Ras Katy

Gorgonian fans heavy with glassfish cover a line of coral pinnacles that rise from sand to the surface, thirty metres off the fringing reef in one of Sharm's calmest bays. The standard route starts on the mooring and becomes a semi-drift around the main pinnacle, where Napoleon wrasse cruise at mid-water and anthias pulse in loose clouds. Between the pinnacles and the reef plate, a sheltered sandy channel hides goby-shrimp pairs, bluespotted stingrays, and crocodilefish lying flat against the bottom.

Three options open up for divers with air and certification. The southern corner juts out at 26m into a gathering of Red Sea bannerfish and red-tooth triggerfish. Stay shallow for the first ten minutes and head toward the white tip shark's territory at 28m. Or follow the drop-off edge where the reef falls to 65-70m. On the return from the southern corner, a large fan coral thick with glassfish makes a signature photography stop.

Boat skippers named this site after a woman who sunbathed on the nearby beach. They would wave as they passed, and the name stuck. That informal origin fits the character of the diving: no national park fees, no permits, no long boat ride. Ras Katy is the first site from Sharm el Mina marina, and its bay position means it dives when Tiran and Ras Mohammed cancel to wind.

The range of depths here is unusual for a beginner site. The main pinnacle breaks the surface, so snorkellers can see the same gorgonians and hard corals that divers circle below. At the other end, the drop-off plunges past 65m. The white tip shark at 28m gives experienced divers a specific reason to visit a site that most know only as a training ground.

The pinnacle circuit at 5-18m suits Open Water divers and snorkellers. Reaching the southern corner bannerfish or the white tip shark means descending past 25m, which requires Advanced Open Water. Fire coral grows on the pinnacles. Neutral buoyancy matters. Lionfish and scorpionfish sit in sandy crevices between coral heads. Current is usually negligible inside the bay but can develop near the corner toward Temple, so watch for drift on the southern leg. Early mornings and late afternoons offer better visibility and fewer boats overhead.