DiveCodex/log

Diving in Sharm El Sheikh

Southern Sinai dive hub where Ras Mohammed walls, Straits of Tiran reefs, and the SS Thistlegorm wreck share year-round Red Sea warmth.

Last updated April 2026

Sharm El Sheikh
© Jouni Kuisma

Overview

Na'ama Bay wakes up early. By 7 AM, minibuses are collecting divers from hotels for two-dive boat trips that cover four distinct diving zones within day range. Ras Mohammed, Egypt's first marine national park, drops as sheer walls where barracuda schools and grey reef sharks patrol in the current. Shark and Yolanda Reef combines an 800m vertical face with the surreal cargo field of a sunken ship, its porcelain bathtubs scattered across the plateau. North of town, the Straits of Tiran push nutrient-rich water through four reef systems. Jackson Reef draws hammerheads between August and October. Thomas Reef's canyon plunges to 52m, a pilgrimage for tech divers.

Closer to shore, the Gardens and Temple offer easy coral pinnacle dives where newly certified divers build confidence alongside clownfish and lionfish. Then there is the Thistlegorm. The WWII cargo ship sits upright at 33m with motorcycles, trucks, rifles, and two locomotives still in its holds. Coral health here outperforms much of the Egyptian Red Sea. Visibility rarely drops below 20m in any season. A beginner and a tech diver can both fill a week without repeating a site.

Planning your visit

Sharm El Sheikh International Airport (SSH) receives direct flights from across Europe and the Middle East. Most dive centres arrange hotel pickups between 7 and 8:30 AM, returning by late afternoon. Two guided boat dives with tanks, weights, and lunch is the standard day format. Ras Mohammed requires a 7 EUR per day park fee (increasing to 15 USD from June 2026). Tiran adds roughly 15 EUR per trip. The Thistlegorm is a separate excursion with an early start and supplement fee; a liveaboard is the better option if the wreck is your priority. Prices vary and are negotiable for multi-day packages. Spring and autumn give the best balance of conditions. Summer works well for diving despite extreme air heat, and the water is at its warmest. A 3mm wetsuit covers summer; bring 5mm for winter when water drops to 21-23 degrees.

Geology & underwater terrain

Fringing coral reefs with vertical walls exceeding 800m at Shark Observatory. Sandy plateaux with coral pinnacles at local sites. Four major reef systems rise from the deep in the Straits of Tiran with canyons, drop-offs, and caverns.

Top Dives

The must-do dives in this area, picked by our editors.

  1. 1
    S.S. Thistlegorm

    AOW wreck enthusiasts seeking the world's most complete WWII military cargo at recreational depth

  2. 2
    Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef

    Red Sea's defining dive, where an 800 m wall meets wreck cargo and pelagic schools

  3. 3
    Jackson reef

    Advanced divers seeking Sharm's strongest drift and seasonal hammerhead encounters at the Tiran strait

  4. 4
    Ras Umm Sid

    Wall diving through dense gorgonian fans with the option of shore or boat entry

  5. 5
    The Alternatives

    Sheltered pinnacle diving with a reliable stingray cleaning station and night dives rich in glassfish

Dive sites map

Dive sites in Sharm El Sheikh

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Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef

World-ranked drift dive at Sinai's tip combining an 800 m vertical wall, coral plateau, and scattered cargo from the 1980 Yolanda wreck.

Advanced30mBoatWallReefDriftWreck

Shark Observatory

Gorgonian-draped wall dive beneath Ras Mohammed's fossil cliff, dropping past overhangs and cave systems beyond 100 m into open blue.

Moderate100mBoat & shoreWallReefDrift

Ras Umm Sid

Sharm's largest gorgonian forest on a steep wall with shore entry at El Fanar lighthouse and drift diving around the headland.

Moderate70mBoat & shoreWallReef

Woodhouse Reef

Tiran's longest and narrowest reef, a one-kilometre wall drift with a canyon at 25-30m, black coral colonies, and the notorious washing machine current zone.

Moderate40mBoatReefWallDrift

Thomas reef

The smallest of Tiran's four reefs, with plunging soft-coral walls and a deep canyon descending to 93m that draws technical divers worldwide.

Advanced93mBoatReefWallCanyonDrift

Tower

Shore-accessible wall and canyon dive near Ras Umm Sid with a fossil coral tower entry, vertical canyon, and pinnacle-studded slopes.

Moderate30mBoat & shoreWallCanyonReef

The Alternatives

Sheltered coral pinnacle ring northwest of Ras Mohammed, known for its stingray cleaning station and popular night diving.

Easy30mBoatPinnacleReef

Temple

Three coral pinnacles in sheltered Ras Umm Sid bay with swim-through fissures, resident crocodilefish, and one of Sharm's top night dive sites.

Moderate30mBoatPinnacleReef

Million Hope Wreck

Red Sea's largest wreck at 175m long, a bulk carrier grounded in 1996 near Nabq Bay with five holds, four cranes, and multilevel superstructure from 4-24m.

Moderate24mBoatWreck

Stingray Station

Shallow patch reef in the Ras Mohammed Alternatives where blue spotted stingrays gather in spring, with snorkelling access and coral-covered ergs to 25m.

Easy25mBoatReefPinnacle

Paradise

Easy shore-access coral garden between Ras Umm Sid and Amphoras, featuring soft-coral-covered ergs and pinnacles from 12-22 m.

Easy28mBoat & shoreReefSlope

Jackson reef

Northernmost Tiran reef with Sharm's fastest drift dive, a coral aquarium at 5-12m, and seasonal hammerheads off the northern tip Aug-Oct.

