Diving spots
Every day we drive to the most beautiful dive sites of Dahab by jeep. The kilometer long fringing reef, which runs along the coast, offers countless spots that leave nothing to be desired. Dive into the underwater world of the Red Sea! Learn more about each dive site, get to know its special features and convince yourself of the diversity of our spots.
FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE RED SEA
Diving is our great passion. Every day we are grateful to be able to pursue it in the underwater worlds of the Red Sea. And so it is obvious: The beauty of our sea is close to our hearts. But in order to preserve it for future generations, it needs our protection. For this reason, Sunsplash stands up for the protection of the Red Sea. We dive according to the following four basic principles
TOUCH NOTHING
Keep your hands to yourself in order not to disturb or harm the inhabitants of the underwater world.
GOOD BUOYANCY
Thanks to a good buoyancy control you make sure that you don't stir up sand or touch corals.
KEEP THE SEA CLEAN
The only thing you should leave in the ocean is bubbles and certainly no trash or plasctic.
BE INFORMED
Educate yourself about the underwater world and its inhabitants and be a voice for marine concerns.
Caves
The southernmost dive site in Dahab that can be reached by pick-up is "the Caves". The mountains almost touch the sea here, but just before there is an entrance above the reef edge. Caves can only be dived at high tide and very calm sea as the entrance is over the reef top. Once you have inflated your jacket and jumped into the sea, you are ready for one of the most exciting dives in Dahab.
Directly at the entrance is the first cave, which gives the site its name. It is actually more of an overhang that runs to 12 meters that is great to dive through and explore. The light ensures for a breathtaking impression and the algae hanging from the ceiling make the cave seem a very mysterious place. After you have explored the first cave, the dive follows the course of the reef. A sandy drop-off is home to eels, pipefish and wrasses. And with a little luck, large napoleon wrasses are also on the move here.
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The dive ends in the second cave, which is inhabited by countless puffer fishes. The safety stop is also made here, before one after the other emerges. Watch your guide as he makes his way back to the top of the reef. It is important to push off well and arrive at the top with enough momentum. An OK sign indicates to the next diver that it is now his or her turn.
12-20 m
Good to know
dive is only possible at high tide and calm sea
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easy orientation
southernmost dive site of Dahab
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approach by car
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small restaurant
Um Sid
Um Sid should be planned as the first dive of the day because of its depth. Passing the beach cafes around Golden Block and Three Pools, the pick-up takes you to a place that doesn't look like diving at all. A few wooden shelters and a blackboard give a hint of the entrance. Not many divers get lost here, which is a great thing in itself, since there is little traffic underwater.
The spot is known for its sometimes strong current. Nevertheless, a dive here is worthwhile. After the entrance we quickly take the way down. The highlight is at a depth of 36 meters. Here a beautiful, huge fan coral awaits you. And with a little luck you can observe its inhabitant, the longnose coral guard. On the way back some sand eels will cross your way. Countless coral blocks and many table corals can be found here and again and again big perches, blue spotted rays and barracudas can be seen.​
The current is usually on the way back, but don't let it get you down. Just follow your guide, he knows exactly where to dive through to get safely back to the exit with as little effort as possible.
18 - 40 m
Good to know
strong current possible​
beautiful fan coral at 36 m depth
in the south
approach by car​
no infrastructure
Three Pools
Three Pools is one of the most beautiful dives in the south on a clear day. Its name comes from three natural sand lagoons that are dived through right after the entrance. Already here, at only a few meters depth, you can find beautiful schools of fish. And these shine in the most beautiful colors because of the direct sunlight. After the third pool the route follows a sandy slope to a coral garden.
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This place is made for underwater photographers. Lettuce, organ and brain corals line your way. Numerous lionfish and parrotfish have found their home here. We usually dive this route as the second spot of the day, so we recommend a depth of 20 to 25 meters. Of course it is also possible to dive deeper. Three Pools is also perfect for snorkelers. They can easily follow the path of the divers.
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The safety stop is made as soon as we reach the sandy slope. Dive out slowly and enjoy the incredible sight when you are back on the surface. Where the Sinai meets the Red Sea - almost nowhere else, this saying is as present as here. The mountains reach almost to the beach.
