SUDAN - SHARK DIVE EXPEDITION - "Central & South" Sudan route

SUDAN - "CENTRAL & SOUTH" ROUTE

Main areas of diving

Below, we describe a brief selection of some of the usual areas (not always the same dive sites) that we visit on this route.

Wreck "Umbria": One of the best wrecks in the world. It was scuttled by her captain at the beginning of the Second World War. Still preserves almost intact its military cargo and hosts a large number of marine life. The wreck is easy to dive due to the depth (between 5 and 33 meters) and the virtual absence of currents. The exploration of the wreck represents a real adventure for divers.

The wreck is 150 m long and is covered with corals, boasting a huge amount of marine life like snappers, sweet lips, butterflies, barracudas… 

Sanganeb Reef: Located 15 miles NE of Port Sudan, this reef is marked with a beacon of the Victorian era at its southern tip. We can find different dive sites here. The north side is exposed to prevailing winds and currents and can be dived only with calm seas and preferably in the early hours of the morning. Mantas can be seen here and if you are lucky, you might find small groups of hammerhead sharks patrolling the blue.

The south side offers a plateau with some coral blocks and a lot of barracudas, schools of unicorn fish, sweet lips and much more. There is a small sand area on the south western tip., where we will find white tip sharks.

In the north part of the plateau, we will find a steep drop off where grey reef sharks, hammerheads and even silver tips cruise by.

Sha'ab Rumi: This huge barrier reef is located about 20 miles NE of Port Sudan. It forms a true coral garden and cleaning station for some pelagic species. On the west side there are two openings that allows entrance to the interior lagoon. Just outside the entrance of the lagoon we will find the remains of the Pre-continent II, the underwater “village” built by the team of Jacques Cousteau in 1963. The southern area of the reef is more dynamic as two different currents bring nutrients from the deep. This attracts large schools of fish as well as different species of sharks that patrol the boundaries of the reef. With some luck, we will also spot groups of large Bumphead Parrotfish.

North Suakin archipelago is located in the southern area of Port Sudan. It is composed of hundreds of small islands and coral reefs.  Some of the most famous dive sites of this archipelago are: Sha'ab Amber, Sha'ab Jumna, Pinnacle, Logan, Seil'Ada, Hindi Gider, Protector and Preserver Reef.

Sha'ab Jumna: Is the most northern reef of Suakin. It has a length of more than 5 miles and offers some openings to an interior lagoon that offer an excellent refuge to the ships. It is easy to find hammerhead, grey reef and white tip sharks and occasionally, silver tip. 

Sha'ab Amber: It’s a long Reef located 8 miles south of Sha'ab Jumna. Also offers an interior lagoon that gives shelter to the ships. In the southern area of the reef is a sandy platform at 25 meters of depth ideal to enjoy encounters with hammerheads, grey reef sharks and huge groups of jackfish. 

Pinnacle: Located 9 miles south of Sha'ab Jumna, this reef with a pinnacle shape rises from the depths and offers a rich and varied concentration of reef fish in the areas most influenced by the currents.  frequent sightings of hammerhead, grey, silver, silky and thresher sharks.

Protector: Reef located 18 miles east of Sha'ab Amber. Its 2 miles long around a large lagoon. Its southern side offers dives to depths of 20 meters full of corals and abundant coral reef life. In the deep waters of the outer wall of the southern tip, it is easy to find hammerhead sharks, silky sharks and manta Rays.

Logan: Reef located 7 miles east of Sha'ab Amber. The north face is the one that offers the greatest chance of encounters with hammerhead sharks, silky, white tip and grey reef and large groups of bumphead parrot fish. 

The east and west sides of the reef are home to a wide variety of corals and gorgonians.