Sea Dancer Dive Center / Dive Sites

The Ras Abu Galum protected area is a wonderful location for diving and snorkelling and is normally done as a camel safari.

The best diving is at the northern end of the Bedouin village. You enter at a split in the reef and head out towards some fantastic coral formations which are teeming with fish life. Experienced divers can head out to the deep reef wall, but, in truth, the most interesting life is in the shallows, making it a great dive for all levels of diver.

Things to watch out for, are turtles, eagle rays and giant barracuda, which come in from the open sea to visit the cleaner wrasse which populate this area.

This safari is a great day trip and a truly unique “Dahab” experience.

Bannerfish Bay

Also called “Dahab bay”, “Assalah bay” and “Sea Dancer reef” (but only by us of course).

Not only is it the perfect place for training dives, but for divers interested in photography and marine biology you won’t find a better site in Dahab.

Here, the patches of coral are covered in fish and the sea grass is home to sea horses, pipe fish and many small rarities. There are also car tyres and clay pots which make a great home for small fish, eels, anemones and octopus. There is even a coral encrusted car wreck, which is a testament to how nature can reclaim the alien and destructive, as its own.

Add regular visits by large rays and the occasional dolphin and you can see why “our” dive site is many people’s favourite.

Oh yes, there are also lots of bannerfish!

Abu Helal may not be as famous as neighbouring sites, but if conditions are right it is as beautiful a dive.

The corals around the entrance lagoon are stunning; this leads us left to the coral gardens. Fewer divers seems to suit the larger marine animals and there are more sightings here of the rare and unusual.

If you head straight out from the shore you will eventually come to the “small canyon” at around 30 meters. This canyon is potentially hazardous due to its depth, narrowness of entry/exit points and easily disturbed sediment and should not be attempted by recreational divers.

This dive can be done as a drift dive to nearby Abu Telha.

The Bells

The Bells is an open chimney carved into the sheer reef wall. You enter the mouth of The Bells directly from the shore. You then drop down to a small swim-through at around 28 meters.

The wall drops down to 800 meters! All divers need to keep a close eye on their buoyancy and depth here it’s a bloody long way down!

We dive south along the reef wall, gradually coming up to a saddle at seven meters which crosses into the Blue Hole. Here we do our safety stop and exit.

This dive is often done as the “multi-level dive” on the PADI Advanced Open Water course.

The Blue Hole is Dahab’s most famous / infamous dive site. It has a reputation as being a dangerous place to dive. The reason, for its reputation is an archway at around 56 meters which passes through the reef shelf to the open ocean. This arch is actually a 26 meter long overhead environment. At this depth, without the correct training and equipment this is an extremely hazardous dive.

To even consider attempting the arch, you need to have the correct technical training.

But in truth it is not a dangerous dive site and we dive there, safely, hundreds of times every year without incident.

The Blue Hole for recreational divers is normally coupled with a dive starting at The Bells.

The Canyon

Almost as famous as the Blue Hole, the Canyon is Dahab’s second most talked-about dive site.

Abu Helal

Just a few minutes north of the dive center, Eel Garden is the home to Dahab’s largest colony of garden eels.

After a wade across the reef shelf, we enter the water at a channel in the reef. Heading out we pass over a coral ridge and head down to meet the eels. Garden eels live in permanent tubular burrows on the sandy bottom, you can see them standing upright, heads bent into the current picking at passing food.

After the eels we move along and up the sandy slope to the fringing reef. The corals here are amongst the most vibrant and colourful in Dahab.

As with Abu Helal, diving here is dependent on the wind conditions.

Eel Garden

At the sheltered end of Dahab bay, the Lighthouse reef, with its gradually sloping sandy bottom, is a favourite for training, refresh dives and buoyancy checks. It’s easy to overlook what a great dive site it is.

There are many large coral towers or “bommies” which are covered in corals and surrounded by abundant sea life. Those who have only done this dive during training should return and dive it again, it’s different at every depth and often completely surprises all that do it.

Lighthouse

Mashraba

At the southern end of Dahab bay is “Mashraba” reef. Often overlooked as a dive site, it seems to throw up more surprises than other dive sites.

The sandy slope leads to a magnificent “bommie” called Roman’s rock, heading south we pass over some impressive formations before coming to a “family” of beautiful table corals at around 20 meters. Air permitting, you can continue on to an impressive gorgonian fan, before turning at a pinnacle swarming with glass fish and antheas, and then returning along the shallow reef.

