As the sun sleeps and the moon awakens, so does a new kind of underwater world. One less familiar, more colorful, and enticingly mysterious. Grasp a better understanding of the marine species that come out to play after dark and then explore the nocturnal realm for yourself on our Creatures of the Night ecological dive!
The Creatures of the Night Reef Ecology Dive includes one classroom presentation followed by one ecological dive where we seek out the species/interactions discussed.
The GUE Fundamentals course is for any certified diver who wishes to enhance their situational awareness, safety, knowledge, performance, and finning techniques. The goal is to build a solid platform, which allows divers to develop sound diving practices with the focus on GUE principles such as:
GUE Fundamentals has two different paths to choose from depending on a diver’s future goals: Recreational Level (on a single tank) and Technical Level (on doubles).
The course also includes a Nitrox certification so you won’t need to do this a separate course and the theory for the Nitrox in the Fundamentals is much more solid than other Nitrox certifications.
Instructor: Mahmoud Esmat
You can see more information here or drop us an email at info@scubaseekers.com to inquire.
The GUE Fundamentals course is for any certified diver who wishes to enhance their situational awareness, safety, knowledge, performance, and finning techniques. The goal is to build a solid platform, which allows divers to develop sound diving practices with the focus on GUE principles such as:
GUE Fundamentals has two different paths to choose from depending on a diver’s future goals: Recreational Level (on a single tank) and Technical Level (on doubles).
The course also includes a Nitrox certification so you won’t need to do this a separate course and the theory for the Nitrox in the Fundamentals is much more solid than other Nitrox certifications.
Instructor: Mahmoud Esmat
You can see more information here or drop us an email at info@scubaseekers.com to inquire.
The conventional method of drift diving involves divers descending along a reef before propelling themselves into a swift current that takes over most the work – carrying divers along the face of the reef to observe wildlife without doing so much as a fin kick.
In Dahab, describing our currents as mild is often an exaggeration; but that doesn’t mean we don’t have our own unique drift sites that allow divers to glide at a slower, less heart-pumping pace. Instead of whizzing past what may have been two mating octopuses and unable to turn back to investigate, our drift sites let divers stop to take it all in – even if it means having to do a fin kick or two.
In no particular order, we rounded up a few of our favorites (including some off-the-beaten path goodies) that are worth adding to your Dahab bucket list.
Located 12 minutes south of Dahab, the site of Golden Blocks starts with an easy shore entry. Divers descend along a gentle slope leading to a mix of coral gardens and sandy alleyways. Where divers go next depends on the dive plan and diver levels as there are multiple profiles ranging from 1 – 40m+. This drift dive can be done several times without repeating the exact same route.
Highlights Include
Larger marine life such as Napoleons, turtles, dolphins and even the rare manta ray and whale shark have been spotted along this route.
Recommended for: all levels as the conditions are calm and it offers interesting routes for Open Water, Advanced, and Deep certified divers as well as divers on double tanks looking for longer dives.
Lighthouse is the gateway site to diving in Dahab. If you’ve done any training or diving in Dahab, this was most likely your first port of call. It’s the most frequented dive site in Dahab, seeing more divers than even the famous Blue Hole!
When diving the Lighthouse reef, divers often follow the reef to the left, stopping to turn back once they hit the first large sandy patch – having no idea that across that sandy slope, the coral wall continues stretching all the way to Eel Garden. Something similar can be said when diving Eel Garden where divers often head left without even seeing the reef along the righthand side.
The drift dive from Eel Garden to Lighthouse bridges the right side of Eel Garden with the left side of Lighthouse, allowing divers to see the coral wall in its entirety.
This site isn’t for the faint of heart as the dive usually takes 80 – 90 minutes and includes a tricky entrance and occasional shifting currents. Exceptional air consumption is a must. Once you reach a certain point, it’s not possible to turn back and there is nowhere to exit along the route until you reach Lighthouse.
This dive is dependent on the right weather conditions as high tide and low wind is required.
Recommended for: the shallow nature of this dive opens it up to experienced Open Water certified divers. With proper planning it is possible to undertake this dive on a single tank, however it’s more suitable for no deco doubles divers, two-tank Sidemount certified divers, and CCR divers (though please note entry can be trickier with bulkier equipment).
FUN FACT: You don’t have to be a Tec diver to dive with double tanks. Recreational divers can dive on doubles within normal Rec limits too with a 1-day Doubles Primer. Diving with doubles allows for extended dives (like this one) and unlocks several new sites and options to explore!
