Ras Mohammed National Park

Egypt's first national park covers the desert headland at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula and the reefs around it, where the Gulf of Suez and Gulf of Aqaba meet the open Red Sea. Nutrient-rich currents sweeping the point feed some of the densest coral growth in the northern Red Sea and, in summer, the famous aggregations of snappers, batfish, and barracuda off Shark and Yolanda Reefs. The park governs the day-boat diving that runs from Sharm El Sheikh, including Anemone City, Shark Observatory, and the cargo scattered from the Yolanda wreck. Mangroves, fossil reefs, and a resident Bedouin community fall inside the protected area as well.

The rules that bind divers

Entry requires a park fee, collected per person (and per vehicle for land visits) at the gate or through boat operators. Fishing, spearfishing, and collecting of any kind are prohibited, as is anchoring on reef; day boats tie into fixed mooring points at the main sites. Divers may not touch or stand on coral, feed fish, or take anything from the park, and rangers can close sites in rough weather. Land access is restricted to marked tracks and closes in the evening.

Fees & permits: Daily entrance fee charged per visitor, usually collected by the dive operator on top of the trip price; rates change periodically.