The Egyptian coastal town of Dahab, which is located in southern Sinai, is home to an unbelievable underwater paradise that offers both incredible vistas as well as a rich variety of marine life, some of which is found only in the Red Sea. Dahab itself is just about fifty miles from Sharm El Sheik, another of Egypt’s amazing dive epicenters. While the town of Dahab, which is ringed by barren-looking desert and mountains, has a bit of an undeveloped feel to it, there is a growing population of dive shops in the area which offer equipment rentals and charters, as well as guided tours from shore. Let’s take a few moments to explore the underwater riches of this growing desert community.
Area Diving Conditions
Divers frequent Dahab year round, thanks to the tropical underwater ecosystem and the balmy water temperatures, which range from seventy to eighty-two degrees Fahrenheit (21-28 degrees Celsius). In many places, the current can be swift – however, this makes for some incredible drift dive opportunities and provides pelagics with the conditions they need to thrive. When you dive in Dahab, you’re very likely to encounter plenty of these larger ocean-dwelling species, even if you stay fairly close to the shore. Be sure to check with local experts as you make your plans, since conditions do change seasonally. Never dive outside the range of your experience and expertise, and you will enjoy a safe, memorable diving experience!
Blue Hole
Dahab’s Blue Hole is, by far, one dive site that no one should miss. It offers beauty, challenge, and a once in a lifetime opportunity to explore the reefs and incredible underwater architecture that make it one of the world’s top diving destinations.
The Blue Hole is an underwater sinkhole, just twenty-five meters across. At its’ center, it is three hundred meters deep. While the upper reaches consist of a coral reef (fairly spoiled by careless snorkelers and divers inside at shallow depths, but thriving several meters below the surface and incredibly vibrant along the outer edges), the depths contain a feature called The Arch. The Arch is a deep, technical diver’s dream come true: one can enter it at about 55 meters, swim up and through it for twenty-six meters (often against the current) and exit into the deep outer ocean, emerging slowly up the wall of the outer reef. Experienced divers have lost their lives here, so please, only consider diving The Arch if you have the skill and knowledge to do so. Less experienced divers can enjoy the upper reaches of Blue Hole safely, and live to tell the tale!
The Canyon
The Canyon is a massive, nearly enclosed dive site that is comparable to a large, well-lighted cavern. It is entered through its widest point, which is at about twenty meters. As you swim through its curving reaches, you’ll be enchanted by the walls, which are about ten meters high and covered in beautiful life. When you emerge, you’ll be in a dome which is filled with coral and swirling masses of glassfish. The area is famous for its shallow, easy entry and exit points, as well as the coral gardens in the area, which are home to puffers, octopi, unicornfish, butterfly fish, and Red Sea anthias.
Gabr el Bint
Unlike many of Dahab’s dive sites, Gabr el Bint, which means “The Grave of the Girl” in Arabic, can only be accessed by boat. On its’ south side, a steep, coral adorned wall drops down to about sixty meters. This wall is textured with chasms and features overhangs and sandy ravines along the way. Gabr el Bint’s north side drops into a thriving gorgonian forest, which is home to glassfish and shoals of anthias. This dive brings you back up along a saddle and sand-bottomed ledge where eagle rays and turtles are often seen. Some lucky divers have even seen whale sharks at Gabr el Bint, so be sure to keep a sharp eye out for these gentle giants!
The Caves
These underwater caverns are easily accessed from shore and feature a reef with plentiful red anemone and anemone fish along its southern side. The site is entered by stepping off shore at an overhang that drops you down to just twelve meters. As you leave The Caves, you will be treated to a breathtaking view of Dahab’s deep, blue waters. The sandy bed in the area is home to garden eels, wrasse and pipefish, and the pinnacles in the vicinity are home to moray eels, lionfish and Napoleons, as well as turtles. Pufferfish doze inside the cave, which is really a giant overhang and not a traditional cave dive. Entry and exit can be a challenge due to waves on the surface, so this dive is recommended for divers in good physical condition.
The Islands
The Islands dive site includes a fantastic coral garden and some beautiful pinnacles, and with a maximum depth of just twenty meters and fantastic visibility that often reaches forty meters or more, combined with calm conditions, is a dive that anyone can enjoy. The area is home to plenty of small reef fish, including angel fish and glassfish. Watch for Napoleons among the huge brain corals, and keep an eye out for puffer fish in the rifts and rock formations.
Eel Garden
The Eel Garden dive site is both an enchanting eel garden and a healthy coral garden, and with a maximum depth of just thirty meters and visibility that averages thirty meters, this is a wonderful site for anyone – anyone who likes eels, that is! As you approach the eel garden, which lies in a big sandy area along a gradual slope, you will see the eels, which sway like hula dancers on the ocean floor. Watch for schooling barracuda, and enjoy the table coral, as well as the vibrant soft corals in the area.
Rick’s Reef
Rick’s Reef is just outside The Canyon and near the “fishbowl” which marks the end of the Canyon dive. This is a fairly easy drift dive along a healthy reef, with plenty of beautiful coral formations, nudibranchs, sea cucumbers, and a variety of visiting pelagics. This is a nice drift dive for less experienced divers, since the current tends to be mild and the maximum depth here is only twenty-five meters. Visibility in the area is normally astonishing and can sometimes exceed fifty meters. Divers enter the water from shore at the north end, and exit near the fishbowl to the south.
These are just some of Dahab’s most popular dives, and with the variety of sea life as well as the remarkable underwater vistas they offer, it is no wonder that these are also among the world’s top dive sites. Brush up on your skills, and head for the Red Sea – this is the adventure of a lifetime.