Shark Reef - Sharm el-Sheikh
Shark Reef, tucked into the Ras Mohammed National Park, is a consistent favourite, and for good reason. We’ve drifted along its wall more times than we can count, often finding ourselves eye-level with schooling bannerfish and the occasional reef shark patrolling the depths. The corals here are in good shape, plenty of large brain corals and whip corals clinging to the slope. Keep an eye out for the resident morays peering from their crevices. It’s a comfortable drift dive for most, generally calm in the mornings, making it a solid choice for a second dive of the day.
- Location
- Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, Red Sea & Middle East
- Coordinates
- 27.725708, 34.259033
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: محمية رأس محمد
Best Time to Dive in Sharm el-Sheikh
The warmest water temperatures in Sharm el-Sheikh occur in August, averaging 29.9°C. The coolest conditions are in March at 22.5°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 23.6°C
- February: 22.8°C
- March: 22.5°C
- April: 23.3°C
- May: 25.6°C
- June: 26.9°C
- July: 28.4°C
- August: 29.9°C
- September: 28.6°C
- October: 27.8°C
- November: 27.1°C
- December: 25.3°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Sharm el-Sheikh
- Amphoras - 20m
- Anemone City (reef)
- AYIA VARVARA - 5m (wreck)
- Barge de Gubal (wreck)
- Beacon Rock
- Black Pearl - Red Sea
- Bluff Point
- Camel Dive Club & Hotel
- CSCL HAMBURG - 0m (wreck)
- Diving Centre - 5-15m (reef)
- Dunraven (wreck)
- DUNRAVEN - 30m (wreck)
- Dunraven Wreck (wreck)
- EMPEROR FRASER - 30m (wreck)
- Far Garden - 10-25m (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Shark Reef
Marine Life in Sharm el-Sheikh
Home to 13 recorded species including 6 whales & dolphins, 5 reef fish, 1 sharks & rays, 1 crabs & lobsters.
Notable Species
- Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Grey Dolphin (Grampus griseus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Bridled Dolphin (Stenella attenuata) - Whales & Dolphins
- Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - Sharks & Rays
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- White Dolphin (Sousa chinensis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Blacktail Butterflyfish (Chaetodon austriacus) - Reef Fish
- Long-beaked Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
- Rock Cod (Epinephelus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Indian Scad (Decapterus russelli) - Reef Fish
- Banded Cleaner Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Diagonal Butterflyfish (Chaetodon fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Shark Reef
Based on average water temperature of 26.0°C, currents 10 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 26°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories