Reef life
Fish life is thrillingly diverse: butterflyfish, angelfish, parrotfish and groupers are all common, as are shoals of damselfish, jewelfish — and even moray eels.
Activity · Red Sea Reef
Snorkeling At Sea Star
Some of the world's best diving and snorkelling, minutes from the beach.
Some of the best diving and snorkelling in the world is packed along the 20km or so of coastline between Aqaba and the Saudi border. If you have never been snorkelling before, Aqaba is an easier and more instantly attractive place to start than nearby Eilat or Sharm el-Sheikh, with the reef shelving gently directly from the beach — cutting out the need for boat entries.
The major advantages of snorkelling here are the condition of the coral, especially below the 6m line, and the excellent biodiversity. Aqaba was a relatively slow and careful starter in dive tourism, and so has managed to avoid severe deterioration of the reefs. It is also quiet: compared to the Sinai's two million annual dives, and Eilat's 750,000, Aqaba sees fewer than 20,000 dives a year. Work by local environmental NGOs — principally the Royal Marine Conservation Society — is raising awareness of conservation issues. Almost 9km of Aqaba's south coast is protected as the Aqaba Marine Park, which extends 350m offshore and 50m inland.
What to expect
Wherever you go with Sea Star, wide fields of near-perfect soft corals stretch into startlingly clear blue water, with huge heads of stony corals growing literally as big as a house.
Easy access
The reef shelves gently directly from the beach, so beginners can start snorkelling immediately with no boat entry needed. Equipment and guidance available from the Sea Star team.