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Shark & Yolanda Reefs, illustrative image

Shark & Yolanda Reefs

Reef · Wall · Drift 5–30 m Intermediate Sharm El Sheikh & Ras Mohammed, Egypt
AI-generated illustration
Well documented Also known as: Shark Reef, Yolanda Reef
Depth
5–30 m / 16–98 ft
Typical depth
18 m / 59 ft
Visibility
15–30 m / 49–98 ft
Water
21–29 °C / 70–84 °F
Current
Moderate
Access
Boat
Best months
Jun–Oct
Recommended cert
Open Water; Advanced Open Water preferred for the current
Typical dive
~50 min

Depth is the range from the top of the site to its usual maximum; "recommended cert" is the mainstream-agency level operators usually ask for, not a legal rule. Currents and visibility change daily, so treat everything here as planning ranges.

Two coral towers rise from a shared plateau off the very tip of Sinai, separated by a saddle and swept by the currents that make Ras Mohammed famous. Divers drop at Anemone City, cross to Shark Reef's vertical wall - a drift over deep blue with snapper, batfish, and barracuda massing in summer - then finish over Yolanda Reef among scattered toilets, bathtubs, and pipe fittings: cargo spilled by the freighter Jolanda, which ran onto the reef in 1980 before her hull slid down the drop-off; technical divers relocated it below 145 meters in 2005. A resident Napoleon wrasse usually inspects the traffic. In July and August the fish aggregations here rank with anything in the Red Sea.

The moment you come for: Summer snapper and batfish walls; Shark Reef's sheer drop; Yolanda's porcelain cargo field; resident Napoleon wrasse.

Topography: Two coral towers on a shared plateau over a wall that drops several hundred meters

Current: Flow at the point can strengthen mid-dive and split around both towers; guides read it on descent.

Entry: Dived as a drift inside Ras Mohammed National Park; groups usually drop at Anemone City and finish over Yolanda Reef.

Know before you splash

Hazards: Current shear at the point, boat traffic at the surface, and the temptation to overstay depth on the wall.

Permits & rules: National park fee, normally collected by the operator.

Conservation: Ras Mohammed National Park rules apply: no touching, no gloves, no collection of the Jolanda cargo.

Nitrox: Worth it here: profiles sit in the range where enriched air meaningfully extends no-stop time (with the training to use it).

Who you'll meet

Also recorded nearby

"Charted here" species were listed by our editors from the sources on this page. Counts are GBIF occurrence records: observations logged within about 5 km of the charted position since 1990, matched only against the species in our catalogue. They show what has been seen there, not a promise of what you will see.

For photographers

Wide angle: ★★★★★ · Macro: ★★☆☆☆ (editors' 1–5 rating of what this site gives each style of shooting)

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