Diving in the Red Sea
Dive Buddies is pleased to announce that we have recently joined forces with a British run Dive centre in Sharm El Sheik. This gives you the oppotunity of booking your diving in the Red Sea with a British family who own the dive centre and run this as a family business and who have friendly staff, that are alway willing to help. They offer a personal service where all guests get the VIP treatment, what better way to enjoy your holiday. They will try their best to cater to your every need, from hotel and airport pickups within the Sharm EL Sheikh area, to apre-diving trips to Naama Bay. These guys have 3 decades of diving experience and can accommodate you with dive&stay packages, dayboats or liveaborads should you wish (subject to availablility)
For further details please email dive.buddies@yahoo.co.uk
Prices
Dive and stay package from £250
7 nights B&B with 5 days dive package, subject to terms and conditions at time of booking. For further deatils or to request a booking form. Please email
Dive Prices
- 1 Day dive pack £40
- 2 Day dive pack £80
- 3 Day dive pack £110
- 4 Day dive pack £140
- 5 Day dive pack £160
- 5 Day dive pack booked with four or more in group £140 each
- 6 Day dive pack £180
A dive pack consists of two guided boat dives in one day inclusive of weights, tanks and transfers.
A non diver on boat per day £18.
It is possible to charter your own private boat for your family or group. The prices vary with group sizes and seasons. Please contact us for further information dive.buddies@yahoo.co.uk
Ras Mohamed National Park entry fee 5 euro.
Lunch, mineral water, tea, coffee, soft drinks on board dive boat 50 LE (approx £5).
Equipment Rental.
For those who require a need to rent Diving equipment. Below is the Daily Rental cost.
- Full equipment Rental £20
- BCD £8
- Regulator £8
- Full wet suit £5
- Mask and snorkel £3
- Fins open end £3
- Boots £3
- Fins Slipper type £3
- Nitrox 12lt tank £5
- Nitrox 15lt tank £6
Local dive sites
Local dive sites covers all the shore diving sites north and south of Naama Bay between the Strait of Tiran and the little town of Sharm el Sheikh. Naama Bay has two jetties that diving boats can embark from. You can reach the local dive sites from Naama bay following a boat ride that can take anything from 10 to 70 minutes depending on which site you are going to.
All of the local dive sites along the costline from such places as White Knight to Temple are only a short distance from the local jetties. The features for the local dive site are more or less the same with a reef that decends into a breif drop of some 7 metres while walls slope much more gently to a depth of 25 - 30 metres
White Knight.
A small bay just north of the gulf of Sharks Bay. Its about forty minutes sail from Naama Bay. This area is full of attractions and therefore makes it ideal for snorkelers too. One of the main features of this dive site is the canyon which starts in an inlet in the shore reef at a depth of around 8m. There is either the main entrance or a little swim through to the canyon. For those that are qualified there is a cave on the right hand side at 18m but lights and line are required as the bottom can get stirred up. Coming out of the canyon and heading North is a eel garden, which is nice to watch for a while. Coming out of the canyon and heading South is a gentle slope of reef with a upturned hull wreck of one of the dive boats that sank in 1994.
Sharks Bay
Sharks bay got its name, from when the old fishing boats used to land there and drop off the catch of sharks they had caught that day.
A perfect place for beginners or inexperienced divers and also good for check dives. Manta rays can been seen here especially during the summer. Its very good for night dives. There are large coral formations which rise from the floor, hard and soft coral is also present along with, lion fish, parrot fish, butterfly fish
Far Garden
Far Garden is a veritable underwater garden. It has a series of large coral pinnacles, and an extraordinary selection of soft and hard corals. These are frequented by a great number of reef fish, small scalefin anthias common lionfish, suez fussilers and also sergeant fish.
Fiddle Garden
This site was named by local diving instructors as its halfway between Far garden and Middle garden. Has a flat seabead at a depth of around 10 metres, with coral structures and massive pore. Ther are a couple of large pinnacles which rise from the seabed at 17 metres up to 9 metres. The second pinnacle is dominated by fire corals.
Middle Garden
As the name implies this dive site lies in the central part of the bay , between Far and Near garden. Not too far from the distinctive floating pontoon, there is a sandy plateau which stretchs onto the reef. You will find hard corals and also some table coral. You can encounter spotted eagle rays and also Manta rays during the summer. Common fish include Triggerfish, Fusillers and also Puller.
Near Garden
This dive site is close to Naama Bay. This can be a good alternative for afternoon dives and night diving. Near garden has a sandy plateau at about 15 - 20 metres, which drops off to a series of hard coral heads, and this proceeds up to a ridge of four pinnacles. Typical fish live includes glassfish, Triggerfish, Napoleonfish.