Does this site even need an introduction?
The Bells to Blue Hole drift dive is nothing short of iconic – offering a dramatic 30m descent down a tunnel-like crack in the reef plate where divers emerge to face nothing but the open blue in front of them. Hanging a right, divers drift along the seemingly bottomless reef wall, marveling at the craggy overhangs where fish curiously hang upside down. The world’s cheapest dental practice lies halfway along the dive where our two resident Blue Cleaner Wrasse wait to clean the teeth of any diver brave enough to let them.
Can’t tell if we’re joking? Our Reservations Manager caught her last appointment on video.
The dive ends by crossing over a coral-laden saddle at 7m and entering the world-famous Blue Hole where divers complete their safety stop while watching freedivers disappear into the 100m abyss below. Is it any reason this is Dahab’s number one most requested dive?
Recommended for: a minimum of Advanced Open Water certificate is required. Divers can dive this site during their Advanced Course as the Drift Adventure Dive.
Located a few hundred meters north of the Canyon, this drift dive is often overlooked as divers flock to, well, the Canyon. It’s common for divers to pair the Canyon dive with a trip to the Blue Hole which is only a further 10 minutes north. However if time allows, we recommend spending 1 full day exploring the Canyon area which is home to 3 dive sites – the Canyon, Canyon Gardens, and Rick’s Reef – and saving the Blue Hole for another day.
Rick’s Reef is entered via a small opening in the reef table and divers head south towards the Canyon, exploring all the corals along the base of the reef wall along the way. About 40 minutes in, divers reach the highlight of the Rick’s Reef drift dive – the Fish Bowl. Long ago, the Fish Bowl was the exit point of the Canyon. Overtime it gradually closed up as it became overtaken with breathtaking corals and is now inhabited by a plethora of fish and marine life in what is now one of the most beautiful coral heads in Dahab.
Recommended for: the most beautiful parts of this dive are above 18m, making it the perfect beginner drift dive for Open Water divers.
INSIDER TIP: You don’t have to be an Advanced Diver to dive all 3 sites in the Canyon area. All sites are suitable to Open Water divers. While OW divers can’t descend down into the Canyon, diving over the crack and watching from above as the bubbles ascend from the canyon is one of the most underrated dive profiles.
We couldn’t forget about our macro photographers on this drift list. We mentioned in a previous post that Mashraba is the closest thing Dahab has to muck diving. Starting in Bannerfish Bay and finishing at the Mashraba bridge allows for maximum sightings of the tiniest of marine creatures.
The dive is rife with broken coral heads, sandy patches, and miles of seagrass to comb through as photographers seek out small shrimps, crabs, nudibranchs, seahorses, ghost pipefish, juvenile fish, seamoths, blennies, and the elusive frogfish.
The only problem is there are so many underwater treasures that you may realize 40 minutes into the dive you’ve barely made it 100 meters (it’s me, hi. I’m the problem it’s me). Luckily there are multiple exit points along the way.
Recommended for: this area offers calm conditions, perfect for photographers and Open Water level divers. It’s also great for those on doubles/two-tank Sidemount dives as well as those wishing to gain experience hours on CCR.
We had so much fun putting this drift list together that we decided to add two bonus sites! Both are further afield and only accessible via day boat trips.
The Rocks, Abu Galum: sometimes referred to as Triggerfish Alley, this is a local favorite. Most itineraries at Abu Galum include AG North and South dive sites. But if you’re lucky and have the perfect storm of good timing, group allowance, and ideal weather conditions – The Rocks could be an option for your second dive. The Rocks is known for its pristine coral heads and hundreds of Bluetooth Triggerfish found either swaying in the current or seemingly asleep among the rocky outcrops. The dive involves a descent down past 22m and is only suitable for Advanced level divers.
Sha’ab Said, Gabr el Bint: another little-known local secret that heavily relies on timing and impeccable weather conditions is Sha’ab Said. Lying north of Gabr el Bint, the boat drops you off to drift and weave between large coral pinnacles, small caves, swim-throughs, and two shallow lagoons teeming with life. This is arguably the best preserved site in Dahab (along with El Shugarat – another bonus site at Gabr el Bint know for its fields of fan corals that are rife with camouflaged long-nose hawkfish).
While the dive is shallow with a maximum depth of around 15m and therefore suitable for Open Water divers, experience and strong buoyancy skills is a must. This site is often described as The Islands on steroids and we couldn’t agree more.
