Scuba Diving in Ras Mohammed

Diving in Ras Mohammed puts you at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, where the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba meet to form one of the most nutrient-rich convergence zones in the Red Sea. The park was established in 1983 as Egypt's first protected area and covers about 480 km² (185 mi²) of marine and terrestrial habitat. Underwater, the geography is dramatic: walls drop from the surface to 800 m (2,625 ft), soft coral coverage above 40 m (130 ft) is some of the densest in the world, and the constant water movement keeps the reefs flushed with plankton and packed with fish.

The signature dive is Shark and Yolanda Reef, ranked among the top ten dive sites globally. But the park has range. Anemone City delivers carpets of anemones at 12–15 m (40–50 ft) for relaxed second dives. Jackfish Alley combines caves filled with glassfish with sandy patches where reef sharks rest. Ras Za'atar and Ras Ghozlani offer drift dives along soft-coral walls with regular eagle ray and manta sightings. Most divers reach the park on day boats from Sharm El Sheikh, a 30–45 minute crossing, and run two or three dives in a morning.

Conditions favour intermediate and advanced divers. Currents at Shark Reef can be strong and switchable, with downwellings possible on falling tides. The reward is what makes Ras Mohammed legendary: schools of barracuda and jacks hunting along the wall in summer, grey reef and blacktip sharks year-round, and the occasional oceanic whitetip cruising the blue. Add the Yolanda wreck cargo scattered on the saddle (toilets, bathtubs, and the cab of a BMW car) and you have a dive that genuinely doesn't repeat anywhere else.

Top Dive Sites

The best dive sites in Ras Mohammed sit within a small area at the very tip of the Sinai Peninsula, all reachable in a single day-boat trip from Sharm El Sheikh. Here are the five most-booked.

Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef

Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef are two submerged pinnacles at the southern tip of Ras Mohammed, almost always dived together as a drift. You drop in on Shark Reef's vertical wall, which falls to charted depths of nearly 800 m (2,625 ft), follow the soft-coral wall south, then cross the saddle at 18–20 m (60–65 ft) onto Yolanda Reef's plateau. The Yolanda wreck cargo (toilets, bathtubs, and the cab of a BMW) sits scattered at 15–22 m (50–72 ft) where the cargo ship struck the reef in 1980 (the ship itself slid into the abyss during a storm in 1987). Summer brings huge schooling jacks, snappers, and barracuda hunting along the wall, with grey reef sharks at 25–35 m (80–115 ft) and oceanic whitetips occasionally cruising the blue. Currents are unpredictable; downwellings are possible on falling tides, which makes this a confident-advanced-diver site.

Depth: 5–40 m (16–130 ft) | Level: Advanced

Anemone City

Anemone City is the relaxed companion dive to Shark and Yolanda, and most operators run it as the second dive of the morning. The site is a plateau at 12–15 m (40–50 ft) carpeted in dozens of giant anemones, each home to two-band anemonefish. The wall extends below to 30 m+ (100 ft+) with soft corals and the occasional whitetip reef shark, but most divers spend the dive on the shallow plateau where light penetration makes the anemones glow. Currents are gentle to moderate, and the depth profile makes this a great second dive after Shark Reef.

Depth: 5–25 m (16–82 ft) | Level: All Levels

Jackfish Alley

Jackfish Alley sits on the western side of Ras Mohammed and offers a different feel from the wall dives. This is a shallower drift with two large caves cut into the reef wall, both packed with shoaling glassfish. Outside the caves, the sandy bottom drops to 20 m (65 ft) with regular sightings of resting whitetip reef sharks, stingrays, and the occasional eagle ray. The site is named for the schooling jacks that gather here in summer, though the action is less reliable than at Shark Reef. Currents are usually gentle, making this an excellent intermediate-level dive.

