Jackson Reef is the northernmost of the four reefs in the Strait of Tiran and the one divers travel for. It takes the full force of the current funnelling through the channel, and that current is the reason the walls are so alive: soft coral in every colour, dense gorgonians, and a constant traffic of reef fish working the moving water.

The wreck of the Lara, a cargo ship that ran aground in 1981, sits on the northern reef top and is visible from the surface. The real draw is below and out in the blue. Through the summer months, scalloped hammerheads gather off the northern point in the deeper water, and grey reef sharks patrol the wall year round.

This is an advanced dive. The current can run hard and shift direction, and the northern point is exposed. Dive it with a guide who knows the site, plan your entry and exit around the current, and carry a surface marker.