Sample Destination....

Red Sea, Egypt (Ras Muhammed -Sharem location)

The site stretches from the foot of the observatory cliff in the north, across the mouth of a shallow box-shaped inlet, to the beginning of the Anemone City in the south. There are two possible shore entry points, one inside the inlet and the 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 cliff top but with the advent of dive tourism and its attendant boat traffic, the sharks have mostly moved on.

The site is a vertical wall, sloping 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 the occasional gray 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 doubly 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.

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 (164ft) along its northeast and eastern 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 (60-65ft). A second shallow patch lies south of Jolanda. 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, incongruously strewn across the reef.

Coral is excellent, with good if sparse growth on the wall sections and dense coral gardens on the shallower flat areas. Big pelagics and schooling fish swarm these reefs in the thousands. The Most impressive concentration is on the wall at Shark Reef. On the reef, hundreds of different reef fishes can be spotted as can moray eels of a meter (3ft) 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 Jolanda. This alleviates many of the current related problems common here. You can also dive the site form 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.

Shark Bay is a small bay that is located north of Na'ama Bay. This bay consists of a rugged shoreline that drops down below the surface to a sandy canyon.  There are many crevices that contain numerous soft corals and many red fish. The red fish, which are called "lyretail coralfish", are said by some divers to be the reason it is called the Red Sea. The reef is very beautiful, but you might take a look out into the blue waters every now and then. You might see a barracuda, a spotted eagle ray, or a shark, for which the bay was named.

This site, lying just in front of the Shark Bay Camp and Dive Center, is sloping reef broken by a large sandy area which houses the dive center's jetty and boat area.  To the south, the reef has a moderate slope and is well covered in coral.  North of the jetty is a shallow area good for relaxed snorkeling.

Directly in front of the sandy shore entry point, a deep canyon drops through the reef.   Its mouth lies at the foot of the reef wall forming the sand slope's southern edge.   The canyon's steep and sandy floor descends rapidly to depths of 60m (197ft) and more.

Exiting the canyon, you can explore the moderately sloping reef to the south, gradually ascending before turning back to the north.  This section shows dense growth of both hard and soft corals, although less pristine than at some places along this coast.   Fish life is diverse and interesting, with angels, parrotfish, grouper, wrasse and morays among the attractions on the reef, and rays and flatfish lying on the sandy entry slope

The typical depth range of Shark Bay is from 30 to 85 feet. It is accessed by a boat dive or a local guide. The expertise required for this area is novice to advanced

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