the
dive: By shore, or by local or live-aboard
boat from Sharm El Sheikh, Naama Bay or other ports.
Conditions: Very strong currents are common. Experience grade: Everyone