That completes our personal drift list of Dahab’s best drift diving sites – we love sharing our local knowledge to help shed light on everything Dahab diving has to offer. We hope to see you underwater soon!
The GUE Fundamentals course is for any certified diver who wishes to enhance their situational awareness, safety, knowledge, performance, and finning techniques. The goal is to build a solid platform, which allows divers to develop sound diving practices with the focus on GUE principles such as:
GUE Fundamentals has two different paths to choose from depending on a diver’s future goals: Recreational Level (on a single tank) and Technical Level (on doubles).
The course also includes a Nitrox certification so you won’t need to do this a separate course and the theory for the Nitrox in the Fundamentals is much more solid than other Nitrox certifications.
Instructor: Mahmoud Esmat
You can see more information here or drop us an email at info@scubaseekers.com to inquire.
The SSI Perfect Buoyancy specialty is the best way to improve your buoyancy and get the most from every dive.
Buoyancy is an essential dive skill, but any diver will tell you it takes time to perfect. The Perfect Buoyancy specialty will teach you advanced buoyancy skills and techniques, so you can master your buoyancy more quickly and enjoy more relaxed dive adventures. In this fascinating program, you will also learn new skills that protect the environment and work in every diving situation.
Upon completion, you will earn the SSI Perfect Buoyancy Specialty certification. With better buoyancy skills, you will soon be able to hover with ease and take the underwater photographs you dream of!
This course is conducted over 2 dives in 1 day and costs 135 Euro including full gear hire, eLearning + certification.
Email our reservations department at info@scubaseekers.com to book.
“There is nothing quite so delightfully mysterious as a secret in your own backyard.”
We couldn’t agree more with author Patrick Rothfuss here. At Scuba Seekers, our backyard is home to the often overlooked Mashraba dive site – an underwater haven that certainly holds its fair share of secrets and reveals new ones with each and every descent.
It is no coincidence our staff loves diving Mashraba day in and day out – even on their coveted off days. So what exactly do we love about it so much? Read on to find out!
…Roman’s Rock that is.
One of the best kept secrets in Dahab, Roman’s rock is a large pinnacle jutting up from the sand to showoff an impressive formation covered with vibrant soft and hard corals. With its base sitting at 30m and topping out at around 18m, you can (and trust us – we have) spend an entire dive exploring every nook and cranny while swarms of anthias, glass fish, grouper, goatfish, and snapper swirl around you.
It’s one of the most coral-rich pinnacles in Dahab and is not to be missed.
Mashraba right, Mashraba left, Mashraba straight ahead, Mashraba swim-through, Bannerfish Bay to Mashraba drift, Mashraba along the reef, Mashraba around the saddle.
Shall we go on? Because we could!
From 6 meters to 18m to 30m to 40m – and beyond, there’s no shortage of underwater areas to explore in Mashraba. Each dive profile offers something new and different – no matter your certification level or how many times you’ve dived Mashraba before.
No one dive is like the other.
A variety of profiles = a variety of underwater scapes and things to see. Whether you enjoy:
Each topography brings its own unique dive experience.
Mashraba lies in a protected bay that offers incredible diving conditions year round. With calm waters, gentle sandy slopes, varying depths, and little current, divers can learn in a safe environment directly in the Red Sea – no pool needed.
Whether students are doing their first try-dive, getting certified as an Open Water diver, continuing their education as an Advanced diver, or even training at the Tec and CCR levels – Mashraba is the perfect place to master whichever new dive skills you are learning.
While the overwhelming majority of divers flock to nearby Lighthouse once the sun sets, those in the know descend down into Mashraba instead – meaning you’re likely to have the site all to yourself.
As the moon rises, the depths here come alive with divers often spotting cuttlefish and squid, anemone and spider crabs, collector urchins, morays, spanish dancers and the nocturnal white-spotted octopus.
…Turtle.
I know that’s not how the saying goes but it’s especially applicable to sunrise dives on our housereef. Divers who set that early morning alarm at least once during their dive holiday for one of our special 6am dives are likely in for a big shelled-back reward.
Mashraba has several resident green and hawskbill turtles that are particularly active at dawn. While marine life tends to do what marine life does (meaning you can never 100% guarantee a sighting) – a dawn dive is your highest chance at spotting everyone’s favorite reptile.
Mashraba is the closest thing Dahab has to muck diving and certain dive profiles are rife with broken coral heads, sandy patches, and miles of seagrass – perfect for patient divers and underwater photographers seeking out the smallest of marine creatures.
