Eel Canyon

Eel Canyon is a beginner-friendly dive site in Aqaba, Jordan, named for the vast colony of garden eels that inhabit the sandy slope between the coral formations. Hundreds of these slender, swaying eels create a mesmerizing living carpet on the sand, retreating into their burrows as divers approach — a captivating spectacle best observed from a patient distance. The site's coral reef sections feature healthy hard coral gardens with table corals, massive brain corals, and fire coral formations hosting the typical Red Sea cast: anthias, butterflyfish, angelfish, and territorial triggerfish. Blue-spotted stingrays rest on the sandy flats, and jawfish maintain their carefully constructed burrows nearby. The combination of the spectacular garden eel colony and accessible reef diving makes Eel Canyon one of Aqaba's most popular sites, offering excellent macro photography opportunities alongside classic Red Sea reef scenery.