Little Brother

A kilometer from its larger sibling, Little Brother compresses the same open-ocean formula into a reef you can circle in a single dive when conditions align. Its north point carries one of the Red Sea's great gorgonian stands - fans stacked shoulder to shoulder from 25 meters down into the gloom - and the walls on either side stream with anthias and fusiliers that pull predators in from the blue. Thresher sharks patrol here too, oceanic whitetips shadow the boats in season, and grey reef sharks hold the small southern plateau like sentries. Because the island is so small, every dive is exposed; there is no long sheltered flank to retreat along, and the reward for that commitment is fish density that feels pre-industrial.

Il momento che aspettavi: The gorgonian forest on the north point; threshers and whitetips in season; a wall circuit with no dull stretch.

Topografia: A compact reef island ringed by sheer walls, with a fan-covered north point and small southern plateau

Entrata: Dived by zodiac around a tiny circumference; the north point works only in cooperative current.

Pericoli: Full exposure to swell and current; live-boat pickups in chop; depth discipline on featureless walls.

Permessi & regole: Marine-park fees; same operator prerequisites as Big Brother.

Nitrox: Vale la pena qui — i profili rientrano nella fascia in cui l'aria arricchita (nitrox) prolunga in modo significativo il tempo senza decompressione (con la formazione necessaria per utilizzarla).