Red Sea - Been There, Done That?

Mark Webster · Issue 29, Mar/Apr 2006 · pp. 34–37

Products mentioned: Nikon D100, Light & Motion Titan housing, Nikkor 12-24mm, Nikkor 105mm micro, Subtronic Minis, Inon Quad flash, Magic Filter

For divers based in Europe the Red Sea offers the closest true coral reef diving at what is often an incredibly low price. If you are a mature diver, such as me, then you will be able to recall the mid 1970’s when diving first began to open up on the Sinai Peninsula (then occupied by Israel) and this destination was considered exotic and involved some hardship to visit and dive. Those were the days of the do it yourself safari - hiring land rovers from Eilat and camping in the open on beaches on the way south to the ultimate dive at Ras Mohammed. Those visiting the Sinai now could not imagine how much this once barren landscape has now changed. The story is much the same on the coast of the Egyptian mainland - Hurghada was once a sleepy fishing port but is now unrecognisable and the resort development is steadily marching south towards the Sudan border. If you take up diving now you may …