12 - 20 m
Good to know
easy spot​
also good for snorklers
in the south
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approach by car
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Beach cafés
Moray Garden
The entrance to Moray Garden is right in front of several beach cafes. Make yourself comfortable on the cushions and drink a Bedouin tea. Highly recommended are the chicken sandwiches - an ideal lunch before the second dive of the day. Since the way to the south takes about half an hour, we usually spend the "entire" day there. So you have enough time to relax here, sunbathe, read or talk with your dive buddies about your underwater adventures.
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At this dive site there are several routes. One is from the Golden Blocks to Moray Garden, another is from Moray Garden to Three Pools and the third option is a dive within Moray Garden. Discuss with your guide which route you would like to dive. He will be able to give you the best advice on currents and visibility. Our main concern is to fulfill all your wishes whenever possible.
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Diving within Moray Garden offers a wide variety of discoveries. Almost the whole range of biodiversity of the Red Sea can be admired here. And of course one or the other moray eel is waiting for your visit - after all they are the critters that gives this dive site its name.
12 - 20 m
Gut zu wissen
einfacher Tauchplatz​
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auch für Schnorchler gut geeignet
im Süden​
Anfahrt mit dem Auto
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Strandcafé
12 - 20 m
Good to know
easy spot​
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also good for snorklers
in the south
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approach by car
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Beach cafés
Golden Blocks
Spending a day in the south of Dahab is always worth it! Five dive sites are waiting for you here. And almost all of them can be dived even in windy and rough seas. The first spot is called Golden Blocks. With the pick-up we drive you right in front of the entrance. Here you prepare your equipment, do the buddy check and you are ready to go. A few steps over the stony beach and the dive begins. Two routes are possible here. On the one hand Golden Blocks on the left hand side or a dive from Golden Blocks to Moray Garden.
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At Golden Blocks on the left hand side you first go over a sandy area, past some nice boulders to a nice sloping coral garden. Soon you will reach at a depth of about 22 meters a huge and above all well preserved fan coral, which grows in a sandy canyon that stretches from the beach to the depth. The dive continues to a second canyon where you slowly ascend to make your way back in shallower water. Here, with a bit of luck, a huge eagle ray may be lying in the sand. The way back also leads past a small sea grass meadow, which is gladly used by turtles as a feeding place.
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The second option is a dive from Golden Blocks to Moray Garden, where you will dive through a huge coral garden, with many different hard coral species. Keep your eyes open for moray eels! For underwater photographers there are numerous motives. From nudi branches to tubeworms to countless anemonefish bravely defending their home and family. Take your time to enjoy the incredible diversity of the Red Sea.
12 - 25 m
Good to know
easy spot​
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beautiful fan coral on 25 m depth
in the south
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approach by car
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beach cafés
Islands
A beautiful, almost unbelievable underwater scenery is waiting for you at the Islands. The three islands, between which you dive, give the dive site its name. You enter via the reef plate over which you can walk to the reef edge on sandy ground. At high tide you can dive over the edge, at low tide you can use a tunnel passage in the reef.
After diving through three pools, the circuit through the labyrinth starts. At a maximum of 10 meters you dive through a wondrous world of corals and countless other underwater creatures. The clear water and sunlight make everything here appear in a breathtaking blaze of color. Take your time and watch carefully: octopuses like to hide in the crevices. With almost a hundred percent guarantee you will also encounter a school of baracudas here.
The second part of the dive goes behind the islands. Sandy areas alternate with coral blocks of all sizes and shapes. You will almost always find blue spotted stingrays and big box fish resting in the sand. Depending on the current and your air left, you dive between the islands back into the third pool or directly into the first one. The safety stop is in front of the entrance of the tunnel, through which you will also dive out. Watch out for lionfish, which sometimes lie in semi-darkness. By the way, the islands are also excellent for a snorkeling tour.
8 - 20 m
Good to know
Plan your dive at high tide​
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Entrance and exit possible through small canyon
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great for snorkling
by car a few minutes from Sunsplash
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within walking distance for snorkelers
House Reef
Our house reef... Yes what to say about it. We love it! Besides the fact that it is, as the name suggests, right on our doorstep, it is also a wonderful dive site in terms of the underwater world. Get into your suit at the dive center, shoulder your tank and off you go. Past your room, straight to the beach and into the water. Make sure that the sea is relatively calm and the tide is high. Only then is a problem-free entry possible.
It is up to you whether you dive on the right or on the left side. Sandy areas alternate with coral blocks. Many table corals, countless fish and other creatures inhabit the reef. And not seldom our house turtle is also in the party. Enjoy this carefree dive to the fullest. Because the way "home" is not far.
