In step with practically all other sea side destinations in Egypt, snorkelling excursions are offered for tourists to Taba and Taba Heights. The location is Pharoah’s Island and it is sometimes called Farun Island. It is located just off the Sinai coast around 40 minutes cruising time from Taba Heights harbour. At the island, probably the most prominent landmark is the ancient fortification built in the period of the Crusades by the Saracens.

The snorkelling outing is run on a delightful boat with masts and lots of deck space allowing you to soak up the sunshine. The location in the upper end of the Gulf of Aqaba is excellent with the mountain range of the Sinai on one side and breathtaking views over to Jordan on the other. In spite of this, the exceptional views are seen under the clear, warm waters.

Before you can put on your mask and enter the water, the snorkelling guide will brief you about a small number of things in regards to the snorkelling area. Dive charter boats also head to Pharoah’s Island so while it’s very easy to only look down and see the array of marine life, you need to be mindful of various other boats, divers and where you are.

After the formalities are completed, your own snorkelling gang gets into the sea and you are a witness upon a tremendous marine world packed with life and colour. Most people believe that diving is the ideal way to observe the incredible underwater life of the coral reefs however snorkelling has one particular big advantage. Normal scuba gear is what is referred to as open circuit. In Layman’s terms, which means that whenever you breathe out using scuba equipment, you to produce flow of bubbles into the water. This will annoy the fish and so it’s more difficult to get near to them. However, there aren’t any bubbles when snorkelling and you may float along in your own quiet world and you’ll be very impressed at just how close you are able to the tiny fish without frightening them away.

The variety of fish and things to see while snorkelling at Pharoah’s Island is quite simply mind blowing. In a perfect world you should attempt to get nearer to the coral reefs as many of the creatures remain near to it but don’t forget not to touch because there are lots of things such as Fire Coral and Lion Fish that can give you a terrible sting. It is quite possible you will come across the little Clown Fish which we all like. If you are especially lucky, you may also see a Frog Fish which is found in this part of Egypt. Trips to Pharoah’s Island are popular and operate on a daily basis.

Egypt’s national airline Egypt Air has just announced that economy passengers on all flights will have their luggage allowance increase so they can take two pieces of 23kg each.

This is fantastic news for scuba divers who are often hit with extra charges for their diving equipment. The Red Sea offer some wonderful diving and there are flights to many of the resorts from Cairo.

Full details on flight routes and prices, visit www.egyptair.com

Aiming to raising visitors’ awareness towards marine conservation issues and to help protect the environmental marine resources of the Red Sea, CDWS is pleased to announce that it has prepared and printed posters to discourage fish feeding in Ras Mohammed National Park and Sharm El Shiekh.

Feeding fish in order to attract them is not allowed as it harms their biological functions and their ability to hunt for food. It also leads to changes in the behaviour of fish and the related coral reef community.

Posters are available in four languages featuring regulations and background information on the dangers of feeding fish.

Copies are being distributed for free to all coastal hotels and resorts, jetties, walkways, daily boats and safari boats. Please pick up your copies from CDWS Sharm El-Shiekh office

Printable versions are also available in high resolution digital format for members who wish to reprint more copies or print versions at different sizes.

Click here to download the posters

Coastal hotels and resorts in Sharm El Sheikh can also request their copies from the Chamber of Hotels.

For further information, please contact office@cdws.travel

Earlier today, we received notification from Chamber of Diving and Water Sports in Egypt regarding some missing scuba tanks;

Please be informed that seven air tanks went missing from Sea Wind Dive Club located in Cataract Layalina Hotel in Sharm El Sheikh. The tanks have the following serial numbers:

• P 470027
• AS 0537092
• SL 956
• AS 0344125
• SL 3088
• SL  2886
• AS 0536991

If you have any information concerning these tanks, kindly inform CDWS or Sea Wind Dive Club either at Cataract Layalina Hotel or by phoning 0145158888

Located at the northern end of the Gulf of Aqaba, Taba is one of the lesser visited diving areas of Egypt and although it doesn’t get the larger life such as sharks and manta rays, the dive sites offer a colourful and diverse selection of marine life.

The lack of other dive boats is one of the most appealing factors for divers. Often yours is the only boat at a dive site which is in complete contrast to the other end of the Sinai at Sharm el Sheikh. Popular reefs such as Jackson or Shark & Yolanda are often crowded but the diving is superb.

The dive sites around Taba Heights don’t take long to get to which means there is usually the option of a 3rd dive of the day…never a bad thing ! ! The site that attracts most boats is Farun Island (aka Pharoah’s Island). There is an old fort and lookout post on the island built during the times of the crusades by the Saracen Saladin who was the great rival of Richard the Lionheart. As well as being a popular dive site, it is also the destination for snorkelling trips. Nonetheless, it’s a lovely setting and an easy site to dive.

Taba Heights is the perfect destination for underwater photographers. It’s shallow dive sites are home to countless species of colourful marine life including the hideous looking Frogfish. It is a type of Anglerfish that ambushes it’s prey and the speed of attack happens faster than the eye can see.

All sorts of other creatures such as Moray eel, colourful nudibranchs, clownfish, lionfish, sea stars and shrimp can all be found in abundance around Taba. Unfortunately, night diving is not permitted due to restrictions as the borders with Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia are all so close. Its a pity as night dives would surely be as impressive as diving during the day in Taba.