Eel Garden

The dive starts at a channel in the reef shelf, and from there the reef gives way to open sand. Divers drop through a canyon about nine metres wide that opens onto a large, gently sloping sandy area, and the garden eels live out on that slope.

The depth is yours to set. The colony runs from about 7 m down to 20 m, while the maximums quoted for the site run from 25 m to 40 m, and one operator lists 18-40 m. The eels sit in the upper part of that range, so a dive that stays between 7 and 20 m already has the main attraction. Anything below it is a choice about the rest of the site, made within your certification, and the eels do not call for it.

The eels set the pace. Each one stands upright from a permanent tubular burrow with its head bent into the current, and as you move forward they sink into the sand one after another. A slow, low approach keeps more of the field in view.

Napoleon wrasse, flounders, whitespotted puffers and morays are usual along the way, and dolphins and eagle rays pass through more rarely.

Check the wind before you commit to the day: with more than a light breeze the current turns too strong, and a rough sea makes the entry and exit across the reef shelf difficult.

The site lies about 500 m north of the centre of Dahab, a few minutes by pickup. One operator lists the tide at the site as medium to high. A July afternoon dive reported visibility of 30-40 m, which is one day's reading.