Scuba Diving in The Brothers

Diving in The Brothers

Diving in The Brothers takes you to the deep end of Egyptian Red Sea diving. Known locally as El Akhawein ("the two brothers"), these are two tiny rocky pinnacles rising from 700+ m (2,300+ ft) of open ocean about 67 km (42 mi) off the El Quseir coast, accessible only by liveaboard. Big Brother is the larger of the two and carries a Victorian-era stone lighthouse built in 1883 by the British, plus a small detachment of Egyptian soldiers who rotate through. Little Brother sits about 1 km (0.6 mi) southeast, even smaller and uninhabited. Both islands are pure steep-sided cones with no lagoons, no beaches, and walls dropping vertically into the blue. Underwater, you'll find the most consistent shark diving in Egypt, two of the country's most photogenic wrecks, and soft coral coverage that ranks with the best in the world.

The Brothers were declared part of Egypt's marine protected area system in 1983, with liveaboard access regulated since the early 2000s. Trips run from Hurghada and Port Ghalib, typically as part of the 7-night "BDE" (Brothers, Daedalus, and Elphinstone) itinerary or the longer "Deep South" routes. You'll get 2 to 4 dive days at the Brothers on most schedules, with 3 to 4 dives per day cycling between the wreck dives at Big Brother (Numidia on the north reef, Aida on the south reef) and the plateau and wall dives at both islands. Liveaboards are not permitted to moor overnight at the islands themselves and instead sail back to safer anchorage each evening. Night dives are prohibited under marine park rules.

Conditions are demanding. The islands sit fully exposed in open water with no shelter, so wind, swell, and current are the defining variables. Visibility runs 30–50 m (100–165 ft) in clear conditions and the water is warmer than the northern Red Sea (22 °C / 72 °F in February, 29 °C / 84 °F in August). Expect moderate to strong currents and occasional unpredictable downwellings and upwellings at the plateau corners. SMB is mandatory on every dive, Nitrox is standard, and most operators require minimum 50 logged dives plus Advanced Open Water before booking.

Best Dive Sites in The Brothers

The best dive sites in The Brothers split between the two islands. Big Brother carries the famous wrecks plus the north plateau where hammerheads patrol; Little Brother is celebrated for its soft coral walls and oceanic whitetip encounters. Here are the five most-dived.

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SS Numidia Wreck (Big Brother)

The SS Numidia is the marquee wreck dive of The Brothers and one of the most photogenic shipwrecks in the world. The 137 m (450 ft) British steam cargo ship was built in 1901 by D & W Henderson in Glasgow for the Anchor Line and lost on its second voyage, ramming the north reef of Big Brother at speed on 19 July 1901 while carrying railway materials for the Calcutta route. After two months of salvage attempts, winter storms tore her free and she sank along the reef wall. You'll find her perched on a dramatic steep angle along the northern slope, bow at 8 m (26 ft) and stern at 80–85 m (260–280 ft), somehow defying gravity on the wall. The wooden decking is long gone, leaving a steel framework densely encrusted with hard and soft corals. Most dives drop you onto the shallow bow at 10–15 m (33–50 ft) to drift down along the hull, with options to penetrate the holds at 20–40 m (65–130 ft) or push deeper for the engine room at 50 m (165 ft) and the propeller at 80 m (260 ft) if you're tec qualified.

Depth: 8–85 m (26–280 ft) | Visibility: 30–40 m (100–130 ft) | Current: Moderate to strong | Level: Advanced (Tec for stern sections) Key species: Schooling barracuda, anthias clouds, lionfish, scorpionfish, glassfish swarms in the holds, occasional reef sharks

SS Aida Wreck (Big Brother)

The SS Aida sits about 100 m (330 ft) from the Numidia on the south side of Big Brother, a 75 m (245 ft) supply ship that struck the reef during a storm on 15 September 1957 while attempting to deliver food, water, and the next shift of soldiers to the lighthouse garrison. The captain ignored weather warnings and the ship sank rapidly, with the crew abandoning to shore. You'll find the wreck along the reef slope at 30–65 m (100–215 ft), broken into two main sections by storm damage over the decades. The bow section rests vertically against the wall at 30 m (100 ft), the stern slid deeper to 60 m+ (200 ft+). Soft coral coverage is dense across both sections and glassfish swarms fill the open holds. Expect to enter from the wall above, drop onto the wreck, and circle the structure before returning to the reef wall for your safety stop.