Tiny shrimps catching rides on sea cucumbers, crabs hidden in finger coral, nudibranchs sniffing around for a mate, and anemone eggs being cared for by their territorial parents are only a small sampling on what macro lovers may see.
See why we can’t stop gearing up even on our days off? But don’t take our word for it – come and experience our housereef for yourself and discover the surprises waiting around each coral pinnacle and every blade of seagrass!
Congrats – you did it, added that first shiny certification card to your collection! Now begs the questions – what next?
It’s a question we hear all the time and while many will be quick to tell you “the Advanced Course, duh!”, we’re here to say slow your (back)roll and consider these alternative options instead.
That’s it. Just dive.
I know, I know – it sounds crazy. But hear us out.
You’ve just spent how many days working on skill after skill? Filling your mask, clearing your mask. Recovering your regulator, clearing your regulator. You’ve done the work, you’ve put in the hours – both physically and mentally – so take that certificate and go have fun with it.
You’ve quite literally earned it!
Dahab is rich in spectacular dive sites suitable for Open Water level divers. Underrated sites such as Golden Blocks, Moray Garden, Canyon Gardens and the Islands all provide the perfect coral-filled backdrop as you practice and gain confidence in the water.
There is no substitute for experience so dive, dive, dive! As your comfort level increases and diving starts to feel like second-nature, then it’s time to start thinking about the next certification level.
Learn How to Dive with NitroxHungry to expand your diving knowledge but not feeling quite ready for the Advanced Course yet? Consider taking the Enriched Air Nitrox (EANx) course – one of the most useful certifications in a diver’s repertoire.
With the Nitrox certification, divers are able to dive with a higher concentration (up to 40%) of oxygen than standard air tanks.
Why is this beneficial for divers? It means:
The Nitrox course is normally conducted as a dry course and with the eLearning completed ahead of time, divers can take the course alongside their guided dives meaning no need to sacrifice their time underwater.
Further Enhance Your Foundational SkillsThe key to getting the most out of your dives (and fully enjoying them) is having the proper foundations – think buoyancy control, finning techniques, situational awareness, etc – in place before advancing to deeper diving.
While you learn the basics in your Open Water course, students are often left with a margin for improvement when it comes to refining their foundational skills. It’s better to master these at the start of your diving journey rather than have to unlearn bad habits later on.
What is the best way to go about this? We’ve outlined some options below:
We hope the above helps give you some ideas on where to go next in your diving journey.
The Blue Hole is, quite rightly, one of the most famous dive sites in Dahab. It’s one of just a handful of blue holes in the world and it does look impressive when you look down from the top of one of the nearby hills and see a deep blue hole carved out of the reef table.
It’s essentially a sinkhole, which is why it has such a round shape and shear edges. The bottom is at approximately 120m, although its most famous feature is the Arch.
The Arch is an opening through the outer reef wall into the open sea. It starts at a depth of 56m and drops all the way to the seabed. This is a popular dive for technical divers, but should only be attempted with the right training and equipment.
Another of its features, and one that recreational divers can explore, is the saddle. This is a point on the outer edge of the reef where the coral dips to a depth of around 6m. It allows divers to enter or exit the Blue Hole and the corals here are beautiful.
Any qualified diver can dive the Blue Hole, although the route you take and the depth you go to will depend on your experience.
The most common route to take on a dive is to enter further along the coast, at a crack in the reef known as the Bells. Divers descend in the Bells, coming out on the reef wall at a depth of 28m. From here, you simply follow the reef to the south, until you reach the saddle and can enter the Blue Hole.
Because it’s a sheltered area of very deep water, the Blue Hole is very popular with free divers. On most days, you can watch them going up and down their lines in the centre of the Blue Hole as you swim across it to the exit.
Aside from the interesting reef structure, there’s a lot to see around the Blue Hole and the reef wall. The reef itself has vibrant soft corals that take advantage of the current that runs along this stretch of coast. There’s also a patch of Pachyseris coral (also known as elephant skin coral) at a depth of 30m just past the exit from the Bells.
You’ll find all the usual small critters you’d expect to find on reefs in the Red Sea if you look closely. Boxer shrimp, nudibranchs, and octopus are among the creatures you might find. There is a variety of fish on this dive too, from the clouds of orange and purple anthias to schools of unicorn fish.
There’s also always a chance that you might see something larger out in the blue. Whale sharks, hammerhead sharks, eagle rays and sailfish have all been seen on the outer reef, so you never know your luck!
