Dahab offers fantastic scuba diving opportunities to suit diving-mad enthusiasts, all the way to dip-in, dip-out divers. Excellent dive sites include the famous Blue Hole, The Bell, The Canyon, Eel Garden and Lighthouse Reef, all top spots in the Red Sea to see colourful reef fish and blooming corals.
Dahab stands out from other Egyptian coastal towns due to it's laid-back, bohemian vibes. Expect ocean-front lounges, winding palm trees, stylish street lamps, vibrantly-painted plant pots and bags of chilled-out vibes.
Most of the diving in Dahab is done from the shore, with a jeep transfer provided to take you to the best entry points along the coast for buzzing coral reefs. Diving in this way is perfect for fitting in many dives as possible, or, if you are travelling with non-divers, this set up is very time efficient for making the most of your time with them too.
For something a little different, some centres offer transfers to shore dives by camel too! Diving here is suitable for beginners, advanced and technical divers alike. Expect clear waters and gentle currents.
Dahab is a haven for shore diving, affording you the opportunity to dive in a buddy pair without a guide, should you wish. It is therefore advisable that you become a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver if you're planning to explore the reefs in this way. To understand the beautiful ecosystems present here and how to protect them, we recommend the Project AWARE Specialty. As a tech diving destination, you can also explore PADI's Technical Diving Courses.
Dive right in from Dahab's coastline on vibrant dive sites such as Eel Garden or Lighthouse Reef. Alternatively, enlist the help of a jeep or camel to take you down or up the coast to a variety of amazing shore diving spots. For wreck-lovers, trips can be arranged to dive the wreck of the Thistlegorm as well as Ras Mohammed National Park. Please note that these are long days starting well before dawn.
For qualified divers travelling with snorkelers, Dahab is a great choice. As most diving is done from shore, it is often possible to dive and snorkel the same sites simultaneously. So, no need to separate the group as with some other diver-centric destinations! Top sites to visit include The Canyon, The Blue Hole, Eel Garden and Lighthouse Reef.
The Canyon - Just outside Dahab, this dive site is an open underwater cave at 14 - 22 meters below the surface. It's wide enough for divers to swim through, offering some unique topography. There's easy shore access through a sandy lagoon, and once in you can expect anemones, butterfly fish, unicorn fish, puffer fish, octopus and blue spotted rays.
The Blue Hole - The most visited of all Dahab diving spots, this deep dive site is best accessed via Bell's due to the fact currents always run from north to south. Expect dramatic drop offs covered in corals and home to many little bright orange fish.
Eel Garden - Right in the city center, just a few minutes from the promenade, this site plays host to huge colony of garden eels. Look to the sandy bottom, where these interesting creatures are swaying in unison with the waves. For the best light, visit early morning or late afternoon.
Lighthouse Reef - Also in the center of Dahab. A super popular spot for divers and snorkelers alike, this shallow wall of fringing reef offers a wide variety of corals and fish. Often turtles can be spotted here, as well as blue spotted sting rays.
Napoleon Reef - An excellent dive site for marine wildlife enthusiasts! With top-notch visibility and the chance to see huge grey stingrays, turtles, eagle rays, eels in addition to the rest of the Red Sea's usual inhabitants, make time for at least one dive here.
The reefs in Dahab are full of colour! Expect clouds of orange anthias, schools of fusilier, yellow tailed barracuda, blue triggerfish, pufferfish, scorpionfish, lionfish and countless bluespotted rays. A large colony of garden eels can be seen swaying drunkenly from their holes in the sand, and it's possible to see turtles and torpedo rays too. For the macro lovers seahorses, frogfish and ghost pipefish are regularly spotted here too.
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