Despite being the largest country in Africa, Sudan’s turbulent history has rendered it invisible on most tourist maps. But for those who discover a stretching coastline of 400 miles along the Red Sea, they will also discover the amazing and uncrowded dive sites that accompany it.
Diving in Sudan is a relief from the busy sites of Egypt; in Sudan, divers will often feel as though they are alone in the water. Although accommodations aren’t typically as luxurious as some of Sudan’s Red Sea neighbors, the divers who’ve made it to Sudan have noted that it was well worth the extra red tape to get there.
Most divers flock to Sudan to see the big pelagics–namely, sharks. The word about Sudan’s great shark dive sites are only beginning to getting out, and Sudan is opening up more for divers to experience pelagic diving in a new setting. Here, sharks cruise the waters amidst beautiful coral backdrops and sandy bottoms, unlike the rocky and craggy sites elsewhere in the world where shark diving takes place. In the North of Sudan, the dive sites are excellent for witnessing hammerhead sharks, white-tip reef sharks, gray reef sharks, barracudas, and the occasional manta ray.
Specifically, the Sudanese coast is divided into two parts by the town of Port Sudan–North and South. Port Sudan is the beginning of most or all dive trips, which are accessible from dive operators there or from liveaboards. The northern part is where the most popular dive sites are located, and most safari boats will offer a northern tour. The visibility on the Northern part is spectacular, far better than dive sites to the south where plankton and desert storms take over and makes dive sites cloudy with reduced visibility. Famous dive sites like Shaab Rumi, Sanganeb and Angarosh (“mother of all sharks”) are highlights at the northern route. The Umbria wreck, which is actually next to Port Sudan, is one of the best Red Sea wrecks.
If you make it to Sudan, here’s a bit about what to expect from the clear waters of the dive sites to the north of Port Sudan. The sites are mostly reef and wreck dives, although currents at certain times of the year can make some of these drift dives as well.
Shaab Rumi Reef is situated at around 30 miles (48 km) from Port Sudan. A beautiful lagoon is accessible by boat through a narrow passage. Shaab Rumi is undoubtedly the Red Sea’s most diverse and most spectacular reef. The southern site of Shaab Rumi is the most popular, probably because Jacques Cousteau made it so with his underwater experiments. Marine life such as damselfish, barracuda, tuna, batfish and gray reef sharks move through the plateau situated at 25 meters deep (80 feet). The eastern side is very deep. The stronger currents invite big gorgonians and shoals of fish. There are also sharks cruising here and the occasional manta. On the northern plateau of Shaab Rumi, white and blue corals can be seen at shallow dive depths, with rainbow-colored soft corals from 12-30 meters and hammerhead shark silhouettes can be seen in the canal between the pinnacles.
For a combination wreck and reef dive, visit the Shaab Suadi Reef and Blue Belt Wreck - one of a few combo sites. This reef is seven miles long, running parallel to the coast and formed by a large number of reefs. The main attraction for divers is the wreck of The Blue Belt, which is marked by a part of a cargo truck placed 300 feet south of the wreck. And, just eight miles north of Shaab Suadi divers can find Gurna Reef. The surrounding water is deep and big pelagics are patrolling. Water currents can be strong especially at the north and east end of the reef, but it’s also the reason a diver can enjoy the lovely corals and all kinds of different sharks. On the north plateau, diving begins around just a meter and the walls plunge to depths of 50 meters.
Another combination wreck and reef site lies just over one mile south-west of Angarosh, where liveaboard boats can visit Merlo Reef. This reef is a kind of seamount and the bottom of the sea surrounding this reef is deep, at about 450 m. The wreck of the liveaboard dive boat Freedom can be seen on this reef. The ship sunk after a navigation mistake in 1999. Other highlights at Merlo Reef include hammerhead and gray reef sharks, moray eels, and coral blocks that hide white-tip reef sharks.
Perhaps the mother of all reefs, however, has to do with the large visitors Angarosh takes care of. Translated to mean “mother of all sharks,” this reef has become renowned for meeting sharks during certain seasons of the year. The reef’s plateau starts at 18 meters and slopes down to depths of about 40 meters.
Other reefs to explore include Mesharifa, Quita ‘el Banna, and Jazirat Mayteb. The distance between the Sudanese coast and Mesharifa is only four miles. This triangular island is situated at the western border of a couple of islands. The reef is 800 m long and mainly orientated in northern direction. The dive site has no currents at all, and manta rays are often seen in certain seasons. The Qita ‘el Banna reef wall and pinnacle dive site is excellent for discovering both hard and soft corals. Dive depths range from 15-70 meters, and currents can be strong. White tip sharks and barracudas frequent the site. Jazirat Mayteb is divided into two islands. At the eastern wall the water is very deep; up to 300 m (nearly 1,000 feet). This is an interesting reef because deep drop off walls can be dived as well as more profound and shallower parts of the reef. Marine life includes corals and glassfish. It’s also great for night diving.
Located off the Sudanese coast, 22 kilometers southeast of Ras Abu Shajarah, the Abington Reef is the final stop along the northern diving region in Sudan. The triangular reef is a seamount with plateaus at all corners and is marked by a small lighthouse built on a concrete plateau. Depending the time of year different species of sharks can be seen on the northern plateau, the south wall, and western plateau. Dive depths range from 15-25 meters, and the reef is surrounded by extremely deep water of about 500 meters.
Although diving in Sudan may sound a bit daunting because of the on-land situations, the trek is well worth the extra effort to see the peaceful and majestic underwater happenings. For now, the isolation makes the destination inviting, and what lies beneath the surface only makes the journey to Sudan a well-appreciated one.