Ras Mohammed: Egypt's Best Snorkeling and Diving Park

Ras Mohammed National Park, at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula near Sharm El Sheikh, was declared Egypt's first national marine park in 1983, protecting one of the richest coral reef ecosystems in the Red Sea. Its underwater geography is unusual: the reef walls here drop almost vertically, in some spots over 800 meters straight down, creating dramatic drop-offs that are a signature of the park's diving.

The park sits at the meeting point of the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba, which brings an unusually dense concentration of marine life through this relatively small area — over 1,000 fish species and around 220 coral species have been recorded here, including regular sightings of napoleon wrasse, reef sharks, barracuda, and large schools of jackfish moving in tight, hypnotic formations that have made specific dive sites like Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef internationally famous among divers.

Ras Mohammed works for both beginners and experienced divers — shallower reef sections near Anemone City are calm enough for snorkelers and first-time divers, while the sheer walls and stronger currents further out are reserved for certified, experienced divers. Most visits are arranged as a day trip by boat from Sharm El Sheikh, and because it's a protected national park, entry fees go directly toward reef conservation rather than general tourism revenue.