Red Sea’s Top 3 Dive Destinations: Brothers, Daedalus, and Elphinstone
Experience the ultimate Red Sea diving adventure at three premier locations: the Brother Islands, Daedalus Reef, and Elphinstone Reef. These sites are consistently ranked among the finest in the region, offering unparalleled underwater experiences.
The Brother Islands (El Akhawein):
Known as “El Akhawein” locally, the Brother Islands are essentially the summits of two underwater mountains rising from depths of 300 meters. Situated approximately 60 miles offshore, these isolated islands offer world-class diving. Big Brother, easily recognizable by its prominent lighthouse, extends for 400 meters in length and 100 meters in width, featuring eastern and western points. Little Brother is located roughly 800 meters to the east of its larger sibling.
As integral parts of the Marine Park Islands National Park, the Brother Islands are celebrated for their breathtaking wall dives. The walls themselves are a spectacle of color, densely covered in a stunning variety of soft corals and gorgonian fans. Marine life flourishes here, with abundant populations of both large and small fish. Divers can expect to see tuna, barracuda, schools of snapper and jackfish, and various shark species including hammerheads, silky sharks, and oceanic whitetip sharks, with occasional sightings of thresher sharks and manta rays. Grey reef shark sightings are almost guaranteed, especially around the North and South Plateaus of Little Brother.
Wreck diving enthusiasts will be thrilled by the presence of two notable shipwrecks on the walls of Big Brother: the Aida II, an 82-meter Egyptian supply vessel that sank in 1957, and the Numidia, a cargo ship lost while transporting locomotive parts to India. Both wrecks are now richly adorned with soft and hard corals, creating artificial reefs that host diverse marine life, including families of Napoleon wrasse and grey reef sharks.
Daedalus Reef:
Also within the Marine Park, Daedalus Reef is a large, oval-shaped reef distinguished by its lighthouse. As the most offshore reef in the Egyptian Red Sea, Daedalus is renowned for its dramatic deep walls and drop-offs, providing some of the most spectacular diving available. The underwater landscape features mountainous, pristine formations of hard corals. Daedalus is also a prime location for encountering schooling hammerhead sharks and grey reef sharks, drawn to its exposed location and nutrient-rich waters.
Elphinstone Reef:
Elphinstone Reef is characterized by its sheer walls, which are lavishly covered in soft corals, creating a visually stunning dive environment. Divers at Elphinstone can reliably encounter grey reef sharks patrolling the plateaus and oceanic whitetip sharks throughout much of the year, making it a premier location for shark encounters.
PLEASE NOTE:
This text is a sample of the type of itinerary for this area of the Red Sea and the planned dive sites and proposed route cannot be guaranteed. The weather can effect all the dive sites and the itinerary, final route and the decision to dive is at the absolute discretion of the captain and the dive guides.