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Ras Mohammed Liveaboard Diving

Our customers rated liveaboard diving in Ras Mohammed as 9.2.

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Liveaboard Diving in Ras Mohammed

What to Expect on A Ras Mohammed National Park Liveaboard

Liveaboards to the Ras Mohammed National Park in Egypt offer some of the most outstanding diving in the Red Sea. Covering an area of 135 km² over land and an amazing 345 km² of water the area has been protected since the 1980s against fishing and any damage to the wildlife and corals. The Egyptian Environmental Agency declared this a marine reserve largely in reaction to dynamite fishing in the area. The resulting reefs in Ras Mohammed are some of the best in the Red Sea with hundreds of different species of hard and soft corals. The park also has the advantage of being only 20 km/ 12 miles along the coast from Sharm el-Sheikh. A wide choice of Egyptian liveaboards to Ras Mohammed is available, from budget to luxury and something in-between.

The park is named after the shape of the cliffside which according to folklore looks like a bearded head, resembling the prophet Mohammed. The reefs are spread all along the coastline of the park and vary in size from a few meters to several kilometres. The depth is varied but most of the reefs are shallow although in some areas dive sites can reach 40 meters/130 ft.

The wildlife in Ras Mohammed is incredibly rich and varied with thousands of different species of reef fish as well as sharks and turtles. The reefs themselves are home to over 200 different corals and the visibility can be up to 40 meters/130 ft. making Ras Mohammed a spectacular place to dive. Calm waters and shallow reefs also mean that the area is highly accessible even for less experienced divers.

Daily Schedule

Morning - Whether the boat is sailing overnight from another Northern dive site or leaving the harbour at the crack of dawn from Sharm el-Sheikh you should wake up already at Ras Mohammed. Liveaboards try to start early to have the reef to themselves before the day boats arrive later on. That means a 6 am start is fairly standard, with a quick snack and a briefing. Then it is straight to the dive deck to analyse Nitrox and set up the gear before either jumping straight in from the deck or from a tender boat.

Afternoon - After breakfast, there will normally be a second dive before heading to another nearby dive site, four dives a day is normal but visitors should note that night diving is not permitted inside of marine parks in Egypt, including this one. 

Ras Mohammed Underwater

With miles of tropical reefs, crystal clear water and a rainbow of colourful fish, Ras Mohammed represents everything people associate with diving in the Red Sea. Add to that the chance to see sharks and turtles and it is easy to see why this national park is one of the most popular sites in Egypt.

The jewel in the crown of the park is Shark & Yolanda reefs, which can be visited in one dive. They are both aptly named. Shark reef offers the chance to dive with grey and blacktip reef sharks as well as occasional hammerheads out in the blue. It is also home to huge numbers of reef fish and some larger pelagics such as tuna passing by.

Yolanda reef is named after the shipwreck which once sat on its South West. The wreck came off the reef in a storm and was rediscovered at 160 meters. Only the cargo remains in situ which has led it to be nicknamed the ´toilet wreck´ for the pile of porcelain toilet bowls on the sea bed.

There are also a number of other excellent sites with a great variety to choose from. Anemone City is a wonderful shallow dive around 12 meters/40 ft. humming with clownfish. The Shark Observatory and Jackfish alley are also great for shark lovers with plenty of white tip reef sharks and huge barracudas.

Top Tips for Ras Mohammed

  • Be sure to wear adequate protection on your skin as there are a lot of fire corals and anemone around.
  • The water temperature varies greatly between seasons so those going with their own equipment should know that the water can be 20 degrees/ 68 F in the winter.
  • This area is very popular with day boats and snorkelers so an SMB can be useful when surfacing.

Getting to Ras Mohammed

Being that it is so close to Sharm el-Sheikh and has ideal diving conditions Ras Mohammed is a very popular dive site. As with most high traffic sites a diving liveaboard offers the chance to hit the water and enjoy the reefs before everyone else has left port. Liveaboards that visit the national park usually depart from Sharm el-Sheikh or Hurghada. Both of these resorts have their own international airports with direct flights to mainland Europe and connecting flights further afield.

Egyptian liveaboard itineraries that include diving in Ras Mohammed from Sharm will normally also visit other sites in this area such as The Straits of Tiran and the Thistlegorm shipwreck. Those leaving from Hurghada will usually stop at shipwrecks between the port and Ras Mohammed such as the Abu Nuhas as well as the Thistlegorm.

Most of the liveaboards will anchor and drop divers directly from the main boat where possible but in some areas, a small skiff or tender will take them to the site. Smaller day boats will normally depart Sharm el Shiekh early in the morning, it takes between one and two hours to reach the park depending on which dive site you are visiting.

Drift dive Ras Mohammed National Marine Park for exciting encounters with a variety of marine life from hammerheads and grey reef sharks to stingrays and moray eels.

Ras Mohammed Diving Reviews

  • Rating 9.2 out of 10
  • 9.2 Superb
  • Rating 10.0 out of 10
  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Nicholas L
  • Flag of United StatesUnited States

Excellent diving with vibrant and healthy corals and fishes.

