Dahab offers diverse unique dive sites for beginners and advanced divers. The most famous dive sites are of course the Blue Hole and the Canyon, but the other dive sites are definitely worth a visit.

Novice divers are immediately introduced to the beautiful underwater world of the Red Sea and do their courses in warm and clear water. Apart from Blue Hole and Canyon, experienced divers can indulge themselves in beautiful dive sites such as Islands and Three Pools.

Most of the dive sites are easily accessible from shore, a jeep or truck brings you to and from the dive site. There is also a possibility for dive safaris with camels or boat dives. Like the rest of life in Dahab, diving is very relaxed.

Ras Abu Galum
Because of the various ecosystems, the National Park Ras Abu Galum offers a unique environment. Many different environments are available on a small area. It is possible to do 1 or multi-day safari to this area. From Blue Hole you can go by camel or on foot. You walk for about 1.5 hours on the road alongside the beautiful coastline with all its wonders. Underwater you will find beautiful coral reefs and a fascinating underwater landscape. Above water are the impressive mountains of the Sinai desert. If you have the time, a multi-day safari is a great experience. Enjoy some of the best diving in Dahab, the hospitality of the Bedouins and the beautiful night sky.
 

Blue Hole – El Bells
One of the most famous dive sites of the Red Sea is located about 12km north of Dahab. The Blue Hole is almost circular, 150 meters wide and 110 meters deep. It is known not only because it is such a beautiful dive site, but unfortunately also because so many people were killed. But if you stick to the limits of your certificate and the rules of recreational diving in the Red Sea, it is safe and worthwhile. The best way to enjoy this dive site is to do a drift dive from El Bells (250m to the north), ending your dive Blue Hole. The saddle that gives access to the Blue Hole is 7 meters deep. Here you will find a beautiful coral garden with an abundance of aquatic live.
 

Rick’s Reef
North of the Canyon is Rick’s Reef. If there is a current this is a perfect place for a drift dive to the Canyon. A very relaxing dive, great for photography. The sloping coral garden runs from the entrance all the way to the fishbowl of the Canyon.
 
 
 

The Canyon
This dive site is named after the long, narrow and beautiful underwater gorge, caused by volcanic activity a long time ago. The gorge entrance, now overgrown with hard and soft corals, runs from north to south. As you enter you swim through the lagoon at the entrance to the dive site, take a left across the saddle to reach the open sea. Once you arrive at the Canyon, you will see the air bubbles, from divers already in the canyon, coming up through small holes to the surface. The Canyon runs from a shallow reef near the coast to a coral slope about 54 meters (ideal for technical divers). The entrance of the Canyon at its widest point is approximately 22 meters deep. You can dive directly down to the sandy bottom at about 30 meters. The lighting is breathtaking. You enter and exit the Canyon at the same point. Tech divers can also exit the canyon via an arch at around 52 meters.
 

Ras Abu Helal
Ras Abu Helal, which means Cape of Rising Moon”, is located about 3km south of the Canyon. You can only dive here when the sea is calm, otherwise getting into the water is quite a task. It’s a nice and quiet dive site and there are no restaurants. The reef runs steeply down to a crescent-shaped sandy lagoon at about 10 meters. If you go swimming in a northerly direction, you come around a canyon at 30 meters which runs south to north, this is only for technical divers and not for sport divers to dive. The coral gardens on this site are wonderful and full of life. There can be a quite strong northerly current at this dive site.
 

Eel Garden
This dive site is named after the large population of garden eels. The sand in this area is perfect for them. Gently rocking to the flow, they stretch out to the food that passes, and quickly disappear when divers are approaching. On the sloping reef you will find beautiful hard and soft corals and colorful shallow reef that is home to large numbers of lionfish, parrot fish, groupers, scorpion fish and gobies. The whole area is ideal for photography.
 

Lighthouse
This dive site is located in the center of Dahab. The entrance is right in front of some restaurants. It’s a strange experience walking across the restaurant’s terrace fully equipped for a dive. Many dive schools come here with their students, but this dive site is also very nice for advanced users and photography. When you enter the water, search the sandy bottom for sea moths and stone fish. At the point of the bay you will find large corals and a coral wall gradually descending to 25m depth. You can find surgeonfish, unicorn fish, wrasse, trigger fish, moray eels and bream swimming overhead. The coral garden on the north side of the reef is healthy and has a large amount of hard and soft corals and many different species. The site is also perfect for a night dive.
 

