Merlo Reef
Protected Area
Parc national marin de Sanganeb et parc national marin de la baie de Dungonab - île de Mukkawar
Why dive here
With 55+ marine species recorded in the area - including pufferfish - Merlo Reef offers some of Port Sudan & Sanganeb's richest reef diving. Water ranges 25-32°C, warmest July, August, September.
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.
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Conditions
Ocean conditions, forecast and tides for Merlo Reef
Merlo Reef Ocean Conditions
Monthly averages for Merlo Reef, sourced from Open-Meteo marine data + Copernicus Marine (EU) - nearest station: Open-Meteo marine grid (19.94, 37.4) (17km away)
October Averages
Sea Temperature
31°C
88°F · Range: 29.9–32.3°C
Current Speed
7.07 cm/s
Direction: S (171.9°)
Chlorophyll-a
0.088 mg/m³
Very clear (oligotrophic)
Salinity
37.37 PSU
Based on 4 years of monitoring data · Data sources: Open-Meteo marine data + Copernicus Marine (EU)
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