Merlo Reef - Port Sudan & Sanganeb
Merlo Reef is a proper Red Sea pinnacle, rising sharply from the abyssal depths a bit southwest of Angarosh. While its walls aren’t quite as sheer as some of its neighbours, we find the eastern side particularly interesting, marked by some impressive vertical crevices that run down to around 15 metres. It’s here that you’ll often spot massive moray eels, quite bold and not shy about checking out divers. Up on the northern plateau, there’s a lovely soft coral bommie, perfect for a safety stop, though you won't find the same density of fish life as elsewhere. It's a solid dive for those who appreciate dramatic reef structure and keen-eyed searching for the bigger predators.
- Location
- Port Sudan & Sanganeb, Sudan, Red Sea & Middle East
- Coordinates
- 20.844637, 37.418680
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Parc national marin de Sanganeb et parc national marin de la baie de Dungonab - île de Mukkawar
Best Time to Dive in Port Sudan & Sanganeb
The warmest water temperatures in Port Sudan & Sanganeb occur in August, averaging 32.0°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 25.4°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 26.1°C
- February: 25.4°C
- March: 25.5°C
- April: 26.7°C
- May: 29.0°C
- June: 30.1°C
- July: 31.0°C
- August: 32.0°C
- September: 31.7°C
- October: 30.9°C
- November: 29.5°C
- December: 28.1°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Port Sudan & Sanganeb
- Abington Reef - 5-20m (reef)
- ABSIT OMEN - 0m (wreck)
- Abu Seif - 10-30m (reef)
- AFGHANISTAN - 50m (wreck)
- Al Badri 1 - 10m (wreck)
- Angarosh
- ANTONIO 111 - 0m (wreck)
- Blue Belt
- BLUE BELT - 40m (wreck)
- Blue Belt Wreck - 26m (wreck)
- CAPTAIN SAALEM - 20m (wreck)
- CEDAR STAR - 0m (wreck)
- Cousteau's Conshelf (aka Precontinent II)
- Daharat Abida
- Dahrat Abid
Marine Life in Port Sudan & Sanganeb
Home to 55 recorded species including 41 reef fish, 14 hard corals.
Notable Species
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Red Sea Clown Surgeon (Acanthurus sohal) - Reef Fish
- Halfspotted Hind (Cephalopholis hemistiktos) - Reef Fish
- Red-flushed Cod (Aethaloperca rogaa) - Reef Fish
- Angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus) - Reef Fish
- Candelamoa Parrotfish (Hipposcarus harid) - Reef Fish
- Threadfin (Chaetodon auriga) - Reef Fish
- Bristletoothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus strigosus) - Reef Fish
- Pufferfish (Arothron hispidus) - Reef Fish
- Banded maori wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Common Mushroom Coral (Fungia fungites) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora pharaonis) - Hard Corals
- Blacktail Butterflyfish (Chaetodon austriacus) - Reef Fish
- Polkadot Cod (Plectropomus areolatus) - Reef Fish
- Hound Needlefish (Tylosurus crocodilus) - Reef Fish
- Golden Butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus) - Reef Fish
- Armed Squirrel-fish (Neoniphon sammara) - Reef Fish
- Humphead Unicornfish (Naso unicornis) - Reef Fish
- Lesser valley coral (Platygyra lamellina) - Hard Corals
- Picasso triggerfish (Rhinecanthus assasi) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Merlo Reef
Based on average water temperature of 28.8°C, currents 9 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