There are 2,148 identified species of fish in the Red Sea and although the number of identified species continues to rise, as diving and monitoring activity inceases, a few species are considered vulnerable or threatened. Additionally, between ten and twenty per cent of Red Sea fish species are unknown of anywhere else in the world. This rich and unique but fragile diversity is due to the fringing reef which stretches for up to 2000km along Egypt's coastline alone and also to the low population levels of the surrounding coasts and the relatively (until recently) low level of commercial fishing activity. Most Egyptian commercial fishing takes place either in the Mediterranean or in the shallow waters of the Gulf of Suez over 500km north of Marsa Alam.
Interestingly, there are 25 islands in Red Sea, among which the most commonly known for diving purposes are Giftun Island, Gubal Island, Brothers Islands, Rocky Island, Tiran Island and Zabargad Island.
The sea is known for its spectacular recreational diving sites such as Ras Mohammed, SS Thistlegorm (world famous shipwreck), Elphinstone Reef, The Brothers, Daedalus Reef, St.John’s Reef, and of course all coast of Sharm and Hurghada is just wow.
The Red Sea, which is famous for its crystal clear water, was considered to be one of the world’s most tantalizing seascape environments however, now pollution seems to have taken control of its surroundings. Red Sea, also referred as Bahr al-Ahmar in Arabic, is geologically a recent opening and is rated among the youngest oceanic zones present on earth.
The Red Sea is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world, owing to high evaporation. Salinity ranges between 3.6 and 4.1 percent.
The Red Sea is warm enough to visit throughout the year, with an average water temperature of 66°F, even in December and January. This goes up to an 84°F average in the summer months, making the sea's shallow parts as warm as bath water.
The world’s fastest fish lives in the Red Sea. The solitary sailfish can swim at speeds of up to 68 miles per hour.
You won't see just fish when you go diving in the Red Sea – you'll also spot remnants of the sea's past in the form of ghostly shipwrecks. The most famous among them is the SS Thistlegorm, a British steamship that was sunk by German bombers during World War II, but you'll also find tugboats, cargo ships and tankers down in the depths.
New islands formed in the Red Sea as recently as 2011 and 2013, named Sholan and Jadid respectively. Volcanic eruptions along the Zubair Archipelago continue to change the landscape of this intriguing body of water. The Red Sea is shrouded in mystery from its unique healing properties to the carnival of colorful marine life that decorate its waters.
Where ever you are in Egypt either it’s on a liveaboard in the middle of the sea or it’s out in the vast dessert, you’re likely to spot some of our rare species of birds.
Some are endemic to the region, like the White Eye Gull, Swift Tern and the Brown Bobby. Some birds are using Egypt and the Red Sea for navigating in their migrating pattern, like Storks and Flamingos.
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