Japanese Gardens - Eilat

If you’re diving in Eilat, you’re diving Japanese Gardens. Seriously, it’s that simple. This site is consistently our pick for a classic Red Sea experience, especially if you’re newer to diving or just want a relaxed, beautiful swim. The name really does hint at what you’ll find: a sloping reef of hard corals that just looks… tidy. Neat rows of staghorn and lesser valley corals stretch down, punctuated by brain corals, all meticulously arranged by nature. We love dropping in and letting the gentle current (if there is one) push us along the northern wall, usually starting around 10-12 metres. Keep an eye out for yellowtail surgeonfish nibbling at the coral, and those funny-looking humpbacked conchs trundling along the sand patches. Further south, the reef flattens out a bit, and that’s where we’ve spotted pinkfish darting between the branches and even a Rama Rao's scorpionfish doing its best impression of a rock. Visibility here is usually fantastic, often well over 20 metres, so the light plays beautifully on the corals. It’s an easy shore entry too, which always scores points with us. Don’t rush it; the beauty here is in the quiet observation.

Location

Eilat, Israel, Red Sea & Middle East

Coordinates

29.500000, 34.917000

Type

reef

Maximum Depth

3-18m

Difficulty

Beginner

Marine Protected Area: ים האלמוגים באילת