Periodic flooding* means that every few years this reef is covered in sediment and it’s interesting to see how the corals recover from this natural damage.

*note the nearby bridge which spans the dry river bed known as a “Wadi.

The Islands

The “ Islands ” are actually two huge coral formations which only break the surface at extremely low tides. This is a shallow site suitable for all levels of diver but only for those with good buoyancy control as much of this dive is over the coral.

To enter the site you have to cross the reef shelf via the “sacrificial” walkway.

You descend into a series of life-filled lagoons surrounded by reef. A coral labyrinth then leads to the back of the Islands and wonderful coral gardens beyond. This area is often home to a large school of barracuda which often swirl around the divers.

The coral formations here are massive and have a cathedral-like quality. Notice some shattered corals, for once not caused by man but the result of an earthquake some years ago. Passing back into the first lagoon we exit via a shallow swim-through.

South Oasis Area

The Southern Oasis region is also known as Wadi Qnai and is home to a variety of dive sites which run continuously, one into another, and therefore, the same site can be known by a different name from one diver to another.

From north to south the sites run thus;

Golden Blocks: named after two large gold coloured coral towers.

Moray Garden: also known as Shark’s Cave, (no Sharks, no Cave so we stick with Moray Garden). It has a beautiful flat sandy area at only 10 meters that the photographers amongst you, can kneel safely, and gaze upon the huge variety of marine life, from cuttlefish, squid and octopus, to swimming moray eels, schools of yellowtailed tang.

Three Pools: The pools lead you from the shore out to some massive “pore” corals and a splendid coral garden.

This area offers some excellent diving for divers of all experience and each site can be dived in many different ways or as drift dives from one to another. Your guide will choose the best site for the conditions and ability level.

There seems to be more sightings of Mantas and Whale Sharks in this area than elsewhere in the region.

Om Sid

Another less known dive site, partly, again due to the strong currents which may be experienced here. For those comfortable with current this is a beautiful dive. Descend down the sandy slope to some impressive table corals which start at around 18 meters, turn north along a magnificent reef wall. Be careful to pay attention to the strength and direction of the current to ensure you will have enough air for the return journey.

The Caves

The Caves is the most southerly Dahab dive site which can be reached by vehicle (from here on the options are boat or camel).

As with many of Dahab’s dive sites the name “The Caves” is not strictly accurate, rather they are imposing rock overhangs covered in soft corals, sponges and black corals. This site is not an actual overhead environment so doesn’t require special training or equipment.

The entry/exit point here can be very difficult in strong winds

Gabr El Bint

Gabr-el Bint can only be reached by camel or boat safari, but is well worth the trip and a superb day out for both divers and snorkelers.

The pristine deep reef wall here, is festooned with some enormous gorgonian fans, large schools of snapper and many species of reef fish. There is also a shallow lagoon here that is full of amazingly colourful marine life.

Turtles, Morays, large Napoleon and Eagle Rays are all seen here regularly.

Note; don’t bother looking for a lighthouse, its set back away from the beach and completely outshone by the neighbouring mosque.

*A “sacrificial” walkway is an area designated for entry and exit over the reef shelf. The idea is to contain reef damage to one specific or “sacrificed” area for the good of the reef as a whole.

Visits by large pelagic species are more common than elsewhere and occasionally a playful dolphin will join you here.

Blue Hole

Ras Abu Galum

Ricks Reef

This dive is one of our favourites, it’s suitable for most levels of diver and is one of the best for spotting a wide variety marine life. Ricks Reef starts around 300 meters north of the Canyon and is normally a done as a drift, finishing at the Canyon lagoon.

This dive rarely takes you deeper than 15 meters and when the current is right is one of the most relaxing and beautiful dives in Dahab.

The shore entry takes you into a shallow lagoon which leads into the coral gardens beyond. Once outside the lagoon you can turn right to the coral gardens, or left to the canyon itself.

For advanced divers the thrill is to explore inside the Canyon. As you drop through the canyon’s mouth, it opens up into a large underwater chamber. The main floor is at 30 meters making it ideal for completing the PADI Advanced Open Water deep dive.

Upon exiting the Canyon, we head along the shallow reef wall to the lagoon for a safety stop and out. The Canyon is many people’s favourite dive, not just in Dahab, but anywhere.