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The Dive Sites
The generic name 'Local Dives' (due to their closeness to Sharm) covers all the shore diving sites north and south of Naama Bay between the Strait of Tiran and the little town of Sharm el-Sheikh.
Naama Bay, still a desert at the end of the eighties, is now a famous international tourist resort,This splendid bay was originally called Marsa el-Aat, situated at the outlet of Wadi el-Aat.
Naama Bay has one of two jetties that diving boats in the area usually embark from: the other, Travco Marina, is situated to the southwest in the bay of Sharm el-Sheikh, known locally as Sharm el-Maya, or the 'bay of the harbour' due to the large tourist port which is also present.
You reach the different local dive sites from Naama Bay following a boat ride that may take anywhere from 10 to 70 minutes. North of Naama
Bay there are nine diving spots on a 7.5 mile stretch of coast. Ras Ghamila, the furthest away, lies almost directly opposite Gordon Reef; Ras Nasrani is on a level to the international airport; the others, within a short distance "of each other are Ras Bob, White Knight, Shark's Bay, Far Garden, Fiddle Garden, Middle Garden and Near Garden (corresponding to the northerly tip of Naama Bay).
South of Naama Bay are a further nine diving sites; Sodfa, Tower, Pinky Wall, Arqphoras, Turtle Bay, Paradise, Ras Umm Sid, Temple and Ras Katy. The last-mentioned site corresponds to the northerly tip of the Sharm el-Maya Bay,
Generally speaking, besides their vicinity to Naama Bay, these diving sites have other features in common due to their position, sheltered from waves and strong currents, and to the configuration of the fringing reef, which has found an ideal ecosystem for its growth along this stretch of coast. Diving here can be enjoyed by divers at all levels and, in good conditions, you can observe many genera of
madrepores (hard corals), innumerable varieties of Alcyonarians (soft corals) and an almost complete range of reef fish, from the small anthias to the large Napoleonfish.
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Locations:
Local Spots
Amphoras
Far Garden
Middle Garden
Near Garden
Paradise
Pinky Wall
Ras Bob
Ras Ghamila
Ras Katy
Ras Nasrani
Ras Umm Sid
Shark Bay
Sodfa
Tempel
Tower
Turtle Bay
White Knight |
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