Jacques Cousteau once said “The Red Sea is a corridor of marvels – the happiest hours of my diving experience have been spent there”
The Red Sea attracts divers, photographers, marine biologists and leisure seekers from all over the world, hoping to experience and explore the incalculable wonders of the colourful marine life and the Red Sea’s lavish coral reefs.
The lure of the reef is such that many novice divers become totally “hooked” and cannot imagine why they have never joined in the fun before. Furthermore, when asked to compare their local diving conditions with those in the Red Sea, they find it a “paradise” with clear visibility, little wave action, and warm water temperatures all year round.
The Red Sea was created by the movement of plates in the Earth’s surface about 30 million years ago. At that time, the Arab peninsula started to part from Africa along a thin break line which was filled by the Indian Ocean’s water.
“Mother Nature” has given us an amazing gift of the Red Sea and the land that surrounds it. Unmatched beauty, incomparable richness and variety of marine life, stunning contrasts that will keep you coming back for more.
The Red Sea got its name from the explosive growth of a blue algae that dyes the normally blue water an orange red. Some other story is in summer the reflection of the rising or setting sun making the surface of the sea seem red.
The Red Sea is renowned for its warm waters, superb climate, breathtaking marine life and good water temperature all year round.
Though a common question still remains by divers which is “when is the best time to come to the Red Sea?”
Well, again all year round is considered a good time to come and dive the Red Sea! However it is up to you how much sunshine you are willing to handle :).
But to answer the question, from June until September you will definitely appreciate the warm water of the Red Sea. It is getting really hot and diving is a pleasure as only a 3mm wet suit or shorts & rash vest required. Because of the blooming plankton the chances of seeing Whale sharks or Mantas are bigger.
From December until March water temperature is dropping a bit. You will most probably be still comfortable in a full 5mm suit. A swimming suit will be fine during your lunch in sheltered areas.
Here is some more info. and graphs of the annual average air and water temperatures around the Red Sea:
| Temp Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Daily High Temp in °C | 22° | 23° | 25° | 30° | 34° | 37° | 38° | 37° | 36° | 31° | 27° | 23° |
| Daily Low Temp in °C | 13° | 14° | 16° | 20° | 24° | 26° | 27° | 28° | 26° | 23° | 19° | 15° |
Hidden just below the Red Sea surface:
The Red Sea boasts more species of fish than any other proportional body of water in the world. Not surprisingly therefore, the Red Sea is considered by many to offer the very best diving available in the marine world.
In places, the exceptional living reef stretches way out to sea, forming a elaborate system of caves, lagoons, gardens, and plateaux. Some of these coral summits plunge dramatically thousands of feet to the ocean floor.
Check this out for a list of the Red Sea fish
