Header Dot Dahab



Sub Dot Diving
Due to the strong wind, Dahab is an excellent place for water sports and a perfect location for windsurfing. Dahab is famous for its deceptive deep dive sites such as the Blue Hole, the Canyon and the Lighthouse. Which offer great adventure spots. The reefs in Dahab Bay are found between Lagona Village and the Novotel. At Assalah. Just south are the wadis of Qnai el-Rayan and Qnai el-Atschan. Many dive centers offer day-long dive safaris to the Ras Abu Galum and Ras el-Mamlah protected areas in the north or to the south Naqb Shahin with fantastic coral and gold fish. Dive safaris by jeeps and by camel are available. The number of dive centers in Dahab is growing rapidly. A few years ago there were no more than five or six centers, now there are about forty-five.



Sub Dot Diving Sites in Dahab:

Sub DotBells:
The entrance to 'Bells' is a narrow fissure in the fringe reef. Descend feet first, or for the more adventurous head first, through a narrow chimney that dramatically opens out into an upturned 'bell'. Glass fish can often be seen in large numbers here. Exiting the bell at 26m you follow the vertical wall back towards the 'Blue Hole' where you can exit safely. Remember to look out into the 'blue', many large pelagic species can often be seen swimming by. The Canyon is a dark, narrow fissure. The coral wall sinks to a depth of 50m. There’s plenty to see at the top of the reef for snorkeling.


Sub DotBlue Hole:
Further north lies the Blue Hole which is extremely famous among scuba divers and invites the adventures diver for cave diving, it offers great snorkeling too, in the calm waters inside the “hole”. Access is from land through a path cut through the coral plateau. Once a cave, the roof collapsed leaving what we see today a 25m wide circular hole in the coral table that reaches depths of 100m (328ft). The 'hole' itself has nothing to offer inside, instead exit across the far side via a saddle at 7m to explore the beautiful corals on the external wall. Diving the Blue Hole is dangerous as the spectacular 80m deep shaft in the reef involves a challenging descending of 60m and then swimming through a narrow passage to come up the other side. Depths on wall environments can easily deceive, keep an eye on your depth gauge/computer and stay within the limits of your qualification. Because of it's close proximity to the shore this site is perfect for training Tech divers. But be warned, the Blue Hole is as infamous as it is famous, in recent years 26 people have died as divers go beyond recreational limits to reach the open sea via a 'window' at 57m.


Sub DotCoral Gardens:
Same entry and exit points for the 'Canyon', turn right to swim through a garden of coral pinnacles and cabbage corals between 8 and 12 m. The beginning of the dive is along a steep drop off, remember to look out into the blue for rays and turtles. As well as the normal reef fish, as you return through the coral gardens look for moray eels, octopus and lounging porcupine fish


Sub DotCanyon:
A short swim across a sandy lagoon, where pocupine fish can sometimes be seen resting under table corals, reveals a ravine opens up in the seabed at a depth of 18m. 'Free fall' through the opening to 30m, not forgetting to turn round and look up to see the spectacular display of sunlight pouring through the crack above, great for photographers looking for that 'silhouette' shot. Following the ravine watch your bouyancy as you ascend toward the exit and enter the 'fishbowl', where lionfish hunt the numerous glassfish. As you exit Golden anthias swarm around the coral head and a spectacular display of 'champagne bubbles' escape through the narrow fissures, created by your swim through


Sub DotEel Garden:
A shallow 3m channel is the entrance and exit, where lion fish and scorpion fish wait in the shadows. Schools of fusiliers and unicorn fish gather in the shallow bays close to the coral wall, whilst Napoleon wrasse can sometimes be seen in the blue. The site gets it's name from the large field of eels, to the north of which, lies a beautiful coral garden running from the reef wall down to 20m.


Sub DotThe Lighthouse:
Suitable for beginners and a great night dive, all in the heart of Dahab. Look out for Pipefish and the rarely seen Sea moths on the sandy slope. The right of the slope is a thriving reef, look for Octopus, Scorpion fish, Giant Moray eels and even Turtles and Napoleon Wrasse. The Lighthouse is also a great place to spot nudibrachs by day and at night you may even get the chance to watch Spanish dancers display.


Sub DotThree Pools:
After a swim through the three pools where beautiful corals grow and lion fish linger, the narrow entrance opens to a huge shallow shelf between 9 and 18m. The scattered sandy areas bounce the light around making it seem much shallower than it actually is.
Many dive centers offer day-long dive safaris to the Ras Abu Galum and Ras el-Mamlah protected areas in the north or to the south Naqb Shahin with fantastic coral and gold fish. Dive safaris by jeeps and by camel are available. The number of dive centers in Dahab is growing rapidly. A few years ago there were no more than five or six centers, now there are about forty-five.


