Egypt: Red Sea - Dive Sites - The Caves

The Caves

Diving

Snorkelling

By Boat

By swimming

By Live-aboard

All Divers

4

3

Yes

Yes

Location:

On the Dahab coast, next to the Lagona Hotel

Access:

By car from Dahab, then shore entry

Average Depth:

20m (65ft)

Maximum Depth:

50m+ (164ft+)

Average Visibility:

20m (65ft)

This site centers on a large, open-fronted chamber, or cavern, deeply undercutting the reef table close to shore. A small semicircular shelter or windbreak by the track marks the entry point.

Entry to the site is effected by basically throwing yourself off the reef edge into deep water at the top of the cavern. Frequent strong waves at the surface may make it advisable to don your fins in the water, rather than risk losing your balance in the surf. On exit, you will need to judge wave patterns and allow yourself to be carried onto the reeftop by the swell.

Once in the water, the cavern is directly below you. The undercut sections can be entered on either side of the sandhill. On the right, or south side, a very contoured shallow reef section, with many inlets and surf tubes, leads onto the sloping body of the main reef, while to the north, a deeply undercut extension of the cavern leads down the side of the sandhill to the northern continuation of the reef slope.

The reef sections are as interesting as the cave, with good cover of hard and soft corals, and a lively population of reef and schooling fishes. Divers should make a personal judgement as to whether the entry/exit is within their scope.

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Last Updated: May 29th, 2011