Sharm el-Sheikh sits at the southern tip of Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, where the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba meet to deliver some of the Red Sea's most celebrated diving—Ras Mohammed National Park's vertical reef walls, the current-swept Straits of Tiran, and the SS Thistlegorm, the world's most famous wreck dive. Warm, clear water year-round, hard and soft coral gardens, and seasonal pelagic action (including oceanic whitetip sharks and hammerheads) make it a flagship Red Sea destination.
Destination info
Conditions, highlights, and the resident marine life.
Conditions
Water and air temperature across the year.
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Description
Sharm el-Sheikh is the diving capital of the Egyptian Red Sea, perched at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula where the shallow Gulf of Suez and the deep Gulf of Aqaba converge. The headline draw is Ras Mohammed National Park, established in 1983 and now covering roughly 480 km² of protected sea and shore; its twin pinnacles—Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef—rise from sandy depths to form sheer walls swarming with orange and purple anthias, regularly ranked among the world's top ten dives. North of Sharm, the Straits of Tiran funnel strong currents over four reefs (Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon, named after 19th-century British cartographers) that feed dense coral and attract reef sharks, eagle rays, turtles and—in summer—scalloped hammerheads. Offshore lies the SS Thistlegorm, a British WWII cargo steamer sunk by German bombers in 1941, its holds still packed with motorcycles, trucks and munitions at 16–30 m. Water stays diveable all year (about 21–22°C in winter, 27–30°C in late summer) with 15–40 m visibility, and conditions range from sheltered beginner bays along the local coast to advanced drift dives at the exposed pinnacles. Oceanic whitetip sharks visit the warmer offshore waters mainly October–January, making autumn a peak season.
Highlights
What makes this dive worth the trip.
Ras Mohammed's Shark & Yolanda Reef—two pinnacles rising from deep sandy bottom to form sheer walls illuminated by swarms of orange and purple anthias—is regularly rated among the top ten dive sites in the world, usually run as a drift dive that finishes on the scattered cargo of the wrecked Yolanda.
Ras Mohammed was declared a protected area in 1983 and expanded to roughly 480 km²; it protects over 220 species of coral and around 1,000 species of fish, and a per-person national-park fee is charged on every boat and land trip into the park.
The SS Thistlegorm, a 126.5 m British cargo steamer sunk by German aircraft on 6 October 1941, lies at around 16–30 m off the Sinai coast with holds still full of WWII motorcycles, trucks, Wellington boots, rifles and aircraft parts, plus two steam locomotives blown to either side—widely considered the best wreck dive in the Red Sea.
Marine life
56 species you’re likely to encounter on a dive here.
Dive sites
8 signature sites at this destination.
Anemone City (Ras Mohammed)
A broad shoulder of reef just north of Shark Reef in Ras Mohammed National Park, named for the thousands of host sea anemones that carpet the plateau, each occupied by resident anemonefish. The gentler topography and shallower profile make it a colourful, photogenic complement to the adjacent walls, and it is often combined with Shark & Yolanda on the same trip. Morning dives are best for peak fish activity. Conditions are usually milder than the exposed pinnacles, but it shares Ras Mohammed's variable currents.
5–30 mintermediateDay boatModerateVisibility 15–40 m
Thomas Reef (Straits of Tiran)
The smallest of the four Tiran reefs but home to some of the strongest currents and the most dramatic topography: a famous deep canyon and the 'Three Thomas Arches' swim-throughs that begin around 35 m and drop beyond technical limits. A large ledge near 25 m is a resting spot for whitetip reef and leopard sharks. The shallower reef is rich in longnose hawkfish, anthias, groupers and turtles. Strong currents and the depth of its best features make it an advanced drift dive.
