Jackfish Alley - Ras Mohammed

Jackfish Alley is one of Ras Mohammed National Park's signature dives — a dramatic drift along a coral wall riddled with caves and swim-throughs on the southwestern corner of the Sinai Peninsula, named for the massive schools of bigeye trevally (jackfish) that patrol the reef edge. The site combines the best of Ras Mohammed's reputation for spectacular marine biodiversity with the thrill of high-current drift diving through one of the Red Sea's most protected ecosystems. The dive begins at the reef's northern edge, where divers descend onto a sloping coral garden that transitions into a sheer wall at 18-25 meters. The wall features several caves and swim-throughs decorated with dense gorgonian fan colonies, black coral bushes, and soft corals. The drift carries divers south along the wall, past schools of batfish, surgeonfish, and the famous tornado-like formations of jackfish that can number in the hundreds during summer months. Marine life is remarkable. Resident Napoleon wrasse cruise the reef, giant moray eels inhabit the caves, and the plateau hosts several anemone gardens with thriving clownfish populations. Reef sharks — mainly grey reef and blacktip — appear along the deeper wall, while blue-spotted stingrays, crocodile fish, and scorpionfish are common along the sandy bottom. During summer, barracuda and tuna schools patrol the blue, and whale sharks have been recorded in late summer plankton blooms. The dive is accessible to Advanced Open Water divers with drift experience. The site is inside Ras Mohammed National Park, requiring park entry fees and adherence to strict marine protected-area rules. Reached by day boat from Sharm el-Sheikh, the dive is typically combined with Shark Reef, Yolanda Reef, or Anemone City on a full-day Ras Mohammed itinerary. Best conditions run March through October with visibility commonly exceeding 30 meters.