The Middle East is a hotbed of underwater exploration, with world-famous Dive sites and emerging destinations alike. Here are the best places to dive in the region.
Outstanding destinations in the Middle East for diving:
Underwater spectacular in the Middle East © Photosub images / Getty Images
1. Diving in the Red Sea
Famous for its incredible diversity, its excellent visibility – 30 m or more on average – and the resilience of its coral in the face of rising sea temperatures, the Red Sea is the most popular diving destination in the Middle East, and with good reason.
The Red Sea is one of the most rewarding diving destinations in the Middle East © Westend61 / Getty Images
With tourism still picking up in Egypt ‘s South Sinai dive hotspots (and with the UK calling for direct flights to Sharm El Sheikh to be restored), it’s a good time to avoid the crowds at big resorts like Sharm El Sheikh, offering the best access to the Thistlegorm , a sunken World War II freighter considered one of the world’s most famous diving wrecks ; and Ras Mohammed National Park , with its superb wall diving ( Camel Dive Club services both sites).
Wreckage of the sunken cargo ship ‘Thistlegorm’ and Red Sea reefs © ultramarinfoto / Getty Images
Popular thanks to its Blue Hole, Dahab , more bohemian and 100 km north of Sharm El Sheikh, makes a strong comeback on the diving scene (as can be seen with Red Sea Relax Dive Center ). However, many divers say that the best diving in Egypt is near the resort of Marsa Alam, the starting point for excursions to Elphinstone Reef, where the most experienced divers can spot oceanic white-tip sharks and hammerheads. One of the best operators in the region is Red Sea Diving Safari .
In Eilat, it’s not just shipwrecks to be found for diving © yeshaya dinerstein / Shutterstock
In the extreme north of the Red Sea , there are not many pelagic species, the reefs near Eilat, in Palestine , and Aqaba, in Jordan , show clear signs of recovery after the increase in protection measures promoted by both countries in recent years. recent years (including coral repopulation on damaged Aqaba reefs).
In Eilat there are a couple of shipwrecks for diving ( Aqua Sport International organizes dives on them), but the best ones are near Aqaba , in particular the Cedar Pride , a Lebanese cargo ship that, in 1985, was deliberately scuttled as an artificial reef by order of King Abdullah II, promoter of the Jordanian diving industry. One of the most reputable operators in the city is Dive Aqaba .
Diving in Jeddah, in the Red Sea of Saudi Arabia © Ian Cramman / Shutterstock
Possibly the most fashionable destination in the Red Sea right now is Saudi Arabia . Diving along the country’s largely unexplored western coast is more accessible than ever (and there’s currently no ban on men and women diving together).
Tourist visas to Saudi Arabia have recently been activated and visitors will find a good number of official diving clubs in the resorts of Jeddah and Yanbu , with great diving enclaves including the Boiler Wreck near Jeddah, with its huge fan corals and manta rays (a good operator is Desert Sea Divers ), and Seven Sisters, an area where hammerhead sharks live and is best explored on a Dream Diver diving cruise .
- Best time to dive in the Red Sea
You can dive all year round, although the best time to see whitetip sharks is between October and January, while hammerheads are seen between June and September. The season to see whale sharks runs from May to July.
2. Diving in the Persian Gulf
The urban development of the coast, the lack of coral and the consequences of oil extraction in the states of the Persian Gulf coast do not make this area the best diving destination in the world, but the region has several interesting shipwrecks.
Divers preparing to dive off the coast of Dubai © PaPicasso / Shutterstock
Among the pile of sunken ships just outside Dubai Harbor , most divers single out the Zaineb , the MV Ludwig and the MV Dara – a passenger liner that, in 1961, suffered the world’s second-biggest maritime disaster after the Titanic , with an explosion that sank it – among the best. They can be visited with Al Boom Diving .
The waters around Iran’s Kish Island are a hotspot for scuba diving © Alexander Nitzsche / Getty Images
On the southern coast of Iran , the island of Kish is one of the region’s emerging dive destinations, with interesting sites including Southern Crack, a coral reef inhabited by moray eels, and Sambaron , famous for its colorful coral. The veteran Kish Diving Center offers dives in the area, but men and women are required to dive separately. On the plus side, scuba divers visiting this Dubai free trade zone do not need a visa .
- Best time to dive in the Persian Gulf
You can dive all year round, but to enjoy the best comfort and visibility, both under the sea and on the surface, it is advisable to avoid the peak summer and winter months.
3. Diving in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea
A hawksbill turtle swims past purple whip coral off the coast of Oman © Liquid_Light / Getty Images
Fujairah , the only emirate of the United Arab Emirates that only has a coastline on the Gulf of Oman , enjoys more marine life in its dive sites than the Gulf emirates (Al Boom has a dive center in Al Aqah ), and after announcing its plans in 2018 to build the world’s largest artificial reef on its shoresseems destined to become the most exciting diving destination in the region.
Although it is possible to dive from a traditional dhow in the rich waters of Musandam (it is a good idea to book with Al Marsa , in Dibba), in Oman , the most popular diving area in the Persian Gulf is Muscat . The Daymaniyat Islands, an important breeding area for hawksbill turtles near Muscat, are a favorite spot for divers. Another enclave accessible from the capital is Al Fahal Island, popular for its mobula mantas, its blacktip sharks and a ship, the Al Munassir , 84 m long, sunk by the Omani navy in Bandar Khayran in 2003 and whichit attracts colorful nudibranchs, a type of sea slug.
The black-spotted moray eel is a regular among the colorful coral off the coast of Oman © Liquid Light / Getty Images
Further south, Mirbat, a city on the coast of the Arabian Sea, is one of the few places in the world where you can see coral and algae gardens (at least in the summer months). But the area is famous for the 22 species of dolphins and whales that live in it; between January and April there is even the possibility of diving with an orca. Extra Divers has diving centers in Muscat and Mirbat. The neighboring Hallaniyat Islands are also a great spot for diving with whales , and the best way to visit them is aboard a liveaboard (a good option is Dive Worldwide ).
- Best time to dive in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea
Diving is possible all year round, except in the south, where the monsoon season (or khareef , as it is known in the region) forces almost all dive centers to close between the months of June and September. April to May and September to October provide the best combination of surface and sea temperatures for diving in the north, with May being the best month for visibility, and September and November being the best months for diving with whale sharks.
The post Explore the underwater world of the Middle East: a guide to the best diving destinations in 2023 first appeared on salahuddinayyubi.com.
