Red Sea Diving Holidays with Memphis Tours Egypt

Year-round sunshine, clear waters and wonderful corals make the Red Sea in Egypt a perfect place for scuba diving. A Red Sea diving holiday in Egypt with Memphis tours is simply unforgettable. Well- established diving centers will gladly provide you with scuba diving information and arrange courses, daily excursions, and live-aboard trips to almost anywhere, from the gigantic coral outcrops of Taba to the vertical walls of Ras Mohammed, from the wrecks of Sha'ab Abu Nuhas to the lonely offshore islands of The Brothers and Zabargad.

The Red Sea is dubbed Egypt's (Garden of Allah), due to the wealth of underwater pristine life.

The Egyptian Red Sea offers the world's best scuba diving: at only a few hours by plane from Europe, you find superb visibility (up to 50 metres), abundant and diverse fish life (over 1,000 species), countless varieties of hard and soft coral (over 400 species), year- round diving in comfortable water temperatures (18' to 26' Celsius), incredibly diverse underwater topography, spectacular wall and shipwreck destinations, sunny weather and pleasant air temperatures (18' to 40' Celsius), and easy access to diving locations

 Browse through our Red Sea dive sites maps and you will be impressed by the range of diving possibilities It is no surprise therefore that Red Sea diving is one of the most sought-after holidays. Whether a hopeful wannabe or expert diver, eight year-old kid or sporting grandmother, diving can be experienced and enjoyed by nearly everyone. 

The Red Sea is an enormous basin, 2350km (≈1400 miles) long by about 350km (≈220 miles) broad at its widest point, enclosed to the north by the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba, and at its southernmost point the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which is hundreds of metres deep. The sea is has a truly unique ecosystem, surrounded as it is, by red-hued bauxite mountains that some believe to be the origin of the name Mare Rostrum, the Red Sea. It was formed 25 million years ago by the separation of the African Continent from the Arabian Peninsula.

It is distinguished by the volcanic activity in its shallows, its regular currents, the small tidal range, a salt content of 4.1% (the world's seas average 3.2%), and a water temperature that drops only slightly in its depths. The Red Sea has been a commercial highway between the East and the West since classical antiquity. Boats departed loaded with copper, pottery, and cloths to return laden with silks, spices, wood, and even elephants. The cutting of the Suez Canal in 1869 boosted and encouraged a tradition of many centuries of sailing, interspersed with shipwrecks and portray.

Today the Sea is an essential destination for divers the world over.

SCUBA DIVING IN SHARM EL SHEIKH with Memphis tours Egypt
 Sharm el Sheikh, along with Hurghada, is where it all started. These where the first two destinations of the nearly 20-years-old diving history of the Red Sea. Diving sites in Sharm are world famous. A paradise for a perfect Red Sea diving holiday, Sharm has it all: hard and soft coral, turtles and dolphins, mantas and moray eels, napoleons and tuna, hammerheads, barracudas, reef and pelagic sharks, and much more, including the legendary World War II wreck of the Thistlegorm.

SCUBA DIVING IN DAHAB Memphis tours Egypt
 Dahab, the famous (hippy) town of the Red Sea Riviera, is a great diving holiday destination for the experienced diver and for those seeking to obtain their scuba diving certification. World-famous dive sites such as the Blue Hole and the Canyon attract every year big numbers of diving enthusiasts. The unique and picturesque character of the town does the rest! Dahab scuba diving is synonymous with shore diving. Dive destinations are reached by jeep or by camel.

Each site has its own charm and character with loads to discover. Water entry is as simple as crossing over a reef-flat and descending. From the narrow continuous fringing reef that hugs Dahab's shoreline, the underwater terrain rapidly slants downward to the fathomless depth of the Gulf of Aqaba. Apart from the impressive scenery below water and above - the magnetism of diving in Dahab lies in its uniqueness. SCUBA

DIVING IN TABA Memphis tours Egypt Although not as dramatic as Sharm el Sheikh's walls or Marsa Alam's offshore reefs, the Taba coast offer some very rare marine life in an uncrowded environment. Typical to the area, for example, is a rare species of frogfish, and many species of seahorses, hardly found anywhere else in the Red Sea, making a diving holiday in Taba a unique one. Most of the dive sites in Taba are situated along the Red Sea coast, in the fringing reefs which adorn the Taba shoreline. They are mainly reachable by boat, but some have shore access from the hotel, and others and can be reached by car or jeep.

Local dive boats leave every day for day or half-day diving excursions. The Taba dive sites are, in general, also easily accessible to snorkellers. The Taba marine area is protected, as many other areas in Egypt, and diving centres here operate under environmental-friendly procedures. This year, a group of local investors have sponsored a mooring buoy project for the diving boats in the region, installing a total of 16 buoys in the most frequently visited dive sites. www.memphistours.com 

SCUBA DIVING IN EL GOUNA Memphis tours Egypt:
 El Gouna is a great divers' destination in the Red Sea Riviera. For new divers, heated pools and calm local reefs provide an excellent start to your diving experience. For more experienced divers, El Gouna's range of walls, reefs and wrecks are among the finest in the Red Sea; thus it guarantees an unforgettable diving holiday. El Gouna, although officially does not belong to any of the Red Sea national parks, has a very strong conservationist philosophy.

