Ras Mohammed National Park holds the northernmost mangrove stand in the Eastern Hemisphere and coral reefs that drop 800 metres into the Suez Rift.
Established in 1983 as Egypt's first marine reserve, the park sits where the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba converge, creating nutrient upwellings that sustain over 220 coral species and 1,000 fish species. The park's Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef form a submerged saddle where pelagic currents carry barracuda, jackfish, and occasional hammerheads past walls encrusted with soft corals and gorgonians.
Sharm El Sheikh diving trip itineraries radiate from this natural convergence point. Tiran Island, 40 kilometres northeast, guards the Straits of Tiran with four named reefs — Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas, and Gordon — each a submerged mountain where strong currents attract manta rays and eagle rays. The straits funnel water between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba at speeds that demand intermediate-level buoyancy control. Gordon Reef's shallow plateau, marked by the rusted hull of the Loullia freighter, offers calmer conditions for snorkelers while its southern wall plunges into blue water where tuna and trevally hunt in coordinated packs.
The Red Sea's year-round water temperature of 21–28°C and visibility averaging 20–30 metres make South Sinai one of the few dive regions with daily operations across all twelve months. Autumn brings the calmest surface conditions and the highest density of pelagic species migrating through the straits. Conservation regulations enacted in 2008 mandate single-use moorings at all designated dive sites, eliminating anchor damage that plagued the reefs through the 1990s. The 15 USD conservation fee per visitor funds ranger patrols and coral restoration programs that have increased live coral cover by 12% since 2015.
White Island, a sandbar emergent only at low tide, lies 90 minutes by boat from Naama Bay. The surrounding lagoon holds juvenile reef sharks, bluespotted stingrays, and fields of staghorn coral that serve as nurseries for damselfish and anthias. Dive operators run combination itineraries linking White Island's shallow snorkeling with deeper wall dives at Ras Mohammed, allowing beginners and certified divers to share the same departure while addressing different skill levels underwater.
9 hr
