Sharm el-Sheikh
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Why dive in Sharm el-Sheikh?
BEST SEASON
Featured Animals 10
- Unlikely
- Likely
- Very likely
Diurnal Frequent sightingsGreat Barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda
The Great Barracuda is a large predatory fish known for its fearsome appearance and speed. It has an elongated body, pointed head, and large teeth, making it a proficient hunter in coastal and open waters.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsGreen Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
The green sea turtle is a large marine reptile distinguished by its heart-shaped carapace and a single pair of prefrontal scales.
BEST SEASON
Variable Frequent sightingsGrey Reef Shark
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos
The Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) is a medium to large-sized requiem shark, common in Indo-Pacific coral reefs and adjacent waters. Characterized by its grey body and a distinctive broad black band on the trailing edge of its caudal fin, it is a fast and agile predator. These sharks are known for their social daytime aggregations, which disperse at night for individual hunting.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsHawksbill Sea Turtle
Eretmochelys imbricata
The Hawksbill Sea Turtle is a medium-sized marine turtle recognizable by its distinctive hawk-like beak and overlapping scutes, which create a serrated edge on its carapace. Primarily found in tropical coral reefs, it plays a crucial role in these ecosystems by feeding mainly on sponges, which are toxic to most other animals. This species is critically endangered due to historical exploitation for its beautiful shell and ongoing threats like habitat loss and bycatch.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsHumphead Wrasse
Cheilinus undulatus
The Humphead Wrasse is one of the largest reef fish, identifiable by a prominent hump on its forehead and thick fleshy lips. It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, meaning individuals are born female and some transition to males later in life. This carnivorous species plays a crucial role in coral reef ecosystems by preying on hard-shelled invertebrates and toxic animals like the crown-of-thorns starfish.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsOcellated Eagle Ray
Aetobatus ocellatus
The Ocellated Eagle Ray, also known as the Whitespotted Eagle Ray, is a large ray characterized by a dark greenish-grey to black dorsal surface covered with numerous white spots, and a white underside. It possesses a flattened, diamond-shaped body, a prominent snout, and a long, whip-like tail armed with venomous spines. This species primarily feeds on hard-shelled invertebrates, such as mollusks and crustaceans, which it crushes with its specialized dental plates.
BEST SEASON
Variable Frequent sightingsReef Manta Ray
Mobula alfredi
The Reef Manta Ray (Mobula alfredi) is a large filter-feeding ray found in tropical and subtropical waters, primarily around coral reefs and coastal areas. Known for its pelagic lifestyle, it feeds on zooplankton and exhibits complex social behaviors, often forming aggregations at feeding or cleaning stations. This species is listed as Vulnerable due to threats from overfishing and its slow reproductive rate.
BEST SEASON
Cathemeral Frequent sightingsScalloped Hammerhead Shark
Sphyrna lewini
The Scalloped Hammerhead Shark is a large, migratory shark easily recognized by the central indentation on its hammer-shaped head. These sharks are found globally in warm temperate and tropical coastal and oceanic waters, often forming large schools around seamounts and islands. They are primarily nocturnal foragers, feeding on a diverse diet of bony fishes, cephalopods, crustaceans, and smaller sharks and rays.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Whale Shark
Rhincodon typus
The whale shark is the largest fish in the world and a gentle filter feeder.
BEST SEASON
Nocturnal Frequent sightingsWhitetip Reef Shark
Triaenodon obesus
The Whitetip Reef Shark is a slender, medium-sized shark easily identified by the distinctive white tips on its dorsal and upper caudal fins. Primarily nocturnal, it spends its days resting in caves and under ledges on coral reefs and hunts at night for bony fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods. These sharks are generally social, often found in groups during the day, but can hunt individually or cooperatively.
BEST SEASON
More marine life 62
Bigeye Thresher SharkAlopias superciliosus
Bigeye TrevallyCaranx sexfasciatus
Black DurgonMelichthys niger
Bluecheek ButterflyfishChaetodon semilarvatus
Bluespotted CornetfishFistularia commersonii
Bluespotted Ribbontail RayTaeniura lymma
Bluestreak Cleaner WrasseLabroides dimidiatus
Broomtail WrasseCheilinus lunulatus
Clark's AnemonefishAmphiprion clarkii
Clown TriggerfishBalistoides conspicillum
Common Bottlenose DolphinTursiops truncatus
Coral HindCephalopholis miniata
Cowtail StingrayPastinachus sephen
Dogtooth TunaGymnosarda unicolor
Emperor AngelfishPomacanthus imperator
Fimbriated MorayGymnothorax fimbriatus
Garden EelHeterocongrinae
Giant MorayGymnothorax javanicus
Giant TrevallyCaranx ignobilis
Giant clamTridacna gigas
Guineafowl PufferArothron meleagris
Honeycomb MorayGymnothorax favagineus
Kellogg's ScorpionfishScorpaenodes kelloggi
Leaf ScorpionfishTaenianotus triacanthus
LionfishPterois spp.