Sub DotNawamis:
Found only in southern and eastern Sinai are several mysterious prehistoric structures known as Nawamis. Between 2 to 2.5 m (6.6 to 8.2 ft) high and 3 to 6 m (10 to 20 ft) in diameter, these circular inward leaning buildings were constructed using sandstone slabs, each with a small opening facing west. Within these structures archaeologists have unearthed shell bracelets, colored beads, flint tools, tiny jugs as well as bone and copper tools. These items were most likely funeral offerings. Many have been dated to as far back as the Chalcolithic (Copper Stone Age) period (4000-3150 BC). Though the Nawamis were probably ancient burial chambers, the identity of the people buried here is still a mystery. Perhaps the most readily accessible Nawamis structures are those found to the south of Ein Khudra, not far from the St Katherine-Nuweiba road. Go explore some of the oldest man made structures in the world.


Sub DotAbu Galum Protected Area:
Abu Galum Protected Area, along the Gulf of Aqaba between Dahab and Nuweiba, is a 500 km2 natural wonderland. Shell speckled gravel beaches run parallel most of the way to the splendid coral reefs below, unless rudely interrupted by plunging mountainsides. Close examination of the beaches will expose masses of Nerita splendens, a tiny snail whose decorative shell blends seamlessly into the pebble mosaic. Inland into the park, deep wadis interlace with massive granite mountains that are intermittently cut by dark dolerite dykes. Out of a total 167 species recently recorded in this environmentally unique region, as many as 44 plant species are endemic. Mammals seem to like this plant diversity. Nubian ibex, hyrax, red fox and striped hyena thrive here, as well as a variety of lizards and snakes, including the black cobra, the horned viper and Burton's carpet viper.


Sub DotMonastery of St Katherine:
The Monastery of St. Katherine lies at the foot of the Gebel Musa, or Mount Moses, in the heart of the South Sinai. In 330 AD the mother of Emperor Constantine, Empress Helena, ordered the construction of a small church by Moses' Burning Bush. It was called the Church of the Transfiguration. The fortified monastery we see today was built around this church during the reign of Emperor Justinian (527-565 AD). In the 11th century the monastery was dedicated to St. Katherine of Alexandria, who had died in 310 AD. Her remains, reportedly found by monks on a mountain peak next to Mt Sinai, are buried in the monastery's Basilica. Fronted by gardens and cypress trees, the monastery is owned and run by the Greek Orthodox Church. Its rich library houses the world's second largest collection of illuminated manuscripts after the Vatican. You can see the Burning Bush and a large number of antique works of art: invaluable icons, beautifully carved doors, exquisite wall paintings and other fine religious ornaments.


Sub DotThe Museum at St Katherine Monastery:
In February 2002, within the monastery's towering walls, one of the world's finest and most unique collections of Christian artifacts has been made more accessible to the public. A small yet extraordinary nine-room museum, referred to as "The Sacred Sacristy", was opened to display masterpieces of the highest artistic value. Among the tastefully displayed exhibits are exquisite 6th century Byzantine icons, delicate 9th century manuscripts written in Syriac, rare Slavonic prayer books, including splendid objects of silver, gold, ivory and precious stones. Perhaps the most valued items on exhibit, presented in a special glass case, are pages from the Codex Sinaiticus, a 4th century version of the Bible that now rests in the British Museum. Now you can see the Monastery's coveted collection, while listening to gentle Byzantine hymns in an atmosphere of splendor and reverence. The museum is open from 9 to 12 am everyday except on Fridays, Sundays and religious holidays.


Sub DotSt Katherine Protectorate:
is perhaps Egypt's most picturesque national park. It encloses most of the mountainous area of central South Sinai, including the country's highest mountain Gebel Katharina (2624m). The park is a treasure trove of wild plants. Of the 317 flora species that have been recorded, 19 are found nowhere else in the world. Approximately 35 reptile species live within this unique high altitude ecosystem, many of which are endemic, including the Sinai banded snake and the Innes cobra. The 4,350 square kilometer natural park also supports many mammal species: rock hyrax, Nubian ibex, Dorcas gazelle, red fox, wild cats and hyenas. When exploring the protectorate's mountains and wadis you will probably spot a curious bird, the white-crowned black wheatear. The observant visitor may also see the colorful Sinai rose finch and the Tristam's grackle. Far less common and much more difficult to locate is the recently discovered Sinai baton blue, the worlds smallest butterfly.













 
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