Blue Hole

The usual recreational dive here is a one-way drift that finishes inside the sinkhole. Divers drop into the Bells chimney one at a time, narrow enough that tanks knock the walls, and at about 26 to 28 metres slip out under a small arch onto the open reef wall. That small arch belongs to the chimney; the Arch of the Blue Hole is a separate feature and a technical dive. The wall is followed south with its overhangs, ascending over hard coral and clouds of anthias, until the coral lip of the saddle appears at 6 to 7 metres. The saddle is a shallow bank leading into the hole, where the safety stop is done before a beach exit near the cafes.

Inside, the walls fall away into blue and the coral is thin. Circling the rim takes about fifteen minutes, and from the saddle a diver can instead turn right along the southern wall. Most dives spend their time on the outer wall, which is where the reef is.

Technical divers start inside the hole and cross the Arch threshold, then ascend the seaward wall with decompression stops before returning over the top of the hole. The entrance is hard to find because the line from the hole to open water is indirect, and the floor beyond runs well over 100 metres. One operator offers deeper profiles at 65, 75 and 90 metres beyond the Arch and suggests over a week of Blue Hole diving for technical divers.

Freedivers train here because the depth starts at the shore and there is hardly any current. Buoy ropes hang inside the hole, divers on the saddle watch the freedivers go down, and the standing advice is to leave the ropes alone. Around that circular, coral-fringed hole sit cafes, a shore path of memorial plaques and a car park that holds about 50 vehicles on an ordinary day.

The reef outside the hole is the draw for most divers. Near the Bells the hard coral is a carpet of colours and textures, while the coral inside the hole is disappointing and its appeal is depth, light and the freedivers. Quoted dimensions for the hole vary widely: from just over 100 to 130 metres deep and from about 25 to about 150 metres across, so any single figure is approximate.

The gate opens around 08:00 and divers are generally asked to be out of the water by 16:00. Asking for Bells to Blue Hole as the first dive of the day puts you ahead of the snorkelers who crowd the narrow entry path, where small rocks on the path and under the water make a slow walk-in sensible. Most operators ask for a check dive on a house reef, or a shore or boat dive, before bringing divers here.

The shore path passes a rock with plaques bearing the names of divers who died at the site, left by families and friends. A yellow surface marker signals an emergency in Egypt, so carry an orange one for routine ascents. Watch for lionfish and stingrays near the shore entry.

Leave the freedivers' ropes alone: a freediver can surface right beneath you.