Ras Umm Sid
Ras Umm Sid is the name of the promonitory with a high lighthouse, which marks the begining of the Strait of Tiran. Diving can be done from the shore or boat, which starts from a massive pore coral which is inhabited by a large colony of anthia. This decends down to some 25 metres where you pass the famious gorgonian forest. After you ascent onto a plateau at around 14 metres, with various corals and pinnacles. Here are plenty of reef fish from common lionfish, Parrotfish and a large Napoleonfish.
Temple
Temple is one of the most popular sites in the area, as it guarantees easy diving in all types of weather. The site is interesting and suitable for night dives. There is a large presence of fish life from Butterflyfish, Parrotfish, Lionfish, Batfish and also some Napoleonfish. The area is a vast sandy plateau with a depth range of 6 - 30 metres and has three coral pillars. These resemble the columns of an ancient temple, hence the name of the dive site.
Ras Katy
Ras Katy is a short distance from Temple, and in some respects is similar to Temple. This site too has some coral pinnacles, with some small table corals and raspberry corals, which almost rise to the surface. It has a sandy bottom from a depth of around 5 metres and this descends to 18 - 20 metres to a drop off point where you find some gorgonians, you also find two more pinnacles. These are typically covered by Broccoli soft coral which are frequented by anthia and Butterflyfish. You will also find fusillers in the crevices along the walls of the pinnacles. More common fish include Glassfish, Lionfish and Bigeyes. Keep an eye on the sandy bottom for Crocodilefish, Bluespotted Stingrays and some scorpionfish.
Strait of Tiran.
Jackson reef, Woodhouse reef, Thomas reef and Gordon reef
The Strait of Tiran lies at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba. In the middle of this channel are four coral reefs which were named after the 19th century English cartographers who drew the first nautical maps of the region. These reefs divide the straits into two canals to the east is the so called Grafton Passge, which is used by ships going northward.While to the west is the Enterprise Passge for ships heading south.
Jackson Reef
Jackson Reef is the most northerly reef in Tiran and is well known for the wreck of a partially demolished in 1996 of a Cypriot merchant ship "Lara" This was a cargo ship of some 4,752 tonnes which sank in December 1981. The southern side of the reef is split into sandy areas, which descends to a sandy seabed at some 45 metres depth. You can admire the Garden eels, you may also see some Gorgonians. Towards the southwest corner of Jackson reef there are numerous fire corals. Oppotunities may also rise to see large pelagic fish such as Whitetip reef sharks, Grey reef sharks and also Scalloped hammerheads
Woodhouse Reef
Woodhouse is located between Thomas reef and Jackson reef. Woodhouse is narrow and long and therefore offers very little shelter for boats. Dives are made as drift dives. One of the best sites for observing sharks, Whitetip, Grey reef, Leopard and also Hammerhead Sharks. You may also see Spotted Eagle Rays and also Sea Turtles. There is an abundance of corals.
Thomas Reef
This is one of the most spectacular dive sites of the Northern Red Sea. Again this is a drift dive, starting at the southern corner on your drift dive the wall is rich with multicoloured corals which descend down to a sandy plateau at about a depth of 25 metres. Here you find some impressive gorgonians and whip corals and colonies of black coral. Commo fish consist of Surgeonfish, Barracuda, Groupers, Anglefish, Turtles and also Whitetip reef sharks.
Gordon Reef
This reef is easily identifed by the wreck of the Panamanian cargo ship " Loullia " some 3,461 tonnes which ran aground on the northern end in September 1981. This site is an ideal oppotunity to observe various species of coral. You may also be lucky and spot some Whitetip reef sharks, Hammerhead sharks or Spotted Eagle rays.
Ras Mohammed National Park
The Ras Mohammed peninsula is a privileged area distinguished for the strong currents that transport large quantities of plankton and other foods that gives growth to the hard and soft corals, which in tern attract large schools of reef and also pelagic marine fauna. The great abundance of food encourages Barracuda, Jackfish, Tuna and also sharks to these waters. This offers the divers a chance to have some interesting and exciting dives.
Ras Ghozlani
The deep bay of Marsa Bareika has the dive site Ras Ghozlani on its northern point and towards the sourthern point is Ras Za'atar. This bay was opened to scuba divers only a few years ago. Drift diving is way to dive Ras Ghozlani. Your route is along a extensive sandy slope of some 6 metres, which descends to a drop off to 25 - 30 metres.This is one of the most beautiful dives in the Ras Mohammed area. You will see some extraordinary table corals.There are a series of coral pinnacles ofetn covered in red and pink soft coral. Common fish include Pufferfish, Glassfish, Groupers and Stingrays.