A mooring buoy project has been privately sponsored by the resort's investors and diving centres, and a system to avoid overcrowding of the dive sites have been implemented since years. El Gouna is mostly about relaxed diving and stunning coral gardens, but it has also a number of exciting drop offs for the more experienced. Moreover, El Gouna is home to a pod of bottlenose dolphins, which have permanent residence in the beautiful moon- shaped reef of Dolphin House. Scuba diving in El Gouna is conducted solely by boat, as all reefs are off shore.

Daily boats cater also to snorkel and non-diving companions, as most dive sites are suitable also for snorkeling, making for a great day out in the sea for the whole family or group of friends. 

SCUBA DIVING IN SOMA BAY Memphis tours Egypt
 Soma Bay, with its upscale resorts, long soft sandy beach and stunning fringing coral reef, is an ideal location for a diving holiday with the family. If you kids or spouse aren't divers, you can be sure that they will be kept perfectly pampered and spoilt by the resort's great facilities while you enjoy the fantastic underwater sights of the area. Located on the northernmost point of the large bay of Safaga, Soma Bay commands impressive views of the sea and the mountains. To the south-west there is a large, shallow sandy beach, ideal for swimming and snorkelling.

To the east and north-east, one of the most beautiful fringing reefs of the region borders the headland of Ras Abu Soma, accessible by the long jetty in front of the Sheraton. The Soma Bay marine area is protected, as many other areas in Egypt, and diving centres here operate under environment-friendly procedures. Starting from year 1995, local authorities, NGO's and international bodies such as USAID have co-operated in the conservation of the underwater life of the region. Nowadays, regular checks and upgrades ensure the presence of mooring buoys in all dive sites

SCUBA DIVING IN MARSA ALAM Memphis tours Egypt
 Marsa Alam is fast becoming a catchword within the international diving community: fewer divers, healthy reefs, large pelagics, unique pinnacles, impressive drop-offs, interesting caves and coral covered shipwrecks, make of Marsa Alam the ultimate diving holiday destination in the Red Sea. The area is large and varied, as what is called Marsa Alam is a stretch of coast some 100km long. Well-established dive resorts, camps and diving centres in Marsa Alam,

Egypt are scattered to the north and to the south of the main village, some a considerable distance away. All levels of scuba diving certification courses are available in Marsa Alam.

SCUBA DIVING IN HAMATA / BERENICE Memphis tours Egypt
 Hamata/Berenice is the absolute must for the keen scuba diver. A diving holiday in this remote area of the Red Sea, has all what the Red Sea is famous for. Starting from the outskirts of the Wadi el Gemal National Park, the area of Hamata/Berenice is a place out of the world and the gateway to Africa. Remote, isolated, paradisiac, the area of Hamata/Berenice is for those who can do without nightlife, clubs and mad shopping, and love to be in the wilderness. The most famous dive sites of the South Marine Park, once reachable only with liveaboards, are at your doorstep.

The Hamata/Berenice marine area is protected, as many other areas in Egypt, and diving centres here operate under environment-friendly procedures. Starting from year 1995, local authorities, NGO's and international bodies such as USAID have co-operated in the conservation of the underwater life of the region. Nowadays, regular checks and upgrades ensure the presence of mooring buoys in all dive sites.

Hamata has become in the last few years a favourite port of departure for liveaboard trips to out-of-the-way offshore and southern regions. Particularly attractive are the three remote islands: Daedalus, Rocky and Zabargad; and the two outer reef systems: Fury Shoal and St John Reef.

LIVEABOARDS Memphis tours Egypt Red Sea Liveaboards in Egypt with Memphis tours A multi-day live-aboard safari in the Red Sea is definitely the ultimate diving experience. A live-aboard vessel enables you to discover the remote reefs and rarely dived wrecks. You can make up to four dives a day, including night dives.Your gear is always ready at hand for that rare, once in a lifetime opportunity to dive with dolphins or whale sharks.

Depending on the routes and kind of safari, you might be required to have a minimum of logged dives and an advanced diver certification. In Egypt, some safari destinations are in fact only for experienced divers. Others are suitable though also for medium-experience divers.

What it is all about ? 
 Many Red Sea live-aboard boats are renowned for their comfort, convenience and safety: private air-conditioned cabins, deliciously cooked meals, professional photography services, modern communication and navigation systems. Live-aboard cruises depart throughout the year from Sharm el Sheikh, Hurghada, Safaga, Marsa Alam, Port Ghaleb, and other minor ports.

The most popular itineraries are: North Red Sea, diving in the legendary Straits of Tiran and Gubal with dives at the Ras Mohammed National Park North Wrecks, special for (wreckies), with the awesome Abu Nuhas ship graveyard (Giannis D., Chrisoula K., Carnatic and Kimon M.) and the fabled Thistlegorm. Some also dive the Rosalie Muller and the Dunraven. South Marine Park, with the most spectacular underwater life in the Red Sea, diving at the amazing reefs of Elphinstone, Samadai, Sha'ab Makhsour, Sha'ab Claude, Sataya and St. John. Deep South, heading towards the remote and legendary Rocky and Zabargad Islands. The Brother Islands, in the very middle of the Red Sea, jutting out of the depths in a wealth of pelagics and reef fauna.