Ras Mohamed, Shark & Yolanda: Southern Tip of Sinai Peninsula Dive Site

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Ras Mohamed, Shark & Yolanda

Southern Tip of Sinai Peninsula

5–40m+

Depth Range

30m+

Visibility

–

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Overview

Ras Mohamed, Shark & Yolanda

Ras Mohamed is the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula, the point where the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba meet. Egypt's first marine national park, established in 1983. The meeting of the two gulfs drives the current that makes Shark Reef what it is: nutrient-rich, fast-moving water that feeds one of the most concentrated walls of marine life in the Red Sea.

Shark Reef is a pinnacle rising from deep water, its walls dropping sheer to 60–70m on multiple sides. The eastern wall is the main event. Grey reef sharks patrol it in numbers that are still remarkable even by Red Sea standards, five, ten, fifteen animals holding position in the current at 15–30m, unhurried and entirely at home. A dense wall of barracuda moves above them. Napoleon wrasse of extraordinary size work the upper reef. Giant trevally hunt in formation. The reef does not need to be searched, the marine life simply appears, in density and at close range, because the current has been delivering food to this exact wall for as long as anyone can remember.

Yolanda Reef sits adjacent, connected to Shark Reef by a saddle that most divers cross mid-drift. Yolanda takes its name from the MV Yolanda, a Cypriot cargo ship that ran aground on the reef during a storm in 1980. The ship was carrying bathroom cargo, toilets, bathtubs, sinks, and that cargo is now scattered across the reef slope at 5–28m: porcelain bathroom fixtures, some still stackable, sitting among the coral. The ship itself eventually slipped off the reef edge and now lies in 60–100m, beyond recreational depth. The cargo stays. Diving past perfectly preserved toilets on a coral reef covered in sea fans and anthias is an experience that is genuinely difficult to describe to non-divers.

One part of Ras Mohamed that is easy to miss: Anemone City, a shelf at 16–20m approximately 100m northeast of Shark Reef. A dense concentration of giant carpet anemones, perhaps a hundred square metres of them, packed with twobar anemonefish and dominoes. It is one of the most extraordinary anemone aggregations in the Red Sea. The reason so many anemones colonised this exact shelf is genuinely unexplained.

The classic dive, and the one most operators run, is a drift from Shark Reef south to Yolanda, letting the current carry you across the saddle. On a good day with the current running and the sharks up, this is the finest single dive in Egypt.

Dive Profiles

★ Atlas Pick

Shark Reef

The East Wall, Shark Station

10–35m

Depth

Moderate–Strong

Current

Drop onto the east wall and hold position at 15–25m. The grey reef sharks are resident and appear quickly, sometimes immediately on descent. Stay on the wall, face out into the blue, and let the current work for you. Moving too much or chasing sharks breaks the encounter. The barracuda school holds above at 10–15m; the Napoleon wrasse work the upper reef. This is the dive. Stay until your turn-pressure then ascend the wall rather than drifting away from the reef.

Ras Mohamed

Full Drift, Shark Reef to Yolanda

5–28m

Depth

Moderate · north to south

Current

The classic Ras Mohamed dive. Start on Shark Reef's east wall, sharks, barracuda, Napoleon wrasse, then let the current carry you south across the saddle to Yolanda. The saddle crossing is shallow; stay at 10–15m and keep the group together. On Yolanda, drop to the slope at 15–25m where the cargo is scattered: toilets, bathtubs, sinks, all encrusted in coral growth. Turtles and scorpionfish on the slope. Surface with gas, deploy DSMB, wait for the boat.

Yolanda Reef

Yolanda Slope, The Cargo

5–28m

Depth

Mild · sheltered

Current

Dive Yolanda independently if conditions prevent the full drift or as a second dive. Drop onto the slope and work down to 20–25m where the bathroom cargo is most concentrated. Porcelain toilets, bathtubs and sinks scattered among sea fans and gorgonians, covered in coral growth after 40 years on the reef. Turtles common on the slope. The wreck hull itself has slipped beyond recreational depth but the cargo remains entirely accessible. Good for macro and photography.

The Wreck

MV Yolanda

Cargo vessel · grounded 1980 · Lost 1980

5–28m (cargo) · 60–100m (hull)

Depth

Cargo scattered across reef slope

Length

Hull beyond rec. depth · cargo intact

Condition

The MV Yolanda was a Cypriot cargo ship that ran aground on the reef during a storm in 1980. Her cargo was bathroom fixtures, toilets, bathtubs, sinks, destined for Aqaba. The ship eventually slipped off the reef edge and now rests at 60–100m, beyond recreational diving depth. But the cargo stayed on the slope. Porcelain bathroom fixtures are now scattered across Yolanda Reef at 5–28m, encrusted in 40+ years of coral growth, surrounded by sea fans and anthias. Turtles rest beside the bathtubs. It is one of the most surreal and celebrated dive sites in the Red Sea.

–Toilets, bathtubs and sinks scattered at 5–28m
–40+ years of coral growth on the cargo
–Hull at 60–100m, beyond recreational depth
–Turtles and scorpionfish on the cargo slope
–Reached by drifting from Shark Reef across the saddle

Key Stats

The numbers

5–30m+

Depth Range

25m+

Visibility

22–28°c

Water Temp

Moderate–Strong

Current

Yearround

Season

Advanced

Skill Level

Safety & Skills

What you need to know

Current

Current at Ras Mohamed runs strong and can change. The east wall of Shark Reef sees the strongest flow. Entry timing is everything, check conditions before every dive and follow your guide on positioning. A drift that carries you away from the reef in open water is a genuine risk.

Boat traffic

One of the most visited dive sites in Egypt. Heavy surface traffic throughout the day. DSMB mandatory before every ascent, do not surface without it. Ascend along the reef rather than in open water wherever possible.

Depth

The walls at Shark Reef drop to 60–70m. It is very easy to follow sharks deeper than planned. Set your turn-depth before entry and treat it as a hard limit, the sharks will still be there when you come back up the wall.

Crowds

Ras Mohamed is the most visited dive site in Egypt. Morning dives before 9am are significantly better. Liveaboard entry gives you the reef before the day boats arrive. The experience on a crowded afternoon is not the same site.

Visibility

Consistently 25m+ year-round. The current that creates the conditions also maintains the clarity. One of the most reliably clear sites in the northern Red Sea.

Marine life

The grey reef sharks at Shark Reef are habituated to divers but remain completely wild. Normal Red Sea shark briefing applies. They are not aggressive but they are not props, maintain respectful distance and do not corner them against the wall.

✅

Minimum: Advanced Open WaterCurrent experience required. Shark Reef's east wall in strong current is not suitable for divers without experience of drift diving. 30+ logged dives recommended.

✅

DSMB mandatoryHeavy surface traffic. Every diver deploys independently. Non-negotiable at Ras Mohamed.

✅

Depth disciplineThe walls are deep and the sharks tempt you lower. Set your turn-depth before entry. The most common incident at Ras Mohamed is divers surfacing with no gas after following sharks below 30m.

⚠️

Yolanda saddle crossingThe crossing between Shark Reef and Yolanda can expose you to open water current. Stay with the group, stay shallow across the saddle, and do not attempt it if conditions are against you.

How to Get There