Ras Umm Sid

The El Fanar lighthouse marks the entry point. From shore, divers cross the reef plate and descend through a corridor carved into the reef edge. From a boat, mooring is at around 25m near the base of the wall.

The wall itself drops steeply from 10m. Between 18 and 25m, gorgonian sea fans spread across the rock face in what is the largest such forest in the Sharm area. Soft corals fill the gaps between the fans. Out in the blue, schools of chevron barracuda circle, and batfish congregate around a huge coral pillar that serves as a landmark on the wall.

Drift divers use the current to travel south to north along the wall, ascending gradually. On the way up, the shallow zone at 5-6m offers small canyons and caves packed with glassfish. A good place to spend a safety stop.

Ras Umm Sid is often the first dive for visitors arriving in Sharm. Centres use it as a checkout dive before clearing guests for Ras Mohammed or Tiran. That framing undersells it. The gorgonian forest is a genuine highlight, not a warmup feature. No other local site has this density of sea fans at accessible depth.

The headland position also separates Ras Umm Sid from the sheltered sites further north. Currents sweep around the point, and that exposure brings pelagic life that the Gardens or Ras Katy rarely see. Between March and June, manta rays pass through. The shore entry at El Fanar adds a dimension most Sharm sites lack entirely. Three routes radiate from the pier: left toward open water and depth, right along the reef, or straight out over the plateau. Few local dives offer that range.

Shore divers heading left (south) from El Fanar should watch their depth and position. The wall is exposed to open sea, and depth increases fast. "Be careful of depth since you can go to 30 metres or more" is standard local advice for this route.

Currents around the headland are variable. Calm on one visit, strong on the next. An SMB is essential for the drift version. A torch is worth carrying for the shallow caves where glassfish, nudibranchs, and small critters hide in the dark.

The reef plate crossing on foot can be rough on bare feet and hard on coral. Use the pier at El Fanar when it is accessible, and reef shoes if not.