Hidden Gem in the Red Sea

Sudan is relatively uncrowded, due to high travel restrictions in the country. The most popular way to explore the amazing south of the Red Sea is by liveaboard. You´ll get to see colorful reefs, wrecks and pelagics.

Sudan or North Sudan since 2011, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, Libya to the northwest, Chad to the west, the Central African Republic to the southwest, South Sudan to the south, Ethiopia to the southeast, Eritrea to the east, and the Red Sea to the northeast.

Sudan is more a destination for experienced scuba divers or those, who usually visit Egypt to dive in the Red Sea. As Sudan is less crowded, the dive spots are more untouched and healthy than in Egypt.

As it is not so easy to enter the country, the most popular way to explore the Sudan underwater is by liveaboard. Even if it´s a bit harder to get there, divers will be rewarded with many sharks, manta rays, dolphins, vibrant corals, and lots of marine life. Even wreck enthusiasts will find some interesting sunken ships to explore.

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT THE SUDAN?

The best time for a dive trip in Sudan is between February and June. During this time, marine life is the richest. The temperatures remain tropical throughout the whole year as the country is close to the equator. The water has an average temperature of 26 degrees Celcius in winter and 29 degrees in summer. If you want to see manta rays, you should visit Mesharifa reef in October.

WHAT ARE THE BEST DIVE SITES IN SUDAN?

Cousteau´s Conshelf II is probably one of the most bizarre dive spots on earth. Jaques Cousteau selected this place in 1963 and begun to construct his Conshelf II for his underwater living project. It is a starfish-shaped living habitat submerged at a depth of 33 feet. Another habitat is submerged at 100 feet together with a submarine hangar, which held the team’s “diving saucer,” a 2-man submarine. Today it is a true piece of diving history. In the shallow part of the Conshelf night dives are possible.

The Umbria Wreck is considered one of the best wreck dives in the world. Lying on its port side at a 75° angle in shallow water with a maximum depth of 38m and a minimum of only 5m, the Umbria has become completely “marinated” and you have plenty of bottom time in which to explore. The ship was loaded with a lot of bombs and big cargo of trucks. The ship became also home to many marine animals including cleaner shrimp, schools of snappers, butterflyfish and barracuda.

Dahrat Abid is the southern-most reef in the Sudanese Red Sea. It is located on a 400m elongated island, which is only inhabited by birds. You can explore dramatic drop-offs while you encounter hammerhead sharks as well as silvertip and white tip sharks.

LIVEABOARDS IN SUDAN

A liveaboard is the only way to fully explore the beautiful underwater world of Sudan as the area is quite large and widely spread. Safari trips run between October and July and either start from Port Ghalib in Egypt or from Port Sudan.