Sha'ab Rumi (Cousteau)

Reef/Wall

Near Sanganeb

Depth: 5–40 mLevel: AdvancedOctober-May

A shallow reef with walls dropping some 600 m. On its western face lie the remains of Conshelf II (Précontinent II), the underwater village Jacques Cousteau installed in 1963. The hangar for the "diving saucers" still stands at around 9 m, alongside shark cages and other equipment. The southern plateau, a tongue of reef running out into open water, is the highlight for pelagics.

Depth

5–40 m

Recommended level

Advanced

Average visibility

30 m

Protection status

None — the site has no protective legislation despite its historical value

Did you know?

Five oceanauts — and a parrot — lived there for a month; the experience gave rise to the Oscar-winning documentary "World Without Sun". Among the medical findings, it was documented that hair grew more slowly and wounds healed faster. Cousteau went so far as to blast a passage through the reef with explosives to gain access to the lagoon. An uncomfortable fact: Sudan's most important historic dive site has no legal protection of any kind today.

Sources consulted: sudanmarineparks.info; Dive The World; Bluewater Dive Travel; greatestdivesites.com

Location

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1 park within 30 km.