Route Description - Best of the Red Sea: Daedalus–Rocky Island–Zabargad-St. Johns-Elphinstone
Embark on the ultimate Red Sea adventure! Dive into Daedalus Reef’s towering walls and vibrant plateaus, where hammerheads and reef sharks glide among thriving marine life. Explore the mystical Rocky Island, wrapped in dazzling corals and home to silvertip sharks, manta rays, and turtles. Discover Zabargad Island’s stunning drop-offs and coral gardens teeming with reef fish, then journey to St. John’s Reefs for dramatic gorgonian-covered walls and encounters with barracudas, sharks, and dolphins. End your expedition at the legendary Elphinstone Reef, famed for its colorful coral-covered plateaus and thrilling shark sightings.
Daedalus Reef
Daedalus Reef is surrounded by steep walls and features a plateau on the southern side that drops from 30 meters at the wall to around 40 meters at the edge. The plateau is covered in colorful coral growth that extends into the shallows, attracting turtles and large schools of fish. Closer observation reveals marine life such as snails, scorpionfish, and stonefish. Thresher sharks are occasionally seen near the plateau, while hammerhead and reef sharks are often spotted around the northwest tip. Along the west side lies Anemone City, a vast colony of anemones stretching from 5 to 30 meters deep, forming a soft, flowing carpet in the current. The area is home to an impressive variety of fish, including fusiliers, surgeonfish, and jacks.
Elphinstone
Elphinstone Reef is a long, finger-like formation running north to south in the open Red Sea. Its steep eastern and western walls descend sharply into the depths, while the northern and southern ends feature submerged plateaus. The reef’s abundant fish population frequently attracts sharks, which can often be seen gliding along its edges.
St. John’s
Located about 10 miles from the Sudanese border, St. John’s is a vast reef system on the southern Egyptian coast. The reefs rise dramatically from a massive underwater plateau hidden in deep blue water, offering numerous outstanding dive sites with exceptional biodiversity and striking coral formations.
Zabargad
The island of Zabargad has been renowned since ancient Egyptian times for its olivine mines, where a green gemstone similar to emerald was once extracted. Beneath the surface, divers can explore the island’s southern wall, known for its stunning passages, vibrant corals, and captivating underwater scenery.
Rocky Island
Rocky Island features several submerged rocks surrounded by sandy areas, with an inviting swim-through located at around 20 meters deep. The site showcases beautiful staghorn and hard corals, while leopard sharks and whitetip reef sharks are often found resting on the sand. Turtles and pelagic species such as giant trevallies are also common. With a maximum depth of about 39 meters and strong currents at times, this dive site is best suited for advanced divers.
Shaab Maksur
Shaab Maksur is a small but elongated reef featuring plateaus to the north and south, with steep drop-offs on the east and west sides. The northern terrace frequently attracts dolphins, barracudas, and reef sharks, while the southern plateau, characterized by large coral blocks, provides shelter for a wide variety of marine species.