Egypt Travel Blog

The climatic and geographic position of Egypt’s eastern coasts is ideal for the formation of coral which can not grow at temperatures of less than 18,5 centigrade or at depths of more than 70 feet. Though the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea attain a depth of 6000 feet in the middle, where the tectonic plates of Africa and Asia have drawn apart to form a great rift, relatively shallow seas cover the continental shelf that runs along the shores which are interrupted only by occasional wadis, formed by infrequent but torrential rains. The sunshine that penetrates the very salty water for many hours each day enables the coral to build up formations. There are basically four types of reefs. Fringing reefs and barrier reefs run parallel to the coast, usually with shallow sandy-bottomed lagoon between the land and the coral, which then drops steeply as much as 70 feet in a cliff like formation. There are no atolls in the Egyptian part of the Red Sea, but the fourth type of reef, roughly distinguished as a patch formation, occurs quite frequently. Mounds of coral build up on the sandy floor of the sea like islands, the tips of which are barely skimmed by the waves. Patch formations occur at Nuweiba on the Sinai coast, off Hurghada and at other spots further south. Each coral accretion consists of numerous minute anemone like individual polyps, growing together in a colony. When one colony dies, a new colony grows on top, attached to the skeletons of their defunct ancestors, so to speak. Two thousand species have been identified and christened with complex names. Even the amateur can find as many as 100 types. Delicate pinks, purples, yellows and beiges are dappled by the flitting shadows of waves. Some corals are soft and undulating, like the sea anemones; some are hard and solid, squat and rounded like brains or mushrooms; some branch like elkhorns, or stack up like fortifications, spires and pinnacles; others are fanshaped and perforated like Elizabethan lace collars. The almost miraculous forms are the same time familiar and strange. The coral reefs of the Red Sea are rivalled only by the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Several of the modern hotels on the Sinai and Red Sea coast have affiliated diving centers with resident diving instructors, boats and equipment for hire. Diving and fishing trips are organised daily as part of these hotels’ sports programmes; the trained professional supervisors can initiate the novice into what to look for, where to see it and how to manage his gear. Reasonably efficient snorkeling equipment- mast,snorkel and flippers- can be rented by the day, but not purchased in Egypt. For those who want to take the sport seriously, it is advisable to buy and test out gear before coming. An acronym for “self contained underwater breathing apparatus” scuba proctecting the wearer from the coral. No one should attempt to scuba dive who has not completed a course of proper training consisting of at least 15-20 hours of theoratical study, followed by 20-30 hours of practical diving experience. There are dangers of running out of oxygen, gong too deep, and coming up too suddenly, all of which can be fatal. Certificates of competency are granted after a sufficient course of training. For those who are able to invest enough time, the Res Sea is an ideal practice ground for gaining mastery of scuba diving. For the less adventurous there are trips in glass-bottomed boats, sailing, wind-surfing and fishing, not to mention beachcombing, sunbathing and just doing nothing. The Red Sea beach is a wonderful playground and can be enjoyed all year round, though the optimum months are October, November, February and March.