Nabq

Located 25 km north of Sharm El Sheikh, Nabq is a region of contrasts. From the high mountains in the North, to rolling dune systems of the South, to the rich coral environment where the desert meets the sea, Nabq provides varied and in some cases unique landscapes and habitats. The park covers a massive area of 600 km². The marine life of Nabq is particularly rich, from the reefs which stretch the entire length of the coast with their diverse coral communities and large fish populations, to the well developed sea grass beds, in particular, in front of the visitor center and the shrimp farm. The coral reefs are probably some of the best on offer in the Red Sea, with an abundance of smaller marine life. The coastline of Nabq, as well as exhibiting a well developed coral reef system, is fringed by 4.8 km of mangrove forest. This mangrove which is composed of just one species of tree, Avicennia marina, is very fragile. In addition, being the most northerly in the Red Sea / Indian Ocean system, it is worthy of protection. Mangrove forests play an important role in shoreline protection and are vital as fish breeding and nursery areas. They also support a large resident bird population, as well as providing a rest stop for migratory birds.

We start off from Sharm El Sheikh at around 9:00am in the morning and then drive for approximately 50 minutes before we reach the first dive site. The scenery is really beautiful, and gives one a very good idea of what Sharm El Sheikh was about 15 years ago. 
The first dive is made at Ras Tantur. After which we have a short surface interval and transfer to Naklet El Tal for the second dive. After all the dives are finished we visit a Bedouin restaurant for light refreshments, before returning to Sharm at around 15:30 pm.

The atmosphere of Nabq is really special, there are hardly any other divers, cars etc. just pure nature.

Dive 1 - Ras Tantur, This reef is a very nice fringing reef with an excellent variety of hard and some soft corals. Fish are general smaller than what is found in Sharm El Sheikh, but  vast in varieties, shapes and colors. The reef starts at the surface dropping down to 12 - 16 meters on a sloping sandy bottom. Corals are really dense and profuse and in a state of phenomenal preservation. This site boasts one of the widest ranges of species in the whole of Sinai.

Dive 2 - Naklet El Tal, The entry to this reef involves a walk over a sea grass bed. The actual reef is not very deep, between 0,5 meter to 14 meters. The reef consists of massive boulders of hard coral formations, with sea grass in between. The effect with all the different colors from the corals mixing with the sea grass fields is really amazing. Fish life here is also rich, with a big variety of pipefish including the ghost pipefish. You will also have a good chance of seeing seahorses. This is a very relaxing dive with absolutely no currents. It blends in perfectly with the relaxing atmosphere of Nabq!

To book a trip to the Nabq National Park contact the Sinai Scuba Diving Center.