First Bay North - Aqaba Marine Park
First Bay North is a mellow entry point, an easy shore dive right in the heart of Aqaba Marine Park. We often suggest it for those getting comfortable in the water, or for an easy second dive after something deeper. The reef drops gently to about 20 meters, with plenty of table corals and brain corals in the shallows. Keep an eye out for parrotfish munching away and the occasional blue-spotted ray tucked into the sand. It’s a relaxed dive, good for spotting the smaller stuff and getting your buoyancy dialled in.
- Location
- Aqaba Marine Park, Jordan, Red Sea & Middle East
- Coordinates
- 29.455500, 34.967700
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 20m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: محمية العقبة البحرية
Best Time to Dive in Aqaba Marine Park
The warmest water temperatures in Aqaba Marine Park occur in August, averaging 27.2°C. The coolest conditions are in March at 20.5°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 21.9°C
- February: 20.9°C
- March: 20.5°C
- April: 20.9°C
- May: 22.7°C
- June: 24.5°C
- July: 25.8°C
- August: 27.2°C
- September: 26.7°C
- October: 25.5°C
- November: 24.5°C
- December: 23.2°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Aqaba Marine Park
- Abdallah Reef - 5-20m (reef)
- Aquarium House Reef (reef)
- Black Rock
- Blue Coral (reef)
- Cazar reef (reef)
- CEDAR PRIDE - 27m (wreck)
- Cedar Pride Shipwreck (wreck)
- Eel Canyon
- First Bay - 5-15m (reef)
- Gorgon 1
- Gorgone II III
- Gorgone One
- Japaneese garden - 5-20m (reef)
- Japanese Gardens Coral Reefs (reef)
- King Abdullah Reef - 21m (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to First Bay North
Marine Life in Aqaba Marine Park
Home to 64 recorded species including 31 reef fish, 16 hard corals, 4 whales & dolphins, 2 clams & mussels, 2 sea snails & nudibranchs, 2 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- Marbled Spinefoot (Siganus rivulatus) - Reef Fish
- Lesser valley coral (Platygyra lamellina) - Hard Corals
- Fluorescence grass coral (Galaxea fascicularis) - Hard Corals
- Red lionfish (Pterois miles) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora eurystoma) - Hard Corals
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Grey Dolphin (Grampus griseus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Rock Cod (Epinephelus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Snakefish (Trachinocephalus myops) - Reef Fish
- Starflower coral (Astreopora myriophthalma) - Hard Corals
- Klunzinger's wrasse (Thalassoma rueppellii) - Reef Fish
- Red Squirrelfish (Sargocentron diadema) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora pharaonis) - Hard Corals
- Banded Cleaner Shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) - Crabs & Lobsters
- Spotted handfish (Brachionichthys hirsutus) - Reef Fish
- Staghorn coral (Acropora hyacinthus) - Hard Corals
- Blacktail Butterflyfish (Chaetodon austriacus) - Reef Fish
- Diagonal Butterflyfish (Chaetodon fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Humpbacked conch (Gibberulus gibberulus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- scad (Priacanthus hamrur) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for First Bay North
Based on average water temperature of 23.7°C, currents 4 cm/s.
- Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 24°C water
- 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