Blue Hole and the Arch, Dahab
A shore-entry reef sinkhole north of Dahab. The upper bowl and reef are dived recreationally; the Arch, a tunnel whose top lies at about 52-55 m, is described by dive centres as a technical dive only.
Divers enter from the shore, often via the Bells chimney to the north, and cross into the Blue Hole over a saddle at about 6-7 m. A Dahab dive centre advises recreational divers to stay within 30-40 m, depending on their certification.
The Arch, about 26 m long, opens from the hole to the open sea with its top at roughly 52-55 m. A Dahab dive centre states it is out of bounds for recreational divers and should only be dived as a planned technical decompression dive. The site is in the Abu Galum Protected Area, and a 2026 government plan proposes tighter regulation of marine activities and visitor numbers.
The environment
Warm, clear sea water in a steep reef bowl over 100 m deep; the Arch is a short, deep overhead with open water and a deep drop-off beyond it.
For orientation, not navigation. Hollow dots are approximate.
Every fact on this page, with its source (6)
| Fact | Status | Source |
|---|---|---|
| The saddle connecting the hole to the outer reef is about 6-7 m deep. | Reported | [1] [2] |
| Recreational divers are advised to stay within 30-40 m depending on certification.Provider statement. | Reported | [1] |
| The top of the Arch is at roughly 52-55 m. | Sources conflict | [1] [2] |
| The Arch should only be attempted by certified technical divers on a planned decompression dive with a qualified technical centre.Provider statement; no official rule text found. | Reported | [1] |
| The site lies in the Abu Galum Protected Area; a 2026 plan proposes regulating marine activities and capping visitor numbers. | Reported | [3] |
| Area-level coordinates for a widely published shore site. | Reported | [2] [1] |
Verified: stated by an official or primary source we opened. Reported: from a secondary source only. Sources conflict: the note gives both versions. May be out of date: the newest source we found is old.
Written in our own words from the sources above. Report a correction