The Blue Hole

The Blue Hole is Egypt's most mythologized dive site, a 100-meter vertical sinkhole on the Dahab coastline that has become equal parts spectacular recreational destination and cautionary tale. Geologically, the Blue Hole is a karstic feature — a submerged limestone cave whose ceiling collapsed in prehistoric times, leaving a near-perfect circular shaft sealed from the Red Sea by a living coral saddle that rises to within 7 meters of the surface. Recreational diving here focuses on the surrounding reef, not the depths. The standard profile begins at the Bells, a striking chimney 200 meters north that divers descend through to emerge on a sheer vertical wall. From there, a drift south at 25-30 meters traverses some of the most colorful soft-coral terrain in the northern Red Sea, with gorgonian fans reaching two meters across and the wall covered in encrusting sponges, black coral, and anemones that shelter clownfish and cleaner shrimps. Marine life is remarkable. Napoleon wrasse, hawksbill turtles, giant moray eels, and blacktip reef sharks all appear along the wall, while massive schools of bannerfish, surgeonfish, and unicornfish patrol the reef edge. The saddle and shallow rim host an extraordinary diversity of small reef species — shrimps, nudibranchs, pipefish, and frogfish reward the patient diver. Access is by taxi from Dahab and a short walk across the cliff-top to the Bedouin-run diving camps that fringe the hole. Shore entry is straightforward, and the Arch at 56 meters should be ignored by all but properly certified technical divers. Visibility averages 25-30 meters, water temperatures range from 22°C to 29°C through the year, and the best diving conditions run from March through November when winds on the Sinai are at their calmest.