Isolated oceanic reef / WallÁrea Marina Protegida

Daedalus Reef (Abu el Kizan)

Egypt · Red Sea, ~80-100 km east of Marsa Alam

Profundidad: 5–40 mNivel: Advanced, drift divingDiving all year round; the sea cools down from January to March

An isolated reef plateau in the middle of the Red Sea, roughly 1,000 m long by 300 m wide, rising from several hundred metres of depth. With no other reefs around it, it is exposed to wind, swell and upwelling currents, and that combination explains both its biological productivity and its reputation. The walls drop sheer to about 20 m, continue as a slope to 40 and then fall away. The northern tip is the classic spot for hammerheads, where the current splits.

Depth

5–40 m

Recommended level

Advanced, drift diving

Current

Strong and variable

Access

Liveaboard only

Best time

Diving all year round; the sea cools down from January to March

Ocean Marine protected area

Plan your dive

Best time: Diving all year round; the sea cools down from January to March

Protection status

Parque marino nacional egipcio

Did you know

En el centro del arrecife hay una pequeña isla artificial con un faro erigido por iniciativa británica en 1863 y reconstruido en 1931; se puede visitar entre inmersiones, algo poco habitual en el mar Rojo. El buceo nocturno está prohibido por normativa del parque marino. La pared oeste tiene una alfombra continua de anemonas conocida como 'Anemone City' o 'Nemo City'. El nombre árabe, Abu Kizan, significa 'el de las vasijas'.

Sources consulted: Wikipedia (Daedalus Reef); Emperor Divers; Dive The World; Master Liveaboards; redsea-diving.com; liveaboard.com