Depth: 30–65 m (100–215 ft) | Visibility: 30–40 m (100–130 ft) | Current: Moderate to strong | Level: Advanced Key species: Glassfish swarms, schooling fusiliers, soft coral coverage, lionfish, blue-spotted ray, occasional reef sharks

Big Brother North Plateau

The North Plateau at Big Brother is the headline shark dive of the island, a narrow plateau extending north from the lighthouse end at 40 m (130 ft) depth that drops sharply into the blue on both sides. This is where the pelagic patrol concentrates: you'll watch for schools of scalloped hammerheads passing through in spring and summer, thresher sharks looping in from deeper water in the early morning, and grey reef sharks that are essentially resident year-round. The plateau itself is decorated with gorgonian fans and black corals, but the dive is about looking out to the blue rather than down at the reef. Drop directly onto the plateau corner, hold at 35–40 m (115–130 ft) watching the blue, and slowly drift back along the wall to shallower depths for your safety stop.

Depth: 30–40 m+ (100–130 ft+) | Visibility: 30–50 m (100–165 ft) | Current: Strong, often drift | Level: Advanced (deep, exposed) Key species: Scalloped hammerhead (May–September), thresher shark (best in cooler months), grey reef shark, silvertip, occasional silky shark, schooling tuna and trevally

Little Brother Walls and Plateau

Little Brother is the smaller of the two islands but for many divers the highlight of any Brothers trip. The reef is steep-sided on all four corners with walls dropping past 100 m (330 ft), decorated with dense gorgonian fans, black corals, and some of the most pristine soft coral coverage in the Red Sea. Two plateaus extend north and south from the island, both ending in sharp drop-offs at 35–45 m (115–150 ft) where the pelagic action concentrates. Oceanic whitetip sharks are the headline encounter here, particularly bold and curious in the autumn months, often approaching you in the upper water column at the safety stop. The eastern and southern walls are also famous for their dense soft coral coverage in the upper 30 m (100 ft). Plan to dive Little Brother as 2 to 3 separate dives covering different plateau corners.

Depth: 5–45 m+ (15–150 ft+) | Visibility: 30–50 m (100–165 ft) | Current: Moderate to strong | Level: Advanced Key species: Oceanic whitetip shark (Oct–Dec), grey reef shark, silvertip, Napoleon wrasse, schooling barracuda, dense soft coral gardens

Big Brother South Plateau

The South Plateau at Big Brother extends from the southern tip of the island, starting at 30 m (100 ft) and dropping past 60 m (200 ft) at the corner, with the plateau itself about 20 m (65 ft) wide and falling away to 80 m+ (260 ft+) on the sides. This is the second of Big Brother's two famous shark sites (after the North Plateau), with grey reef sharks consistent year-round, hammerheads in spring and summer, and occasional thresher and silky sightings. Current typically flows from the north around the southern tip, which makes returning against current difficult, so you'll most likely run this as a drift dive ending in pickup by tender boat. The plateau itself has scattered coral heads and the surrounding walls hold dense soft coral coverage.

