Away from the glitzy naffness of Na'ama Bay and the pseudo-palacios of Sharm el-Sheikh, Sharks Bay boasts its own underwater paradise just begging to be explored, writes Fishfan

The warm night-time breeze which greeted me at the airport was a welcome change from the wettest British August on record. As a seasoned diver and virgin visitor to Egypt, I was looking forward to spending the next six days indulging my fetish for wet neoprene in the sandy canyon of Sharks Bay.

The following morning after a light breakfast I boarded the Freedom III with my shipmates – a small but eclectic, bling-free bunch of western Europeans – and our dive guides, Mohammed and Mohammed. One of the attractions of Sharks Bay is that – as well as an on-site jetty and excellent PADI resort dive centre – the dive boat is only a couple of hundred metres walk from the centre. Having done almost all of my diving from RIBs and dhows, the space onboard this ex-diving safari boat was wonderful, with a dry area inside for cameras, hot and cold drinks and all the luxuries that Red Sea divers take for granted.

The Tiran Reefs, close to the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba, are captivating to behold. The rusting wreck of the Lullia perched virtually intact on Gordon Reef, which sank the ship in 1981, is in stark contrast to the brightly patterned coral groupers roving around in 30-metre-plus visibility. There is an abundance of marine life here, from Hawksbill Turtles, mean-looking Moray Eels and Brick house Brindle Bass to delicate Gorgonian fans, tiny Ghost Pipefish and Nudibranchs, or 'sea slugs'. During a long, gentle drift along Woodhouse – the longest of the four reefs – Clownfish nestled in Bubble-tipped Anemones, a school of Blue-spotted Trevally cruised past and a White-spotted Puffer chugged along. Some big boys were around too: a pair of Coral Groupers grinned their menacing grins and a Napoleon Wrasse ambled past.

Surfacing from the water on day one we found the deck and galley team of Mohammed and Mohammed had rustled up some fine home cooking and platters of pasta, chicken, vegetables and tahini were wolfed down with much appreciation. After some leisurely lazing on the top deck for an hour or so we embarked on our third dive of the day. This was to be the format for the rest of the week: cruise out, two dives, a buffet of tasty treats, digestion and de-gassing, another decent dip and a cruise home (boats were always back at 5pm to avoid the wrath of the local Marine Police).

Another day, another wreck. The 80-metre long Kormoran, which struck Laguna Reef in 1984 with a cargo of phosphates from Jordan, is rich in hard corals and fish life and at an ideal depth. Lying in the shallows from four to 12 metres, the diesel engines, winches, portholes, and mastheads are still in excellent condition. Sohail Surgeonfish skittered hither and thither, a metre-long Starry Puffer bumbled by, and a tiny Sea Cucumber - no bigger than a little finger - padded along the structure before we headed back to base.

Jackson Reef, with its startling Red Anemone at 28 metres, is a well-known site for Hammerhead sharks although our first attempt yielded nothing but a jellyfish. We had more luck two days later, spotting around 20 distant but distinctive hammerheads moving in front of us, alas out of camera range, but proof that they are out there.

Perhaps the highlight of the trip was the twin mounts of Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef, which extend hundreds of metres below the surface and constitute one of the signature dives of Ras Mohammed National Park. From the aptly-named Anemone City the current took us across to the underwater mountain of Shark Reef, its peak sitting at 26 metres, its eastern flank dropping away hundreds of metres into the inky darkness. Engulfed by a school of fast-moving Barracuda, we came to the Yolanda wreck and its scattered cargo of lavatories and bathtubs, guarded by a posse of Emperors and a large school of Bluespined Unicorn fish with evil looking pre-caudal hooks. Finally, as we worked our way to the shallows we passed a Crocodile fish posing beneath a coral-encrusted crossmember. An astounding site that we dived in both directions on different days, and was a firm favourite.

Umbi Dive Village and the in-house dive centre are perfectly located to make the most of the dive sites in Ras Mohammed National Park and on the Tiran reefs. The on-site jetty and laid back restaurants make non-boat time relaxing and peaceful. For a late night out dancing under the bright lights, Naama Bay is just a 10 minute taxi ride away. Oonasdivers are their UK agent.


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