Advanced40mBoatReefWallDrift

Ras Nasrani

Northern Sharm headland with fringing reef, wall to 60 m, caverns, and gorgonian fans at the approach to the Straits of Tiran.

Moderate60mBoat & shoreReefWallCaveDrift

Amphoras

Local Sharm drift dive over a sandy coral slope, named after 17th-century Turkish shipwreck amphoras visible at 22-28 m depth.

Easy30mBoat & shoreReefDrift

Emperor Fraser

Former wooden liveaboard at 26-30m on Beacon Rock reef, coral-encrusted since sinking in 2009, with glassfish clouds and stonefish on the structure.

Moderate30mBoatWreck

Small Crack

Tidal passage through Sha'ab Mahmoud reef where strong currents fuel dense soft corals, flashlight fish, and one of the Red Sea's distinctive night dives.

Moderate30mBoatReefDriftCanyon

Ras Katy

Coral pinnacles rising from sand to surface in a sheltered Sharm bay, with gorgonian-draped glassfish schools, resident Napoleon wrasse, and a white tip shark at 28m.

Easy25mBoat & shoreReefPinnacle

Ras Ghozlani

Pristine hard coral garden in Ras Mohammed reopened after years of closure for turtle nesting, with extraordinary table corals and glassfish-covered pinnacles.

Easy30mBoatReef

S.S. Thistlegorm

WWII British cargo ship sunk 1941 at Sha'ab Ali, with motorcycles, trucks, rifles, and two locomotives on the seabed at 16-32m.

Advanced32mBoatWreck

Dunraven

1876 British steamship lying upside down at Beacon Rock, with cathedral-like hull penetration and coral-encrusted interior at 15-29m.

Moderate29mBoatWreckReef

Gordon Reef

Tiran's southernmost reef where whitetip reef sharks rest in a sandy amphitheater and the rusting Loullia wreck marks the skyline.

Moderate35mBoatReefWreckDrift

Jackfish Alley

Ras Mohammed's largest plateau with a sandy channel funnelling current past jackfish schools, coral pinnacles, and light-filled swim-through caves.

Moderate40mBoatReefDrift

Photos

Videos

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sharm El Sheikh good for beginner divers?▾
Yes. The Gardens (Near, Middle, Far, Fiddle) and Ras Katy are calm, shallow sites with coral pinnacles and easy conditions. Several centres offer discover scuba programmes at these sites. Certified Open Water divers can access most local sites along the Sharm coast.
How much does diving cost in Sharm El Sheikh?▾
Multi-day dive packages range from around 50 EUR for a single half-day to 660 EUR for 20 dives over 10 days. Thistlegorm day trips carry a supplement of around 125 EUR including nitrox. Park fees add 7 EUR per day for Ras Mohammed (increasing to 15 USD from June 2026) and about 15 EUR per trip for Tiran. Prices are often negotiable for longer stays.
When is the best time to dive in Sharm El Sheikh?▾
March to May and September to November offer the most comfortable balance of water temperature, air temperature, and visibility. Water stays warm year-round (21-29 degrees depending on season). Summer is hot above water (40-45 degrees) but brings the warmest water and fewer crowds. Winter offers the best visibility, sometimes exceeding 40m.
Can you see sharks in Sharm El Sheikh?▾
Whitetip reef sharks are year-round residents at several sites. Grey reef sharks appear at Ras Mohammed and Ras Za'atar in summer. Hammerhead sharks school at Jackson Reef in the Straits of Tiran from August to October. Oceanic whitetips are rare but occasionally spotted in deeper water.
How do you get to the Thistlegorm wreck from Sharm?▾
Day boats depart early (around 5 AM) for the 3-4 hour trip each way. You get two dives on the wreck before returning late afternoon. All day boats arrive at the same time, so it gets busy underwater. A liveaboard offers multiple dives including night dives with fewer divers. Tech divers can arrange a single extended dive while recreational groups do their two-dive cycle.
Is Sharm or Hurghada better for diving?▾
Sharm generally has healthier corals and more topographic variety. Ras Mohammed and Tiran give Sharm a clear edge for reef diving. Hurghada has the Abu Nuhas wreck graveyard (four wrecks on one reef) and slightly cheaper prices. A northern Red Sea liveaboard lets you dive the best of both.
Do you need a liveaboard to dive Sharm El Sheikh?▾
Not for most sites. Local reefs, Ras Mohammed, and Tiran are all reachable by day boat. The Thistlegorm is doable as a day trip but involves six or more hours of travel. Liveaboards give early access to the wreck, night dives, and the Rosalie Moller which day boats generally cannot reach.
What is the visibility like in Sharm El Sheikh?▾
Consistently 20 to 30 metres year-round, thanks to minimal rainfall and clear Red Sea water. Winter can push visibility past 40m. In exceptional conditions visibility has been recorded at 40-60m.
What marine park fees apply in Sharm El Sheikh?▾
Ras Mohammed National Park charges 7 EUR per person per day (increasing to 15 USD from June 2026). Tiran Island has a separate fee of around 15 EUR per trip covering reef protection and mooring maintenance. Dive centres collect fees on the boat.
Is there coral bleaching in Sharm El Sheikh?▾
As of late 2024, the northern Red Sea around Ras Mohammed shows no bleaching. Southern Egypt (Safaga and south of Ras Banas) has reported severe bleaching. Sharm's northern position appears to provide some protection, though the situation needs monitoring.

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