Aquarium Reef - Jeddah
Aquarium Reef. The name itself sets expectations, and for once, we think it’s pretty spot on. You’re not getting vast pelagics here, but what you *do* get is an almost absurd concentration of reef fish, going about their busy lives as if you’re just part of the furniture. We love dropping in and just settling back, letting the reef come alive around us. We’re talking schools of Red Sea half-and-half chromis so dense they shimmer like a liquid curtain, constantly parting and reforming. Look closer at the stony coral heads and you’ll find saddled rockcod patiently waiting, while blackside hawkfish perch, ever-ready to dart. Our favorite trick here is to find a quiet overhang and watch the banded cleaner shrimp putting on a show, meticulously grooming anything that comes close – sometimes even your own fingers if you’re still enough. Visibility is usually good, making it a fantastic spot for photographers focusing on macro and smaller reef scenes. Dive this one slow, really slow, and you’ll be rewarded. It’s a perfect chill-out dive after a more current-swept drift.
- Location
- Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Red Sea & Middle East
- Coordinates
- 22.387667, 38.918667
- Type
- reef
Best Time to Dive in Jeddah
The warmest water temperatures in Jeddah occur in August, averaging 31.6°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 25.4°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 26.4°C
- February: 25.4°C
- March: 25.4°C
- April: 26.7°C
- May: 28.9°C
- June: 29.6°C
- July: 30.0°C
- August: 31.6°C
- September: 31.1°C
- October: 30.9°C
- November: 30.0°C
- December: 28.3°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Jeddah
- Abo Almadafee أبو المدافع - 18m (wreck)
- ABUSABAA I - 15m (wreck)
- Abu Tair - 24m (reef)
- AGIA VARVARA - 11m (wreck)
- Al Bedayah
- AlBuhairat - 5-25m (reef)
- ALEXANDER III - 10m (wreck)
- Al Fahal East
- Al Fahal North
- Al Fahal South
- Al Fahal vis Wreck (wreck)
- Al leeth
- AL MEDINA - 1m (wreck)
- Altafyah Middle Reef - 20m (reef)
- ALYAMAMA - 4m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Aquarium Reef
- 17Sixty - ["PADI"]
- Advanced Diver Center
- Al-Haddad Scuba - SSI
- Al-Haddad SCUBA - Sheraton Resort
- Al Sanbouk - ["PADI"]
- Benya Marine Group - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Jeddah
Home to 4 recorded species including 4 reef fish.
Notable Species
- Armed Squirrel-fish (Neoniphon sammara) - Reef Fish
- Blackspot Surgeonfish (Acanthurus nigrofuscus) - Reef Fish
- Rainbowfish (Halichoeres hortulanus) - Reef Fish
- Angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Aquarium Reef
Based on average water temperature of 28.7°C, currents 7 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°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