5–40 madvancedDay boatVery strongVisibility 20–30 m
Gordon Reef (Straits of Tiran)
The southernmost Tiran reef and the easiest to dive: a shallow plateau with moorings and gentle drop-offs fanning out from the centre, suitable for a wider range of experience levels than the northern reefs. A field of garden eels covers the sandy slope, with octopus and moray eels sheltering among old metal drums, and eagle rays, whitetip reef sharks and Napoleon wrasse are regular visitors. The hull of the Panamanian freighter Loullia, aground since 1981, marks the reef above the surface. Currents are usually more manageable here.
5–30 mintermediateDay boatModerateVisibility 20–30 m
Ras Katy (Lighthouse Reef)
A sheltered local site in a tranquil bay near Sharm el Mina marina, with calm conditions ideal for training and early dives. A main pinnacle rises from the surface to about 18 m, sitting roughly 30 m off the fringing reef, alongside shallow coral gardens at 6–12 m that descend gradually into the bay. The protected setting and easy profile make it a favourite for introductory and check-out dives, and it is also a popular snorkelling spot. Eagle rays are a regular highlight, along with the usual Red Sea reef community.
6–18 mbeginnerShoreLightVisibility 15–30 m
Near Garden
One of the four 'Gardens' sites (Near, Middle, Fiddle and Far) along the local Sharm coast north of the marina, offering an accessible mix of coral walls, sandy patches and isolated coral blocks. The shallow, generally gentle profile makes the Gardens suitable for all certification levels and a common choice for relaxed boat or shore dives. Reef fish, anthias, moray eels and the occasional ray populate the coral heads, and the site links by drift to the neighbouring Garden sites when currents allow.
5–30 mbeginnerDay boatLightVisibility 15–30 m
SS Thistlegorm
The most celebrated wreck dive in the Red Sea: a 126.5 m British cargo steamer sunk by two German Heinkel He 111 bombers on 6 October 1941, when bombs struck Hold 4 and split the ship in half. Rediscovered by Jacques Cousteau in the 1950s and opened to recreational diving in the early 1990s, the wreck lies upright off the Sinai coast with its decks at roughly 16 m and the deepest point around 30 m. Its holds remain crammed with wartime cargo—BSA and Norton motorcycles, Bedford trucks, Wellington boots, rifles, Bristol Blenheim aircraft parts and ammunition—while two steam locomotives sit on the seabed to either side. Marine life now includes tuna, barracuda, batfish, moray eels, lionfish, crocodilefish and turtles. Reached by liveaboard or a roughly four-hour day-boat run from Sharm; currents can be strong.
16–30 madvancedLiveaboardStrongVisibility 15–30 m
Jackson Reef (Straits of Tiran)
The northernmost and most current-exposed of the four Tiran reefs, with some of the finest coral coverage in the Sinai—strong currents sweep nutrients in to feed dense hard and soft corals and sea fans. The southern side drops into a 40 m wall leading to garden-eel colonies; the wreck of the Cypriot freighter Lara (aground 1981) marks the northern reef. Reef and grey reef sharks patrol the deeper edges, and scalloped hammerheads aggregate in the blue at peak season (July–September). A classic advanced drift dive with no fixed shelter on exposed sides.
5–40 madvancedDay boatStrongVisibility 20–30 m
Shark & Yolanda Reef (Ras Mohammed)
The signature dive of Ras Mohammed National Park and one of the most famous reefs in the world. Two pinnacles—Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef—rise from a deep sandy bottom to form near-vertical walls dropping well beyond 40 m, blanketed in soft coral and clouds of orange and purple anthias. The dive is usually run as a drift from Shark toward Yolanda, where large pelagics—tuna, barracuda, jacks and seasonal hammerheads—patrol the blue. It finishes over the scattered cargo of the Yolanda, a freighter wrecked in the 1980s whose toilets and bathtubs lie famously strewn across the seabed. Currents can turn unpredictably, so the site suits Advanced Open Water divers or those with 20+ logged dives.
5–40 madvancedDay boatStrongVisibility 15–40 m
Where to dive & stay
Local dive centers, resorts, and hotels.
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