Live SharksuckerEcheneis naucrates
Lyretail AnthiasPseudanthias squamipinnis
Masked PufferArothron diadematus
Moorish IdolZanclus cornutus
Oceanic Whitetip SharkCarcharhinus longimanus
Orange-lined TriggerfishBalistapus undulatus
Orbicular BatfishPlatax orbicularis
Painted Spiny LobsterPanulirus versicolor
Pennant CoralfishHeniochus acuminatus
Pharaoh CuttlefishSepia pharaonis
Pickhandle BarracudaSphyraena jello
Potato GrouperEpinephelus tukula
Red Sea ClownfishAmphiprion bicinctus
Redtooth TriggerfishOdonus niger
Regal AngelfishPygoplites diacanthus
Ribbon EelRhinomuraena quaesita
Round Ribbontail RayTaeniurops meyeni
Rusty ParrotfishScarus ferrugineus
Silky SharkCarcharhinus falciformis
Silvertip SharkCarcharhinus albimarginatus
Snowflake MorayEchidna nebulosa
Spanish DancerHexabranchus sanguineus
Spot-fin PorcupinefishDiodon hystrix
Spotted Eagle RayAetobatus narinari
Stellate PufferArothron stellatus
StonefishSynanceia verrucosa
Tawny Nurse SharkNebrius ferrugineus
Teira BatfishPlatax teira
Tentacled FlatheadPapilloculiceps longiceps
Threadfin ButterflyfishChaetodon auriga
Titan TriggerfishBalistoides viridescens
White-spotted PufferfishArothron hispidus
Yellow BoxfishOstracion cubicus
Yellow Longnose ButterflyfishForcipiger flavissimus
Yellowfin TunaThunnus albacares
Yellowmargin TriggerfishPseudobalistes flavimarginatus
Yellowspotted TriggerfishPseudobalistes fuscus
Where is Sharm el-Sheikh
Red Sea · Egypt
Frequently asked questions about Sharm el-Sheikh
When is the best time to dive in Sharm el-Sheikh?
The best time to dive in Sharm el-Sheikh is from April to May and from September to November. In those months the water is between 24°C and 28°C.
What marine life can you see diving in Sharm el-Sheikh?
Divers can encounter 72 species in Sharm el-Sheikh. Highlights include Great Barracuda, Green Sea Turtle, Grey Reef Shark, Hawksbill Sea Turtle, Humphead Wrasse, and Ocellated Eagle Ray.
When can you see the Grey Reef Shark in Sharm el-Sheikh?
The Grey Reef Shark is most often seen in Sharm el-Sheikh from March to October.
When can you see the Ocellated Eagle Ray in Sharm el-Sheikh?
The Ocellated Eagle Ray is most often seen in Sharm el-Sheikh from March to October.
When can you see the Reef Manta Ray in Sharm el-Sheikh?
The Reef Manta Ray is most often seen in Sharm el-Sheikh from April to September.
What is the water temperature in Sharm el-Sheikh?
Water temperature in Sharm el-Sheikh ranges from 21°C in January to 30°C in July.
What wetsuit do I need to dive in Sharm el-Sheikh?
Most divers wear a 5 mm wetsuit in January, when the water drops to 21°C, and a rash guard or a 1–3 mm shorty in July, when it reaches 30°C.
What is the visibility like when diving in Sharm el-Sheikh?
Visibility in Sharm el-Sheikh ranges from 20 m to 40 m. The water is clearest from September to February.
What are the currents like in Sharm el-Sheikh?
Divers in Sharm el-Sheikh can expect light, moderate, strong, or very strong currents, depending on the month and the dive site.
What can you see on a night dive in Sharm el-Sheikh?
After dark, Sharm el-Sheikh reveals nocturnal species such as Whitetip Reef Shark, Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray, Fimbriated Moray, Giant Moray, Honeycomb Moray, and Kellogg's Scorpionfish.
Where is Sharm el-Sheikh located?
Sharm el-Sheikh is a dive destination in Egypt, in the Red Sea.
Every answer is built from the conditions and sightings data we keep for Sharm el-Sheikh. Spotted something that looks off?
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