Depth: 6–20 m (20–65 ft) | Level: Intermediate

Ras Ghozlani

Ras Ghozlani is a gentle drift on the western side of Ras Mohammed and one of the park's most underrated sites. The reef wall descends from the surface to a plateau at around 14 m (46 ft), then drops off again past 40 m (130 ft). The soft coral coverage on the wall is exceptional, and the open water off the drop-off regularly produces eagle ray, manta, and (rarely) whale shark sightings during the spring plankton bloom. Currents are usually mild, which makes this a great spot for photography and a relaxed dive for any certification level.

Depth: 5–40 m (16–130 ft) | Level: All Levels

Shark Observatory

Shark Observatory is the dramatic clifftop viewpoint above one of the deepest walls in Ras Mohammed, and the dive site below is a vertical wall that drops well past 80 m (260 ft). Most divers work the 15–30 m (50–100 ft) zone where soft coral coverage is densest and pelagic encounters are most common. The site gets its name from the historical reef shark sightings here, though modern encounters are unpredictable. The wall is more reliable for big pelagics like Napoleon wrasse, tuna, and the occasional thresher shark in the deep. Currents are moderate and the depth profile demands Advanced certification.

Depth: 10–40 m+ (33–130 ft+) | Level: Advanced

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Best Time to Dive

The best time to dive Ras Mohammed for pelagic and shark action is June to September, when nutrient-rich currents bring huge schools of jacks, barracuda, and snappers along with grey reef sharks at Shark Reef. For ideal all-round conditions — flat seas, 30+ m (100+ ft) visibility, comfortable water — target March to May or September to November. Winter (December to February) is the coldest at 21–23 °C (70–73 °F) and brings stronger winds, though Ras Mohammed itself stays diveable when the offshore Tiran trips get cancelled.

Diving Conditions

Marine Life

Marine life in Ras Mohammed is shaped by the convergence of two gulfs, which produces a constant flow of nutrient-rich water and supports one of the densest fish biomasses in the Red Sea. The park hosts over 1,000 fish species and 220+ coral species, plus the regular pelagic action that earned Shark Reef its name.

Grey reef sharks: Year-round, especially around Shark Reef. Resident grey reef sharks patrol the deeper sections of Shark Reef year-round, with sightings most common between 25 and 35 m (80 and 115 ft). They're most reliably seen on the first dive of the morning before boat traffic builds.

Schooling jacks and barracuda: June to September, especially around Shark Reef. Massive schools of bigeye jacks, chevron barracuda, and twin-spot snappers gather at the Shark Reef wall in summer to hunt in the convergence zone currents. This is the headline encounter that puts Ras Mohammed on global top-ten lists.

Oceanic whitetip sharks: October to December, especially around Shark Reef. Oceanic whitetips occasionally appear in the blue water off Shark Reef during the autumn shoulder season, drawn by the same convergence zone that feeds the reef. Encounters are less reliable than at Elphinstone or the Brothers but possible.

• Manta rays and eagle rays: Manta sightings cluster around the spring plankton bloom (April–May) at Ras Ghozlani and Ras Za'atar. Eagle rays are seen year-round at the western sites, often in groups of three or four.
• Reef and macro life: Napoleon wrasse, giant moray eels, crocodilefish, scorpionfish, lionfish, and dense glassfish swarms populate every site. The Yolanda saddle hosts resident frogfish and stonefish if you take the time to look.

Practical Information

Dive Prices

• Fun dives: $70–$90 USD per two-tank day trip from Sharm El Sheikh, park fee included by most operators
• Park/permit fees: $15 USD per day for non-Egyptian visitors (effective late 2025, increased from earlier €5/€7 fee). The 24-hour rate is $30 USD if you stay overnight in the park.

Getting There

Ras Mohammed is reached by day boat from Sharm El Sheikh's marinas (Sharks Bay, Travco, Naama Bay), with crossings of 30–60 minutes depending on departure point and conditions. Land access is possible by car or 4×4 from Sharm in under an hour, but boat access is the standard for diving since the signature sites at the southern tip are unreachable from shore. No liveaboards specifically target Ras Mohammed. It's day-boat territory.