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Log This Dive

Japanese Gardens Coral Reefs

Japanese Gardens isn't one of Dahab’s big names, but we love it for a relaxing, easy dive. It’s perfect for a second dive of the day, or just easing into your trip. We’d suggest going in the morning before any wind picks up, because it really makes the surface chop disappear, and then the light plays beautifully through the water. You drop straight onto a gentle slope, maybe 10 or 12 metres down, where the staghorn corals stretch out like, well, a garden. You’ll spot plenty of blennies here – the Smooth-fin and Arabian are regulars, darting in and out of the coral. We often find juvenile pufferfish hovering around the smaller coral heads, all studded and cute. Keep an eye out for the Coral hind, they’re usually lurking under ledges. The real draw here is the sheer density of the smaller stuff, the invertebrates especially. The Ringed Cones are often out, and if you’re lucky, you might even see a Spotted handfish doing its peculiar walk along the sand patches. It’s a site for slowing down, appreciating the smaller details, and just enjoying the warm Red Sea water.