Depth: 30–60 m+ (100–200 ft+) | Visibility: 30–50 m (100–165 ft) | Current: Strong, drift only | Level: Advanced Key species: Grey reef shark, scalloped hammerhead (May–September), occasional thresher, silky shark, Napoleon wrasse, schooling tuna

Best Time to Dive The Brothers

The best time to dive The Brothers is May to November. Late spring through summer (May to September) is peak hammerhead season, with the schools passing through Big Brother's plateaus and Daedalus to the south on the same migration; June and July are typically the strongest months. Autumn (October to December) is peak oceanic whitetip season, with Little Brother particularly reliable for close encounters in November. Threshers are seen year-round at depth but tend to be more active in the cooler months. Water temperatures peak at 29 °C (84 °F) in August. The formal marine park closure runs January through March, with weather effectively limiting operations from late November onward, so most liveaboards schedule their Brothers itineraries between April and early December.

Diving Conditions

Marine Life in The Brothers

Marine life in The Brothers is what makes the long offshore trip worth it. Both islands hold the full Red Sea pelagic roster plus dense soft and hard coral coverage on the walls, with several signature species particularly tied to the Brothers sites.

Oceanic whitetip sharks: October to December, especially around Little Brother. Oceanic whitetips (Carcharhinus longimanus) arrive at Little Brother in numbers from late September through December, with November typically the most reliable month. You'll see them in the upper 20 m (65 ft) of the water column, bold and curious, often approaching directly during your safety stop. The Brothers and Elphinstone are the two most reliable oceanic whitetip sites in Egypt, with the Brothers favoured for longer encounters and multiple dives per day.

Scalloped hammerhead sharks: May to September, especially around Big Brother North Plateau. Scalloped hammerheads (Sphyrna lewini) pass through the Brothers on a migration that also takes in Daedalus to the south. The North Plateau at Big Brother is the most reliable spot, with schools of 5–20 individuals appearing in the blue at 35–40 m (115–130 ft) during the early morning dive. June and July are typically the strongest months, and the encounters reward patience: drop deep, hold position, watch the blue.

Thresher sharks: Year-round at depth, especially around Big Brother North Plateau. Pelagic threshers (Alopias pelagicus) hang around Big Brother's deep walls and the North Plateau drop-offs throughout the year, with cooler months (September to February) often producing more sightings as the sharks come shallower in search of cooler thermoclines. Encounters are less reliable than hammerheads but more dramatic when they happen, with the long curved tail visible from distance in the blue.

Grey reef sharks and silvertips: Year-round, both islands. Grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) are resident year-round at both plateaus and the wall corners, often patrolling in groups of 2–8. Silvertips (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) are less common but reliable, particularly at deeper sections of the Little Brother walls.

• Napoleon wrasse and reef community: Both islands hold large resident Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), often 1.5 m+ (5 ft+) in length and curious about divers. You'll find the shallow walls and plateau tops dense with schooling barracuda, jacks, trevally, fusiliers, and the standard Red Sea reef community of lionfish, scorpionfish, anthias, glassfish, and dense soft coral coverage.

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Practical Information

Dive Prices

• Standard BDE 7-night liveaboard: $1,200–$2,000 USD covering Brothers, Daedalus, and Elphinstone, typically with 3 dive days at the Brothers
• Premium BDE 7-night liveaboard: $2,000–$3,500 USD on newer boats with smaller groups and better facilities
• Brothers-only short itineraries: Rare, since the Brothers are typically combined with Daedalus and Elphinstone in standard routings
• Marine park fees: $80–$120 USD per week typically included in liveaboard pricing
• Nitrox supplement: $80–$150 USD per week, strongly recommended given 3–4 dives per day

Getting There

The Brothers are reached only by liveaboard. The standard departure ports are Hurghada and Port Ghalib (15 minutes from Marsa Alam Airport / RMF). Hurghada departures sail roughly 5–6 hours south to reach the islands; Port Ghalib departures are 3–4 hours offshore from the marina. Flights into either Hurghada International Airport (HRG) or Marsa Alam (RMF) connect with European charter carriers as well as Cairo and Istanbul transfers. Fly into the airport closest to your chosen departure port, since both are within 1 hour of the marinas.