Masbat
This dive site in the center of Dahab city is the ideal place to spot seahorses in the large sea grass field. Other species you will find here are various kinds of morays, young scorpion fish and sea urchins. In the sea grass field that encompasses a large part of this dive site you can also encounter many species of young vertebrates and fish. The reef starts at the southern point of the grass. Between the big coral formations and beautiful soft corals there are large morays, groupers, unicorn fish and a school of red fusiliers.
 

The Islands
The Islands is a remarkable dive site with an abundance of species and an impressive hard coral reef. The reef formations form a maze which creates a beautiful otherworldly underwater landscape that’s unlike any of the other dive sites. Apart from the ‘normal’ reef inhabitants you can also meet boxfish and crocodile fish on this dive. Other locals are a school of yellow tail barracuda’s and blue fin trevallies.
 

Golden Blocks
Golden Blocks is a nice dive site with a varied underwater landscape. It offers a mix of sandy plains and coral gardens with an abundance of lovely soft corals. The dive site is named for the two large pinnacles surrounded by large schools of orange anthias at the beginning of the dive. At approximately 20 meters depth you’ll find an impressive gorgonian sea fan. Other inhabitants at this site are large puffers, lovely anemones with clown fish, banner fish and nudibranches. It’s very suited for underwater photography. An amazing amount of life is waiting to pose for your camera.
 

Moray Garden
This dive site is located at Wadi Gnai, in a sheltered bay, about 20 minutes south of Dahab. The easy access makes this a relaxed dive site for both advanced and novice divers. The dive starts with a gently sloping sand plain, followed by a coral formation where you often encounter scorpionfish and anemone fish. At approximately 25 meters you will find beautiful table corals and a coral garden. If you continue in northern direction then you encounter an interesting reef with little sand paths and a coral slope with black coral at 30 meters. If you go south from the starting point you will find a large coral garden met hard corals en at 22 meters a surprising pinnacle with glass fish. This part of the reef is perfect for spotting octopus. On the way back a sand path leads you through an aquarium of damselfish, trumpet fish and yellowtail barracuda’s. The shallow sandy slope at the end of the dive is perfect for your safety stop. Search the sand for sea moths. And remember, if you find one its buddy is never far away.
 

Three Pools
The name is derived from the three natural underwater ‘pools’ formed by the coral. They have a sand and sea grass bottom and are approximately 4 meters deep. Great for photography. Search the bottom for a well hidden sole fish. After leaving the third pool you will see the open ocean with a colorful coral slope and a big stretch of sand on your left. Very often you can find red tooth triggerfish, puffer fish and big schools of butterfly fish. Because the pools are quite shallow it’s also a nice site for snorkeling.
 

Umm Sid
Between Three Pools and Caves you will find the dive site Umm Sid. You enter the water via a sandy entrance between two reef plates. On the right side from 5 to 15 meters you will see a huge block of coral. Lots of hard and soft corals and sponges decorate its sides and they attracts numerous damselfish and anthias. Follow the sloppy bottom in northern direction and you will find a group of tube eels and a patch of sea grass. Check the sides of the reef plates for scorpion fish and groupers. Fusiliers and unicorn fish are regulars here too. While floating across the sandy plateau you will be amazed by the number and size of the table corals. Look closely between the coral blocks and see if you can spot the morays. It’s a nice and colorful dive.
 

The Caves
The dive site Caves is the most southern dive site in Dahab before you reach Gabr el Bint National Park. The focus of this dive are two big shallow caverns. They are certainly worth the visit. The walls are covered with soft corals, sponges and black corals and are home to a large puffer fish and shy grey morays. The reef next to the caverns are very interesting too, with beautiful colorful corals and a lively population of reef inhabitants.
 

Gabr El Bint
In Arabic Gabr el Bint means ‘Tomb of the girl’. It’s the most Southern dive site in Dahab. The trip to get there is often made by zodiac from Wadi Gani or on camel back, with camels also carrying the dive equipment . From the shore you can see a coral block sticking out of the water. You can dive to the north or south of this block. On the north you will find an amazing underwater landscape, with a wall following the northern point of the bay. The wall starts at 8 meters and runs to up to 50 meters deep outside of the way. In the bay itself the wall is about 20 meters deep and you’ll find gorgeous hard and soft corals and numerous shallow coves. It’s a wonderful dive. If you go in southern direction you will find a sandy laguna with loads of coral blocks. A great place to spot rays and crocodile fish. It gently slopes into a forest of soft corals. With it’s abundance of live it’s a lovely sight. Impressive gorgones and hard corals can be found between 12 and 30 meters. Gabr el Bint is one of the most colorful dive sites in Dahab and well worth the trip.
 

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