By the way, our house reef is - like almost all places in Dahab - excellent for snorkelers. But make sure that there is always enough water above the reef top, so that you don't scrape your knees or arms on the sharp corals and don't damage the reef.
15 - 20 m
Good to know
Entry and exit only possible at high tide
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also well suited at dusk
immediately before Sunsplash
Assalah Reef
Between Light House and our house reef there are many individual dive sites. Almost every hotel has made a part of the reef "their" part. Worth mentioning among all these spots is the Assalah Reef (also called Mashraba Reef). Located directly by the bridge, diving here is very rare, but the site offers a great variety of flora and fauna.
The entrance is via the beach. After a sandy slope you soon reach a huge rock - called Roman's Block. You continue diving on the right hand side over many breathtaking underwater formations until you come across a family of hard corals at about 20 meters depth, including a large fan coral. You will also find old car tires on the ground, in which small fish and octopuses have found a new home. You may also find the wreck almost overgrown with corals, which is an impressive testimony to how well nature can adapt to strangers despite everything.
And it is not uncommon to see big rays and even dolphins to say hello to the divers. Due to the close proximity to the Sunsplash Divers Hotel, the reef can be reached in a few minutes by jeep.
15 - 20 m
Good to know
easy entry​
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great biodiversity​
between Sunsplash and Light House
The Light House is probably the most dived place in Dahab. From beginners in their first open water dives to experienced technical divers, from early morning to night dives: this is where Dahab's diving community meets. But despite the many divers, the Light House is a beautiful place, with different routes, for all levels.
The entrance is via a natural stone staircase that ends in about 1 meter deep water. Here you can comfortably put on your fins and mask and then you're ready to go. Mostly you dive to the left, where after a few meters the reef already starts. A memorial plaque to the revolution of January 2011 is located here to commemorate the people who gave their lives for a better future of Egypt. Continuing on, you can choose to dive between 12 and 40 meters deep (or even deeper for the Tec Divers, of course) along several large boulder reefs that are home to a variety of fish and corals. After a large reef ledge, where there can be a relatively strong current from time to time, there is a chance to see big fish. Back you go again along the reef until after the safety stop you leave the water again in front of the beach cafe. This spot is also very suitable for night dives. Whether it is torpedo rays, Spanish dancers, bear crabs or octopuses: the night holds its very own secrets.
The Light House can also be dived on the right side. In the sea grass located there you can find seahorses, sea snakes and often turtles. In addition, you can perfect your buoyancy in an obstacle course. Since 2014 you can also make a special discovery - an elephant in 25m depth! It is made of wire frame and serves as a breeding ground for corals and as a nursery for many species of fish.
5 - 40 m
Good to know
dive sites for all levels​
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suitable for night dives​
in the middle of Dahab city
Eel Garden
Eel Garden is also one of the places that requires calm conditions. This is also explicitly mentioned on a large wooden board at the entrance. Unfortunately, even snorkelers have had accidents at this dive site. If there is wavy condition, the current can be very strong and make the way back impossible! But if it is not windy, then Eel Garden is the absolute dream dive site.
If at some dive sites the entrance is just a means to an end, this one is already a highlight of the tour. The small lagoon is teeming with life. Often you can find a huge school of small sardines. Countless glassfish, lionfish, stonefish and scorpionfish can be observed. After the exit you dive to the left. On the sandy slope there you will reach the target of the dive. What looks boring at first sight turns out to be the home of hundreds of sand eels. They give the dive site its name. Depending on the current conditions, the eels come out of their burrows up to one and a half meters to filter food from the open water. However, they can only be observed from a distance as they are very shy. Also resident on this slope are some boxfish. These funny guys come swimming up at a fast pace when sand is stirred up to search for smal crabs in it. Try it out and carefully lure up the bottom with your fin.
Depending on air consumption and current, you can continue your dive in the coral garden following the sandy slope or start your way back immediately. This is done along the reef wall at 6-10 m depth. Colors and shapes are incredible. Flagfish, trumpet and butterfly fish, small moray eels... You will not be disappointed.
10 - 20 m
Good to know
only dive here at calm conditions​
a lot of sand eels​
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current possible
in the northern part of Dahab​
small beach café
Abu Helal
In Dahab there is often quite a wind. Therefore the sea is not always calm and some dive sites are not diveable. But if there is no wind and the sea is smooth, then you should definitely take the opportunity and go to the spot Abu Helal. But you have to make sure that the tide is high or at least coming in.
