From tropical waters to the frozen waters of the North Atlantic Ocean, I have had the opportunity to dive and work as an instructor in many different locations around the world, but among all these locations, there is one place that is still among the top three for me. The Red Sea!!!
Located between Asia and Africa, the Red Sea is one of the world’s favorite diving locations for divers with its incredible underwater life and clear waters. When you start descending for diving, it is very surprising to suddenly switch from the desert landscape where life is very limited to the reefs full of life.
The underwater structure of the Red Sea is such that it will address divers with different experiences. From shallow coral gardens to endless walls that suddenly get deeper, from wrecks that each have a different story to large species that swim around you without paying attention to you, the Red Sea has dive spots that will make many divers happy. The SS Thistlegorm wreck, which I will talk about in detail in another article, is one of the wrecks that every diver who comes to the Red Sea should see.
The coral reefs in the Red Sea are characterized by their good health and great biodiversity.As a natural result of the coral diversity, many different fish species live in these reefs.High peaks and caves decorated with corals, Nemo’s guarding their anemones in gardens stretching as far as you can see, and schools of fish dancing with the current. There are 1200 different fish species and 200 different coral species living in these waters, including Manta Ray, Whale Shark and Bottlenose Dolphin species. With all these features, the Red Sea offers enjoyable dives for underwater photographers or hobbyists.
At this point, I would like to make a reminder that healthy coral reefs are not only a necessity for underwater species but also of great importance for those of us living on land. For this reason, it is one of the main duties of instructors to train not only good divers but also responsible divers. But we all have a responsibility towards the world we live in. We must embrace sustainable tourism activities and implement them for our future.
So when should we go to the Red Sea?
To give a general answer, the Red Sea is a location where we can dive at any time of the year, but you can choose the most suitable season according to your preferences. Sea water temperatures are between 22 degrees and 29 degrees throughout the year and visibility is usually above 30m. If you are making a plan by taking the water temperatures into consideration, the temperatures start to rise from March onwards.The water temperatures warm up from June onwards, bringing with it a more vibrant underwater life.July and August are especially good times for Manta and Whale Sharks.
But don’t forget that the summer months also bring more crowded boats and crowded diving groups. My preference is September and October, because the crowds of the summer months disappear and the water temperature and air temperature are at ideal degrees.
The question of where to go depends again on your preferences. If you are looking for a more resort city and a touristy place, Sharm El Sheikh is for you. Sharm, which has limited shore diving opportunities, is generally ideal for daily boat dives.If you are looking for a quieter place with easier access to diving spots, Hurghada may be suitable for you.If you go a little further north, Marsa Alam can offer you pleasant dives and a calm environment away from the chaos after diving.
Before you go diving in the Red Sea, I recommend you to make a reservation with a reliable dive center. It is also important to take rashguard and reef-friendly sunscreens with you. If you want to enjoy diving in the Red Sea, you should overcome your first inexperience periods by increasing the number of dives a little and if possible, you should have Advanced Diver Certificate before going to the Red Sea and get Enriched Air, Nitrox training.
If you are a beginner diver, you can still have a lot of fun diving, but if you want to increase your enjoyment and diversify the number of dive sites you can dive, it is useful to be a little experienced diver. In addition, as responsible divers, the key to perfect buoyancy, which is necessary to protect the fragile underwater structure, is to be an experienced diver.
If you’ve never had an experience like this before, diving in the Red Sea will have a transformative effect on you, so pack your diving gear, adopt responsible diving practices and get ready to dive!
Stay safe !!
