Dahab is a laid-back town on Egypt's Sinai coast and the Red Sea's premier shore-diving base, where a fringing reef along the Gulf of Aqaba puts world-famous sites like the Blue Hole and the Canyon a short walk from the road. The Blue Hole's deep 'Arch' tunnel is also one of the deadliest dives on Earth.
Destination info
Conditions, highlights, and the resident marine life.
Conditions
Water and air temperature across the year.
WaterAirDry
Description
Dahab sits on the Gulf of Aqaba shore of Egypt's southeast Sinai Peninsula, and unlike the boat-based diving of Sharm el-Sheikh or Hurghada it is built around shore diving: a near-continuous fringing reef runs along the coast, so most sites are reached by walking in from the beach, often from a Bedouin café at the water's edge. The Gulf of Aqaba is a deep, sheltered northern arm of the Red Sea with reliably calm, clear water (visibility commonly 20–30 m), warm temperatures (roughly 21–22°C in winter to 27–28°C in summer), and a rich reef fauna typical of the northern Red Sea, where over 1,200 fish species occur and around 10% are endemic. The signature site is the Blue Hole, a roughly 100 m-deep submarine sinkhole a few kilometres north of town: recreational divers descend the adjacent reef wall at 'The Bells' and drift back across a shallow saddle into the hole, while its deep 'Arch'—a 26 m tunnel whose ceiling lies at about 55 m and whose seaward base drops past 120 m—is a technical dive that has killed an estimated 130–200 people, making it among the most fatal dive sites in the world. Other classics include the Canyon, a narrow rift in the seabed lit by shafts of light, plus easy reef dives at Eel Garden, Lighthouse and the Islands. Conditions are mostly benign, but wind can drive strong currents at exposed sites and the Blue Hole's Arch should never be attempted without technical training, gas planning and a local guide.
Highlights
What makes this dive worth the trip.
Dahab is the Red Sea's shore-diving capital: a near-continuous fringing reef runs along the Gulf of Aqaba coast, so most sites—including the Blue Hole, the Canyon, Eel Garden and Lighthouse—are reached by simply walking in from the beach rather than by boat, often from a Bedouin café at the water's edge.
The Blue Hole is a roughly 100 m-deep submarine sinkhole a few kilometres north of Dahab. It contains a 26 m tunnel called 'the Arch' whose ceiling sits at about 55 m and whose seaward base falls away past 120 m; diving the Arch is an extreme dive that has caused an estimated 130 to 200 deaths, making it reputedly the dive site with the most fatalities in the world.
Most Blue Hole deaths stem not from the hole itself but from divers attempting the deep Arch beyond their training: nitrogen narcosis and impaired judgement at 55 m or more, inadequate gas planning, and difficulty locating the tunnel exit. Memorial plaques to lost divers line the rocks above the site, and Egyptian authorities now post a guard to ensure divers use certified guides.
Marine life
41 species you’re likely to encounter on a dive here.
Dive sites
5 signature sites at this destination.
Blue Hole
Dahab's most famous—and most notorious—dive site, a roughly 100 m-deep submarine sinkhole in the reef a few kilometres north of town, divable directly from shore. Recreational divers descend the reef wall at 'The Bells' just to the north and drift south into the hole over a shallow saddle around 6 m deep, enjoying a near-vertical coral wall, abundant reef fish and excellent visibility. The deep 'Arch'—a 26 m tunnel whose ceiling sits at about 55 m and whose seaward base drops past 120 m—is strictly a technical dive and the cause of most of the site's many fatalities; recreational divers do not attempt it. A local guide is strongly advised and authorities post a guard at the site.
6–40 mintermediateShoreLightVisibility 20–30 m
The Canyon
An iconic Dahab shore dive about 10 km north of town, named for a narrow vertical rift in the seabed that opens into an underwater passage. Divers cross a shallow coral lagoon and reef garden, then drop through an opening at around 20 m and follow the canyon's interior down past 30 m, where shafts of light filter through cracks in the rock to create a photogenic, cathedral-like atmosphere. The walls and a glassfish-filled cavern at the canyon's head shelter swirling glassfish, lionfish, anthias and the occasional pufferfish. Depth and the semi-enclosed terrain make it best for Advanced and deep-certified divers with good buoyancy and a local guide.
12–30 madvancedShoreLightVisibility 15–30 m
Eel Garden
A relaxed shore dive a few hundred metres north of Lighthouse, named for the colony of garden eels that sway from a sandy slope and seagrass field in the shallows. The site has a maximum depth of around 18 m and combines shallow reef walls and pinnacles with the open sandy garden, making it a favourite for photographers in good light. Schooling fish, barracuda and healthy hard and soft coral feature, and the shallow profile suits relaxed second dives. It is only dived in calm conditions—when the wind is up, current along this stretch can become strong, so locals favour early morning or late afternoon.
5–18 mbeginnerShoreModerateVisibility 15–30 m
Lighthouse
The easy house reef of Dahab town, on the northern point of Assalah (Masbat) Bay, reached on foot straight from the promenade. One of the simplest entries and exits in Dahab and almost always sheltered from the wind, it is the main training and check-dive site, with a gentle reef sloping to around 25 m and shallow coral for beginners and courses. A resident green turtle is sometimes seen in the warmer months, and the calm, shallow areas host macro life including seahorses and ghost pipefish among the coral and seagrass. Its protected position makes it the go-to site when other spots are blown out.
3–25 mbeginnerShoreLightVisibility 15–25 m
The Islands
A shore dive south of Dahab over a wide, shallow reef plateau broken by three coral 'islands' rising from a sandy seabed, threaded by coral corridors and sandy roads. Maximum depth is modest (around 16–20 m), and the site is best negotiated at high tide, when the maze of hard-coral pools and channels is easiest to swim. Sunlight reaching the shallow corridors makes it a vivid, colourful dive teeming with reef fish—small barracuda, snapper, napoleon wrasse and lionfish—and it is one of Dahab's most scenic and beginner-friendly reefs in calm conditions. Tricky entry and exit make it a poor choice in wind or at low tide.
5–20 mintermediateShoreLightVisibility 15–30 m
Where to dive & stay
Local dive centers, resorts, and hotels.
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