Egypt is a haven for scuba divers. The entire Red Sea Coast has many thick ancient coral reefs teeming with schools of exotic fish. Sometimes these fish can be seen swimming through the remains of old city ruins and the remains of old ships.
The north-eastern coast of Egypt features two amazing islands you can snorkel around with big ancient underwater walls. The peninsula and south east coast of the Red Sea are also close to the attractions and hotels in the big metropolitan cities of Cairo and Luxor (the ancient Valley of the Kings that is home to all of the Egyptian pyramids.)
One of the most incredible diving sites in the entire world is just 75 miles east of Hurghada. The Small Giftun Drift boasts a thick plateau of coral that features an alluring and picturesque bottomless drop-off.
It is easier to get to Eygpt than ever. There are four international airports that are served by Egypt Air; an airline that flies to most international cities. The Cairo, Luxor and Hurghada airports are closest to the most beautiful diving reef. Once inland it is best to travel on bus. The Upper Egypt Bus Company circles the coastline and drops divers at their various destinations.
If you want to dive at the famous Small Giftun Drift, be aware you can only get there by boat from the coast. If the wind is blowing from the North the water may be too choppy to accommodate a trip to the Drift itself so plan to stay nearby for a couple of days.
There is no bad season for diving in Egypt but be aware that the sea is a little colder in February. The warmest waters are from June to August and reach 30 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you want to see whale sharks the best time to go is from the end of May until the end of July. There are amazing sardine visible in these diving spots in December and January. Throughout the year you can also see Hammerhead sharks, Dottybacks, Triplefin blennies, butterfly fish and dolphins.
Top diving sites in the area sites include Giftun Island, Panorama Reef, Seven Pillars and Soma Bay. You can also take a dive among many interesting wrecks. If you swim among the wreckage of the4 Thistlegorm, which is a sunken World War II cargo ship, you will find a load of locomotive cars and vintage motorcycles.
Every single type of reef is found in the long deep trench that is the Red sea including, lagoons, caves, garden, shallow patch reefs and reef branches that extend far into the sea. Divers say that the experience of diving is just like climbing up tall mountains and jumping off of them into bottomless depths of blackness.