Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
This spot has been added by
The Blue Hole is a vertical 394-foot-deep underwater sink hole, located a few miles north of the city of Dahab. It isn’t just one of the Red Sea’s most popular dive sites, it is also one of the most dangerous dive sites in the planet. Many intrepid divers perish in its depths every year. In snorkeling, you will just move along the edge of the Blue Hole, colonized by a good diversity of corals, but it remains an exceptional underwater experience.
The Blue Hole is located 4 miles/7km North of Dahab. Every day, many scuba divers, free divers, snorkelers and onlookers make the journey from Dahab by jeep or camel, eager to discover and explore the Blue Hole.
Many tours are organized daily from Dahab (from $20pp.) and Sharm el-Sheikh (approximately 60 miles south of Dahab). You can also get there in your own car, but you will need an all-road vehicle to cover the last 4 miles.
You can get into the water in three points. The two first entry points (water access 1 and 2 on the map) are facing the Blue Hole, a few meters from the hole edge. You will easily locate them by observing the other snorkelers and divers entering the water (you will rarely be alone).
However, we recommend getting into the water on the northernmost entry point (water access 3), some 150 meters north of the Blue Hole. Since the prevailing current runs from north to south, it is better to enter the water on this point and let yourself slowly drift along the drop-off, and enter the Blue Hole through the “saddle”. Ask the local people present to show you this entry point (a small canyon).
Exploring the Blue Hole consists in snorkeling along the vertical coral walls surrounding the sink hole, where large shoals of surgeonfish, couples of butterflyfish and small groups of Red Sea bannerfish find shelter.
Opposite the shore, there is a shallow opening (2-20ft/0.5-6m deep), known as “the saddle”, opening out to the sea. This is probably the most interesting area. Here the seabed is the best preserved, with dense and multicolored groups of corals.
Thousands of sea goldie take shelter around the coral, and a wide range of interesting fish (angelfish, clownfish in their sea anemone, wrasse and grouper) can be seen. In the Blue Hole, there are no disturbing currents and the water is calm, clear and temperate.
If you enter the water on the entry point n°3, you will first move along a reef drop-off opening to the sea, before entering into the Blue Hole through the “saddle”.
The Blue Hole is possibly the deadliest dive site on Earth. Many intrepid divers perish in its depths every year, braving the 80-yard wide hole. The Blue Hole is very deep, do not explore this spot alone, do not practice freediving if you are not trained to, and stay close from the drop-off.
The spot is very popular with scuba divers, free divers and snorkelers, who can be numerous in the water; so keep an eye out for others all the time.
There is a choice of budget accommodation and restaurants on the site. In Dahab, 4 miles south of the Blue Hole, you can find a choice of restaurants, supermarkets and accommodation for all budgets.
Snorkel over impressive Dahab Blue Hole reef drop off in this video 👇 shot by Gavensmar.
These spots are only recommended to good swimmers, in good physical conditions, and with excellent snorkeling skills. These spots can experience currents, moderate waves, important depths, tight or narrow passages, or tricky water entrance, and can be located near hazardous areas (channels, boat traffic, strong currents…). The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas can be important - up to 500 meters. The “advanced” category includes drift snorkeling (transported by currents) and snorkeling off the coast. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell.You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