Ras Za'atar
Ras Za'atar is the deep bay south of the Marsa Bareika. Table coral is situated at 21 metres and winds alonga beautiful wall which descends vertically. The wall is decorated by colourful alcyonarians and gorgonians, also with colonies of black. Acsend to around 10 - 15 metres to see the spectacular chimmneys. Common fish Barrcuda, Groupers, Glassfish, Lionfish and Trevally.
Jackfish Alley
The name of this site derives from a wide sandy road, between the coral ledge bordering the cost and a parallel satelite reef that is ofen visited by Jackfish. When you start your drift dive you descend some 6 metres you will see a large entrance to a cave which penetrates the reef for about forty metres. From here you come to a large coral outcrop. A second cave is visable at around 14 metres, this has a large exit hole at 6 metres. this is the home to a myriad of Glassfish. A little further south you come across another coral outcrop at a depth of 11 metres. Jackfish alley offer extraordinary marine landscape, has caves with some spectacular light effects.
Eel Garden
Eel Garden is situated in front of a small beach just south of Jackfish Alley. This is an easy dive and routes through a sandy plateau. The middle of the plateau is populated by a coloney of Garden eels. They sway in the current in search of food. Other common fish life includes Fussilers, Trevally, Butterflyfish, Triggerfish, Emperorfish, Torpedo rays.
Shark & Yolanda Reef
Shark reef is a popular dive site in the Red Sea with its variety of marine enviroment, with its abundance of reef and pelagic fauna. You will also encounter schools of Barracuda, Jackfish and Batfish. Yolanda reef takes shape just after you reach a big gorgonian at a depth of around 20 metres. At a depth of 25 and 10 metres are the remains of the cargo of the Yolanda. This was a Cypriot merchant ship that sank on 1 - 2 April 1980 while onroute to Aqaba. The containers were filled with bathtubs, toilets, fixtures, wallpaper and also the captains BMW 320. The wreck is surrounded by large Malbar groupers, Napoleonfish, Onespot snappers and also Fusillers. The bow of the wreck is some 200 metres below.
Dunraven
West of Ras Mohammed is a small outcropped reef. This is the home of the Dunraven, a Britsh shipwreck during 1876. The Dunraven was built in Newcastle in 1873 by Mitchell & co. She was a mixed propulsion system of sailes and steam, and was bound for Bombay. The wreck lies upside down at a depth of 15 - 30 metres. She was discovered in 1977 by geologist Arye Keller and underwater cameraman Howard Rosenstein. The ships cargo consisted of timber and bales of cotton, which were lost during a fire. You can access via three main openings at the stern, centre and the bow. The wreck is populated by large Groupers, Lionfish and swarms of Glassfish.
SS Thistlegorm
The Thistlegorm was a British transport ship during the second world war. She was a transport carrier of wartime materails for troops. In May 1941 with a crew of 39 men she left the port of Glasgow, with a cargo of munitions, bombs, anti-tank mines, Lee Enfiled MK III rifles, one hundred BSA motorcycles BSA W -M20, Matchless G3L and Norton 16 H, Bedford, Morris and Ford trucks. Also on board Light bren gun carrier MK II tanks, two steam Stainer 8 F locomotives complete with coal tenders, spare parts for airplanes, field generators, medicine, tyres and rubber boots. The Thistlegorm was already onroute when it recieved orders to anchor in the Strait of Gubal, as the Suez Canal was temporaly obstructed by a vessel that had hit a German mine. During the night of the 5 - 6 October two German Heinkel He III bombers flying from their base in Crete sighted and attacked the ship. It was hit by two bombs on hold number 4, where it stored its munitions. The explosion was so distructive it tore the ship in two. The locomotives on the deck of the ship were catapulted into the air and sank to the seabed and are today approx 30 metres away from the wreck. These locomotive weigh in at 126 tons each. The Thistlegorm sank in an upright position in 30 emtres of water on 6th October at 1:30 am 1941. The crew and the captain were saved by a nearby vessel HMS Carlisle, but nine of the Thistlegorms crew died during the attack. In 1955 Jaques -Yves Cousteau on an expedition discovered the wreck. The wreck holds a wealth of hitory within its cargo holds, that one day will be gone. Which makes it such an interesting dive. There is an abundance of fauna and a varitiy of fish life.