Diving Ras Mohammed in April on the Blue Melody
  • Rating 10.0 out of 10
  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Brent F
  • Flag of United StatesUnited States

Amazing reefs and reef life

Diving Ras Mohammed in February on the Ocean Lovers
  • Rating 9.6 out of 10
  • 9.6 Exceptional
  • Kathleen W
  • Flag of United StatesUnited States

National park lagoon was a highlight

Diving Ras Mohammed in September on the Red Sea Aggressor II
  • Rating 10.0 out of 10
  • 10.0 Exceptional
  • Marcelo L
  • Flag of United StatesUnited States

beautiful reefs and wrecks for all type of divers.

Diving Ras Mohammed in March on the Ghazala Explorer

What to know about diving in Ras Mohammed

What is Ras Mohammed most famous for?

Ras Mohammed is best known for Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef, a headland dive frequently ranked among the world's great wall dives, where the reef plunges from the surface into open blue water. It was designated Egypt's first national park in 1983, and the protected status has kept its coral walls and pelagic life in excellent condition. The combination of a sheer drop-off, strong fish life, and the nearby Yolanda wreck makes it the signature dive of the northern Red Sea.

How deep is Shark Reef and what does a typical dive profile look like?

The wall at Shark Reef drops essentially straight down well past recreational limits, so the dive is really about depth of choice rather than depth of the reef. Most boats work the drift between about 40-100 ft (12-30 m), staying along the upper wall where the soft coral and fish action are best, with a saddle connecting Shark Reef to Yolanda Reef. Divers hoping for hammerheads sometimes drop deeper, toward 100 ft (30 m) or beyond, early in the dive.

What's the current like at Ras Mohammed - is it a drift dive?

Yes, Shark and Yolanda Reef are drift dives, and the current can be brisk and can shift direction mid-dive as it wraps around the headland. Guides typically time the entry to the tide and drop divers to travel with the flow, but conditions can still surprise experienced divers on an incoming tide. Anemone City, by contrast, sits in calmer, more sheltered water.

What certification level or experience do you need to dive here?

Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef call for at least Open Water certification, solid buoyancy control, and genuine comfort in currents; this isn't a beginner's introduction to drift diving. Anemone City is much gentler and works well for newer divers or as a warm-up dive. Most guides will ask about your logged dives and drift experience before briefing the wall.

What marine life will I likely see at Ras Mohammed?

Grey reef sharks patrol the drop-off fairly reliably, and hammerhead sharks show up on deeper stretches of the wall, most consistently in the early morning during the cooler months. Big schools of snapper and batfish hold along the reef, barracuda sometimes form a spiraling "tornado," and oceanic whitetips are an occasional, season-dependent bonus in the blue water off the point. Manta ray sightings happen but aren't something to count on.

When is the best time of year to dive Ras Mohammed?

October through February is the strongest window for pelagics, with hammerhead sightings most reliable in November and December, and visibility often ranging from 65-82 ft (20-25 m). March through May offers excellent all-around diving with more moderate currents and active reef-fish activity, while summer is pleasant but generally the least exciting stretch here for big pelagic encounters.

Is Ras Mohammed a day-boat destination or liveaboard only?

Both. It's a popular day trip from Sharm El Sheik, roughly 45 minutes to an hour by boat, which means the moorings can get crowded with day boats by mid-morning. Liveaboards typically build in at dawn or early dive here specifically to beat that traffic and have the wall to themselves.

What's the water temperature like?

Expect around 72-75°F (22-24°C) in winter, roughly November through March, warming to about 82-84°F (28-29°C) in summer. A 5mm wetsuit is a comfortable choice for winter dives, while a 3mm suit or shortie is usually enough at the summer peak.

Is the Yolanda wreck worth doing, and is it beginner-friendly?

The "wreck" is more of a debris field than an intact ship, the MV Yolanda sank in 1980, and what's left, scattered down the slope over 82-100 ft (25-30 m), is mostly its cargo of bathroom fixtures rather than a recognizable hull. It's usually tacked onto the end of the Shark Reef drift, so the same current-and-depth considerations apply; it's less about wreck penetration and more a curious coda to the wall dive.

Is there an entrance or park fee?

Yes, Ras Mohammed is a protected national park, and divers pay a park entrance fee, typically in the range of $10-15 per person as of 2026, though this is usually already folded into the price of your day trip or liveaboard package rather than collected separately.

What hazards or safety points should I know before diving here?

The main thing to respect is the current - it can accelerate or reverse without much warning along the wall, so staying close to your guide and keeping an air reserve for a mid-water safety stop matters more here than at a typical reef. The soft corals are fragile, and the park enforces strict no-touch, no-collection rules, so buoyancy discipline is expected. Boat congestion at peak day-trip hours is more of an annoyance than a hazard, but it's a good reason to dive early.

How long does a liveaboard typically spend at Ras Mohammed?

Most itineraries treat it as a highlight stop rather than a multi-day destination - typically one to two dives, often at the very start or end of a Red Sea route, timed for a dawn arrival ahead of the day-boat fleet. Some itineraries add an extra dive at Anemone City as a relaxed check-out dive.

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