Cargo from the wreck of the Yolanda at the tip of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt.

© Rob Atherton/Getty Images/iStockphoto

Shark & Jolanda Reefs

Ras Mohammed National Park


This two-for-one special off the southern tip of Ras Mohammed is among the most famous dives in the Red Sea and rated one of the top five dives in the world. Strong currents take divers on a thrilling ride along sheer coral walls, through vast schools of fish and eventually to the remains of the Jolanda, a Cypriot freighter that sank in 1980. Depth: surface to more than 40m. Rating: advanced. Access: boat.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby Ras Mohammed National Park attractions

1. Mangrove Channel

2.77 MILES

Green arrows lead to Ras Mohammed's Mangrove Channel, one of the most northerly mangrove forests in the world. Nearby, you can see huge cracks (one of the…

2. Old Quay Beach

3.06 MILES

Old Quay Beach is perfect for snorkelling; it has a spectacular vertical reef teeming with fish just offshore.

3. Jolanda Bay

3.17 MILES

There's some excellent snorkelling at Jolanda Bay, which is reached by a track marked with red arrows.

4. Shark Observatory

3.18 MILES

This dive site, underneath the promontory of the same name, takes its name from the fact that whale sharks can occasionally be sighted while diving here…

5. Main Beach

3.4 MILES

Aptly named Main Beach gets crowded with day trippers from Sharm El Sheikh, but with its vertical coral walls just offshore, it remains one of the best…

6. Salt Lake

3.4 MILES

This stunningly aqua-blue salt lake is about 200m inland from Ras Mohammed's Mangrove Channel and is a popular swimming stop.

7. Stingray Station

3.57 MILES

The stingrays this dive site is named after are most commonly seen in March and April, but there are plenty of other attractions year-round at this…

8. Shark Observatory Clifftop

3.59 MILES

This clifftop area, near Main Beach, has views over the dive-site area known as the Shark Observatory. Despite the name, you would be very lucky to spot a…

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