VIVA LE LOCAL!

If you ask anyone who has dived around Sharm el-Sheikh which is their favourite area for diving, the answer is usually the Strait of Tiran, or the Ras Mohammed National Park, or the Strait of Jubal (with the wrecks of the SS Thistlegorm and the SS Dunraven). When we have walk-in guests to our center it is always “We want to go to Ras Mohammed”, even though the guests often have no idea about the diving in Ras Mohammed.

Nobody ever says “we want to go local”, and we find that a little strange.

No one would compare in the same light Temple and Shark reef, but what about Ras Umm Sid (Local) compared with Ras Burg (Ras Mohammed), or Ras Nasrani (Local) with Ras Za’atar (Ras Mohammed) or the corner of Ras Katy (Local) with Ras Ghozlani?

Ras Umm Sid is one of the most famous diving sites we have. It has a beautiful reef with a stunning wall and plateau, and the chance to see large pelagic fish & rays. It is one of the most impressive places for a night dive, with rich and vibrant corals, and you can make it as a boat dive or shore dive.

Ras Nasrani again has a lush reef, another beautiful wall, and a gorgeous plateau with the chance of sighting large marine life. Ras Katy has a very impressive ridge that runs from its corner to a depth of 22-24m, ending with some beautiful sea fans with pygmy sweepers and, usually, hundreds of red-toothed triggerfish and Red Sea bannerfish and, yet again, the chance to see large pelagic rays and fish. Three years ago (maybe four, as it does feel a little like Groundhog Day in Sharm with nearly every day having blue sky and sunshine) if you wanted to see whale sharks the local garden sites (Near, Middle, Fiddle & Far) offered by far the best chance to do so. Pinky Wall, Tower, Sodfa, and White Knight (again all Local sites) offer during the summer exceptional chances to see mantas. Sharks Bay, the Gardens, Temple, Ras Katy, White Knight all offer some of the best macro sites around Sharm, yet photographers still insist on Tiran and Ras Mohammed (and then state a preference for dives without “too much current” – Hello!). Why such a negative view of the local sites? Or is it the PR for the other areas just too good? If you pick up a copy of DIVE or Diver Magazine and happen to come across an article about diving around Sharm it is almost every time about … have a guess, go on … Ras Mohammed, Strait of Tiran or the SS Thistlegorm, never local (although 3 years ago when there seemed to be a whale shark every day, one of the two magazines printed an article about 4 whale sharks and a bait ball in the gardens; even then though the tone of the article was “and believe it or not, this was at one of the local sites”). Even Jules Verne’s Captain Nemo and his infamous vessel, the Nautilus, only sailed through the Strait of Jubal and on up through the Gulf of Suez, the Gulf of Aquba was completely ignored. Okay, okay, Sharm and her local sites (at least in name) were 100 years away when 20,000 Leagues was written so we can forgive Captain Nemo and Mr. Verne for their over sight. Hopefully you’ll get what we’re driving at here; Sharm’s Local sights offer some great diving and you don’t need to trail every day to the Strait of Tiran or the Ras Mohammed national Park to enjoy some top drawer diving. Viva le Local!