Land Based Diving In Egypt

[Bookworm11]

Dahab wasn't one of the "fishiest" places I've been to, but I dove there for a week and enjoyed it enough to want to go back. I saw the only dwarf lion fish I've ever seen, I had a very long encounter with an octopus, I saw the eels at Eel garden, and I could look at those big sea anemones and pillars or crol for a long time. Plus now I'm AOW and can go into the Canyon and the Blue Hole.

 

[Valerii Vakshul]

Dahab wasn't one of the "fishiest" places I've been to, but I dove there for a week and enjoyed it enough to want to go back. I saw the only dwarf lion fish I've ever seen, I had a very long encounter with an octopus, I saw the eels at Eel garden, and I could look at those big sea anemones and pillars or crol for a long time. Plus now I'm AOW and can go into the Canyon and the Blue Hole.

Get a Deep Diver Certificate. Go to Abu Talha. Stand in the center of the crater and slowly dive to the bottom. And let your partner take a photo of you in the center of the crater with a flashlight in his hand.

 

[LFMarm]

Dahab is very nice for technical diving – canyons, arch, caves.
For recreational diving, I prefer Ras Mohammed and Tiran which are both short boat rides from Sharm. There are deep canyons and wrecks in both Ras Mohammed and Tiran but most boats will focus on recreational diving.

 

[Bookworm11]

Well, I will be doing boat dives this trip to Dahab. Boat dives are easier for me as I've got a dicey ankle that has a hard time with the shore dives with rocks and wavy entrances. And i was already thinking of getting deep dive certified anyway.

 

[Mobulai]

Dahab does have „fishies“ and marine life; it’s a matter of timing and luck (April-June is the best as Dahab is more of a nursery than the big open sea)

Here’s a lucky encounter by a friend at Morray Garden (just west of lighthouse) from last month
(SB doesn’t like IG links, click to follow externally)


Of course „islands“ is the most plentiful; but I’ve seem dolphins at the bluehole (not as lucky we have just come out of the water) and big tunas at the arch entrance (that’s a pretty tech dive to be fair)

Once you venture more into the more open sea at lighthouse (the most overrun site) you can see rays and huge napoleon fish

But for sure it doesn’t compare to RasMohammed or Marsa Alam/Shagara

Gabr El Bint is a fantastic spot btw, most likely one of the boat dives you’ll do in Dahab

 

[Lu Y]

A friend went to Marsa Alam recently and said the reefs south of Marsa Alam are in very poor condition, have not recovered from the bleaching that took place last summer. Has anyone visited recently and have a view on whether it's still worth going?

 

[Parlem]

A friend went to Marsa Alam recently and said the reefs south of Marsa Alam are in very poor condition, have not recovered from the bleaching that took place last summer. Has anyone visited recently and have a view on whether it's still worth going?

Hi! I did a "South & St. John's" route in April this year and some sites were dismal (for instance Abu Dabab) while others were ok. Just ok, though. Only you can decide if it's worth the trouble.

 

[Mobulai]

Only you can decide if it's worth the trouble.

Absolutely, for me (as an Egyptian living in cold Germany) it’s— but that’s not a diving based decision
Still heartbreaking

 

[Jai Bar]

Dahab is an excellent choice for shore dives: varied dive sites, easily accessible, colorful reefs, walls and lots of fish. It IS not the Maldives or Philippines, though. You most likely won't see whale sharks, mantas and stuff like that. But the dives are magnificent.

And as already mentioned, Camel trek to dive in Ras Abu Galum is a nice variation: Where else will you ride across the desert on a camel toting two scuba tanks and do a couple of wonderful dives?

Gabr El Bint is a short boat ride from Dahab but one its best dive sites.

Another option that I would consider, is daily boat from Sharm El Sheikh to the Straits of Tiran and/or Ras Mohamed. In my opinion the best dives.

 

[Christian]

thank you...how does the diving there compare to places like Philippines, Hawaii, Maldives.

Shagra is just one place/dive centre in Egypt, so a bit unfair to compare it to a whole country like Philippines, Hawaii or the Maldives. But it’s better diving than a lot of the diving in mentioned countries and not as good as some of the diving in mentioned countries. It is typical Red Sea diving with extremely easy access to the reef. They offer true unlimited diving on your own (with buddy)—diver freedom—on the house reef. A very good house reef with rays, turtles, moray eels and lots of fish and healthy coral that grow from the shallows in a couple of metres down to 40+ metres some hundred metres out. Deep sea reef Elphinstone (hammerheads not unusual on north point in July) accessible with high speed ribs twice every morning (7&10). Weekly day trips from sister camp Nakari to see dolphins in Sataya Reef. Then land excursions to do shore dives along h the he coast north and south. Highly recommended for easy access and ”minding your own business” at your own pace.