The Canyon is an underwater cavern that starts at 18 metres. It bottom is at 30 metres and has loads of room to explore. Watching the light flood in from above is an awesome experience. Exit the Canyon and pass ‘the fishbowl,’ which teems with beautiful lionfish, anthias and possibly a Red Sea walkman. The Coral Garden that surrounds this site is stunning, with shallow coral pinnacles abundant with life, such as octopus and the occasional scorpionfish. Swim along the edge a drop-off that starts at 16 metres and slopes away into the deep blue waters.

Level: Advanced and above

The Lighthouse reef forms the north end the bay in the centre of Dahab (Masbat). With a sandy entry point, gently sloping reef, and a stunning pinnacle adorned with anthias and glassfish, Lighthouse is a brilliant training site for beginners. You can also do some great dives along the deeper reef. The ridge of coral that marks the head of the bay is home to two bar bream, a school of yellow-tailed goatfish, and trevally. There is also a good chance of spotting Napoleon wrasse, turtles and tuna.

Level: Suitable for all dive levels

Descending down the U-shaped Bells is like doing an underwater waterslide. Exit the Bells at 26 metres onto a sheer wall, adorned with purple soft corals, that plunges into the depths. Swimming next to this massive wall is a sublime experience. Enjoy the life on the wall, but don’t forget get to look out into the blue as you might see turtles, tuna and even the odd whaleshark. Enter the Blue Hole over a coral saddle at 7 meters. It’s relatively shallow depth and diverse coral and fish make it one of the dive’s highlights. A swimming safety stop across the Blue Hole itself can often be spent watching the freedivers swim up and down their buoy lines–just remember to keep to your depth!

Level: Advanced and above

Enter through a crack in the reef table into a set of linked coral lagoons where you might find blue-spotted stingrays. Then swim through a labyrinth of amazing hard coral formations at six metres that links two underwater islands together. Snappers and a school of Barracuda are often seen hanging in the current at this dive site . Descend down to 15 metres and swim around the back of the island. Don’t miss the giant brain coral, which is estimated to be hundreds of years old!

Level: Suitable for all dive levels

Eel Garden is home to a large colony of garden eels. They live in tubular burrows on the sandy bottom, their heads bent into the current to pick up passing food. We enter the dive site through a lagoon in the reef table, then descend to 18 metres to check out the eels. As we approach, they duck down into their borrows for safety. Our route to the exit takes us past a shallow reef that is home to a huge diversity of species. We often see Napoleons, flounders, white-spotted puffers and trunkfish.

Level: Suitable for all dive levels

This site is in the southern oasis area, five kilometres south of Dahab. Enter through a break in the reef table and descend down to 18 metres, where more than 100 Garden eels stick out of the sand and feed. Swim over a multitude of table corals; be sure to look under them for pufferfish. Then we shallow up to 12 metres and follow a beautiful reef wall. Keep an eye out for scorpion fish and nudibranchs.

Level: Suitable for all dive levels

Gabr el Bint ranks among one of the most attractive local dive sites. An hour from Dahab by boat, it offers a breathtaking coral lagoon and racks of stunning Gorgonian fans. The diversity and quality of coral on this site are simply stunning; we often spot turtles, giant trevally, and snappers to name a few. Whale and hammerhead sharks have been seen here occasionally.

Level: Advanced and above

Ride your camel north along the shore to the Bedouin settlement of Ras Abu Galum. Drink some tea, then kit up and dive. Swim through a lagoon onto a beautiful shallow garden, pass a pinnacle teaming with glass fish, and dive down to the drop off at 18 metres. Tuna, turtles, Picasso triggerfish and octopus are regularly seen here. There are a few beautiful sites in the area, so guests often choose to stay overnight. Spend the night sleeping on the beach and enjoy some Bedouin hospitality before another day’s diving.

Level: All dive levels

A merchant navy ship, sunk in 1941, carrying military supplies to the British 5th army – dive past WW2 rifles, jeep and motorcycles. Discovered by Jacques Cousteau, it’s considered one of the world Top 10 dive sites. Need we say more?

Level: Advanced and above