Ras Abu Helal, Arabic for "head of the new moon" refers to the crescent-shaped reef that can be dived here. The entrance is directly over the reef plate. So you have to inflate your jacket and swim over the edge of the reef. All ok? Then descend! One of the most beautiful coral gardens of Dahab is waiting for you. Soft and hard corals alternate and the fish population is still very intact here. Big groupers and puffer fishes, trigger fishes, wrasses and lion fishes are all around. And with a bit of luck, eagle rays and turtles or even manta rays can be admired.
For technical divers Abu Helal offers a special highlight. At a depth of 30 meters an almost closed canyon begins. The exploration of this canyon is reserved only for Tec divers, because its bottom is firstly deeper than the limits set by recreational diving and secondly it is accessible only in very few places. From above, however, recreational divers can of course admire the so-called "Little Canyon". Dive along its opening and then slowly finish your dive in shallower water.
10 - 40 m
Good to know
dive only in calm conditions​
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huge biodiversiy​
on the way to Canyon​
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no infrastructure
Canyon Garden
A trip to the Canyon is worth it twice. After a deep dive in the Canyon at 30 meters, you can enjoy a delicious lunch at the beach café and then you are ready for the second dive of the day.
Usually this is either done from Ricks Reef to the Canyon or you dive into the Canyon Garden. This nice and relaxed dive starts by diving through the lagoon, which you leave via a small saddle. Then you don't go left to the Canyon, but right hand over first sandy bottom to a coral covered slope. Enjoy the beautiful coral garden with all its colorfulness. Often Napoleon fishes or even turtles can be found here.
Discuss the maximum depth with your guide, but since the first dive was already deep, we usually dive between 18 and 25 meters here. If the first in the group reaches between 120 and 100 bar, we start our way back. At about 12 meters you follow sandy bottom. Several coral blocks offer hiding places for smaller and bigger organisms. Tube worms and nudibranches are especially common here. In short: an ideal spot for underwater photographers.
12 - 25 m
Good to know
perfect photo spot​
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huge coral garden​
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at the Canyon​
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Beach cafés
Canyon
Not quite as famous as Blue Hole, but no less spectacular is the Canyon. Since there are often many divers in the main season, we also go to this dive site as an "early morning dive". Because one thing is for sure: beeing alone in the Canyon is quite a thing.
Due to a shallow lagoon with a maximum depth of 3 m it is possible to dive to the outer edge of the reef even with high waves. This makes the canyon an optimal spot even in windy conditions. Through a small opening in the reef the dive starts. Here, depending on the weather conditions, there can be a relatively strong current towards the outside. So make sure not to have too much air in your BCD, in order not to be driven to the water surface.
The dive continues on the left hand side at a depth of 11 to 22 meters. A large rock on a slightly sloping sandy area forms the beginning of the canyon. Already from a distance you will see the bubbles of the divers, who are already on the bottom, bubbling out of the rock. A beautiful spectacle. Enjoy the sight of the crevice that stretches across the seabed until you dive into the canyon yourself.
Through the large entrance you will slowly reach the bottom. Stay on the sandy ground for a moment, let your eyes wander upwards, watch your bubbles as they slowly make their way upwards towards the sun. And don't forget to take a look in the direction of the depths. The canyon stretches down to 54 meters. But you can't take this exit as a recreational diver. It is reserved for the Tec-Divers. After a short time the ascent begins again. But not before you have said hello to hundreds of glass fishes at the upper end. The exit through the so called "Fish Bowl", as it is shown on the dive map, is not allowed anymore. Therefore, you will ext on the same way as you dived in.
Depending on the remaining pressure in the tanks, the dive continues either to the right, where a small group of sand eels, crocodile and stone fishes and moray eels are waiting for you, or it is dived back along the reef base. Many single coral blocks are waiting to be discovered by you. Especially the one block where we make our safety stop before we dive out again through the opening in the reef top and the lagoon slowly, is a very beautiful one.
12 - 35 m
Good to know
Canyon to dive in​
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also visible from above for snorkelers
north of Dahab
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beach cafés
Ricks Reef
After a visit to the Canyon, a dive from Ricks Reef to the Canyon is just the thing. You prepare your equipment already at the Canyon and then you go by jeep on a short drive to the entrance of Ricks Reef. BCD on, buddy check and off you go. The easy entry is - like in Dahab actually always - from the beach. But be careful, the stones in the water can be quite slippery.
