Imagine the thrill of successfully diving what has come to be known as “The World’s Most Dangerous Dive Site”, and living to tell the tale. Divers do it every day. Could you become one of them?
Dahab’s Blue Hole: Underwater Topography
Dahab’s Blue Hole is an incredible submarine sinkhole on the Red Sea’s East Sinai, just a few kilometers to the north of Dahab. This is a popular shore dive, and a popular place for snorkeling, as well. When you arrive, you’ll see Bedouin facilities where you can get food and drinks.
The entryways and exits to Blue Hole are well marked, and there is a wooden pier off to one side, which is where most people make their entrance. This leads out into the shallows, which extends toward the center of the Blue Hole, which is just about twenty-five meters across. There is a sudden drop off at the edges of the inner reef, which extend to a depth of 130 meters. The outer edges of the reef end in steep walls that drop to below 800 meters.
Inside the blue hole, there is a well-known tunnel, called “The Arch”, which extends for twenty-six meters, ending in the open sea. The top of the arch is at 52 meters; however, divers must descend to about 55 meters in order to pass through it. It is angled, so it is hard to see the opening until you are on top of it. The walls of the arch extend to the blue hole’s floor, and the arch in its entirety can be viewed from a depth of about 80 meters. This is because the roof of the arch slopes up and out toward the open sea, and the only light that enters it comes from the ocean side of the blue hole.
There is also an opening at about six meters, which is called “The Saddle”. This opens into the sea as well, and is not nearly so dangerous as the Arch. This is a good way to get to the outer Blue Hole reef, which is astonishing. The upper area of the interior of the blue hole is a reef and at shallow depths, the coral is damaged and mostly dead. Deeper down, along the interior, the reef is alive and well.
Finally, Blue Hole has a third prominent feature, which is really an alternate entryway to the outer walls. This is an underwater chimney called “The Bells”. Some say it is so named, because as you pass through, your tanks can collide with the narrow walls, making a sound like a bell ringing. The Bells is accessed via a gap in the rocky shoreline to the north of Blue Hole, which opens into a pool so small that only one diver at a time can enter. Upon entry, divers drop down to a depth of thirty meters, then come out along the outside wall. That outer wall is a sheer drop to 800 meters, so watch your depth carefully. Most people who enter the area via the bells come back into the blue hole by crossing the saddle, then making their way back to shore across the top of the blue hole. Currents here make for a great drift dive most of the time; however, they can be strong at times so this is a dive not recommended for amateurs.
Marine Life
The inside of the blue hole is home to plentiful fish, as well as reef sharks, some anemone and clownfish, and the occasional barracuda. The outer edges are much more alive, with schooling trevally, barracuda, jacks, and more grey and white tipped reef sharks, as well as Manta rays. There are also occasional sea turtle sightings in the area. The coral is in great shape on the outside of the reef, and there are rare red anemones at about ten meters. Black coral decorates the wall, which has numerous crevices and miniature caves. You don’t have to dive down very far to enjoy drifting with the current and watching Spanish dancers as they sway in rhythm with the ocean’s pulse.
Be Aware of the Dangers
Needless to say, both The Bells and The Arch are dives that require plenty of technical skill as well as a modicum of strength to dive successfully. Egypt’s government places diver death toll at about forty, but local experts say that the number of diver fatalities is much higher. If you want to choose the safer of these two thrilling dives, go with the bells, as it is much shorter, well lit, and within recreational limits.
There are plaques along the shoreline that pay tribute to some of the divers who have died while attempting to navigate the Blue Hole, and who have not been recovered. Their bodies are still in the ocean here, and have been seen by deep divers that have made the descent to the black depths of Blue Hole’s floor.
The entrance to The Arch is located well beyond PADI’s maximum depth for recreational diving, which is forty meters. Do not attempt to navigate the arches unless you have deep diving and technical diving experience AND the right equipment. Many of the divers who have succumbed to the temptation to do this dive unprepared were qualified, yet, were overconfident and lacked the right equipment.
Diving The Arch’s depths requires redundant large capacity buoyancy control and redundant gas supply (trimix is recommended). Nitrox is not recommended, as the risk of nitrogen narcosis increases with depth, and that alone can make the dive a deadly one. Divers that succumb to narcosis may feel as though they can make it through the arch, and they end up losing their way, since the depths are dark and there is no point of reference out toward the center of the hole, away from the walls. In addition, some divers have missed the tunnel entry and continued their descent in hopes of finding the walls of entry at a greater depth.
This underwater feature is also subject to strong currents, which make the twenty-six meter swim to the open sea an even more hazardous one. It takes longer than you might expect it to, and once you are in open water, you must creep back up, find the saddle or another safe spot to enter the inner reef, and get back to shore. Making this challenging dive is an accomplishment, to be sure – but, it is not without its risks. By staying within your limits, you can enjoy a safe, memorable dive into Dahab’s Blue Hole.