The depth of the Blue Hole makes it a popular site with technical divers, and rightly so. The Arch is truly spectacular and with the proper planning is a very enjoyable dive. But it’s not something to be taken lightly and should certainly never be attempted on a single tank.
It’s also a good place for technical divers to carry out depth progression work, because it’s a sheltered environment that doesn’t experience much in the way of currents.
Dahab’s Blue Hole most often appears in the media when it’s associated with a tragedy, such as a scuba diving or freediving fatality. Sadly, there have been many of these over the years. Some have even claimed the Blue Hole is cursed.
There’s a local Bedouin legend that the Blue Hole was cursed by the ghost of a girl who drowned herself there to escape from an arranged marriage. But while the Blue Hole has its dangers, we don’t believe it’s cursed.
It’s a beautiful dive site and one that’s safe when it’s dived responsibly and within your training. Many of the deaths that have occurred among scuba divers over the years have been as a result of people taking silly risks, such as by attempting to cross the Arch with only a single cylinder, or diving too deep with incorrect gas mixes.
We think we’re lucky to have such a fascinating geological feature on our doorstep, and one that offers so many outstanding diving opportunities.
As a beginner diver and intern at Scuba Seekers Diving center in Dahab, and as someone who is always surrounded by professional divers most of the time, I came to understand that there is more to diving than just breathing into a regulator and waving at fish. My inquisitive nature forced me to ask different divers about their diving experiences. I learnt more about the differences between diving federations, until I came across GUE (Global Underwater Explorers).
GUE was founded in 1998. It is a nonprofit federation with the purpose to increase the quality of aquatic education by building an international base of qualified and capable divers and explorers. GUE’s high standards and prerequisites for enrolling divers into any course is why I was intrigued to learn more about it. Initially, the person has to be a non-smoker.
Since diving is a physically demanding sport that requires a person to be fit, the preconditions made sense. The damages caused by smoking on the lungs and cardiovascular system can put a diver at higher risks of DCS than a non-smoker. The oxygen carrying capacity in the body decreases, making the body unable to sufficiently rid itself of the nitrogen absorbed, causing an increase of bubble formation in the tissues. Most divers would already know the following consequences of such incidents.
GUE also focuses on standardizing and improving certain skills such as the importance of buoyancy, and efficient trimming and propulsion techniques. The GUE standard gas used in recreational dives is Nitrox, which means that all GUE divers are already a good deal familiar with the difference between different gases and the biological effects they have on the human body.
I was very hesitant to take the course at first, believing that it made more sense to continue my courses as a dive guide instead of wasting time and money on a course that will only enhance my diving skills from A to Z. Nonetheless, I still wanted to be a quality diver before becoming a dive guide, knowing at the back of my mind that the GUE course included everything I needed to achieve that.
After having a discussion with a friend about his GUE experience, he said that the Fundamentals course has completely changed his perspective on diving, which was enough for me to finally take the plunge and enroll for the course.
Throughout the 4 days of physical and mental training, I felt my perspective in diving gradually changed as well. I became more aware of my habits and how to logically enhance them, and also focused on the small details that make drastic differences. Even though most diving federations teach the same set of skills needed to become a diver, GUE presents the information differently in a way a diver logically learns the reasons behind why certain things are done before learning how to do them.
Conclusively, my expectations of the course were not only met but also exceeded. I feel more confident in the water, now that I can consider myself a safe diver for others diving with me and myself.
References:
Hamza, Heather. “Doing It Wrong: Smoking and Diving.” Quest: Vol 12. No. 3
“You can do anything you want if you are willing to give up the belief that you can’t do it.”
And the guys from GBI Shine are an amazing inspiration to all of us. They came to Dahab all the way from Amman, Jordan, riding their bikes. And not only that, they cycle through Al Sa’ada, the highest point in Egypt. That is determination!
The Scuba Seekers in Dahab were not only happy to welcome the intrepid cyclist but also so proud that we could reward them with one more adventure… diving in the Red Sea.
GBI has left their saddles and changed their pedals for fins. And for this special occasion there is nothing better than to join Scuba Seekers at Wadi Gnai. There we let them try diving for first the time, or for the certified divers, just enjoy to be underwater again in this beautiful dive site.
Thanks to everybody for such great day and Magdi for the photos that will help us to remember the experience of mixing bikes and dives for one day!
Remember that this beautiful initiative of GBI-Shine has the goal to raise money to fight against the spread of the Virus C. The bike trip is now over but not the possibility to continues donating money to help Egypt become “Virus C –Free by 2020”.