The reef on the right shoulder is the starting point. A combination of hard corals and sandy sections offers a lot of variety and the chance to see countless different underwater inhabitants. Lionfishes, moray eels, stonefishes, blue spotted stingrays... And with a little luck you might even see a turtle. The dive is usually not deeper than 18 meters. After about 30 minutes you will reach the "Fish Bowl", the beginning of the Canyon. What you could observe in the first dive from below, you can now observe from the other side. And look closely. Often small shrimps are hiding in the crevices.
The safety stop on this dive is again around the beautiful coral block in front of the entrance to the lagoon. Remember to deflate your BCD so you don't get pushed to the surface and pulled along by a possible current. If the current out of the lagoon into the open sea is strong, you can hold onto the dead corals as you dive over the edge of the reef and pull yourself over. However, be careful not to touch any living organisms. Corals are very delicate creatures and every now and then a rockfish will sit at the transition.
12 - 18 m
Good to know
Entry at Ricks Reef, exit at Canyon​
also suitable for snorkelers​
north of Dahab​
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no infrastructure
Blue Hole
The Blue Hole - many stories surround this world famous dive site. As a large hole in the reef top, it drops vertically to depths of 70-115 m and opens into a drop-off in the open ocean. There the maximum depth is said to be between 700 and 800 m. In the middle of the Blue Hole, at a depth of 55 m, is a connection to the open ocean, known as the "Arch" because of its shape. Diving through this breach is only possible for technical divers due to the usual depth limits of recreational diving. But the Blue Hole hardly leaves anyone cold, its fascination is hard to escape. And so, unfortunately, it also happens that many divers have left their lives here due to recklessness or overestimation of their own abilities.
But do not be afraid! Blue Hole is one thing above all: a beautiful dive site. We are happy to accompany you as a Tec-diver but also as a recreational diver into the depths here - completely adapted to your training and your abilities.
For the recreational divers, the Blue Hole can be dived along its reef edge, in addition to the dive from the Bells. The entry point is just in front of the beach cafes. The route leads past the apnoea divers inside the Blue Hole, across the saddle to the outer reef. Beautiful soft corals and countless fishes are waiting for you here. Feel like you are in a huge aquarium and enjoy the dive, which usually takes you to depths of about 20 m, with the reef on your right shoulder. At the halfway point, turn around and dive back shallower, then swim back over the saddle into the Blue Hole again.
After the safety stop, you return to the surface through a notch in the reef. Since this is usually the second dive of the day, we then head back home to Sunsplash where you can spend the rest of the day relaxing on the beach or shopping in Dahab.
12 - 20 m
Good to know
Apnea divers can be observed during training
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beautiful reef wall
northernmost dive site accessible by car ​
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beach cafés
Bells
Way up north of Dahab you will find one of the most popular but also most notorious dive sites in the Red Sea, if not the world: the Blue Hole! The 65 meter wide hole in the reef roof with its depth of 110 m is the hotspot par excellence for technical divers. But it also offers wonderful dives for recreational divers.
One of the most beautiful and fascinating is the one from Bells to Blue Hole. It takes a bit of effort to get to the entrance, but it is well worth it. With the equipment, we leave Blue Hole and cross a large ledge. There are several memorial plaques for the divers who died in the Blue Hole - an impressive testimony that shows that the sea sets limits to man. Continue on a trail until you come to a small cut in the reef about 2 m wide: the entrance to the Bells.
And off you go. Get into the water, put on your fins and mask and descend. Directly in the reef gap a chimney has formed, which is open towards the front. We descend one by one. At 27 m the chimney rejoins the outer wall of the reef and spits you out at the beautiful wall, which ends in a drop-off of about 800 m. A breathtaking experience.
Following the wall the dive leads towards Blue Hole. Nice overhangs and niches offer perfect hiding places for grouper and co. and of course the view into the deep dark blue of the drop-off. Slowly shallowing the dive continues to the outer edge of Blue Hole. Beautiful soft corals and a colorful fish world await you and lead you over the so-called saddle into Blue Hole. Experience the infinite blue that gave the place its name and watch the apnoea divers gliding along their lines into the depths.
After the safety stop, you will return to the surface through a notch in the reef, where a Bedouin tea or an ice-cold coke will be waiting for you in one of the beach cafés and where you can relax until the next dive.
30 - 40 m
Good to know
Entrance via chimney​
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beautiful drop-off
within walking distance from the Blue Hole
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no infrastructure