Saudi Arabia - Red Sea

[K.Haroon]

This is one of my favorite places to dive. Fist time I went diving here was in Sept 2014 and I just fell in love with this place considering that just on shore dives I could see in clear water most of the stuff which I saw in different parts of the world. Red Sea is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia and is the world's northernmost tropical sea. It was formed by Arabia being split from Africa by movement of the Red Sea Rift. The sea is still widening, and it is considered that it will become an ocean in time. It is about 2,250 km long and at its widest point, 355 km wide. It has a maximum depth of 7,254 ft (average 1,608 ft) however, there are also extensive shallow shelves, noted for their marine life and corals. The Red Sea is the habitat of over 1,000 invertebrate species, and 200 soft and hard corals. It is a rich and diverse ecosystem. More than 1200 species of fish have been recorded in the Red Sea, and around 10% of these are found nowhere else. This also includes 42 species of deepwater fish. The rich diversity is in part due to the 2,000 km of coral reef extending along its coastline; these fringing reefs are 5000–7000 years old. These coastal reefs are also visited by pelagic species of red sea fish, including some of the 44 species of shark. Divers and snorkellers should be aware that although most Red Sea species are innocuous, a few are hazardous to humans. Mostly I've been diving here with my local friends in La Plage Beach Resort Jeddah, but if someone is looking for a dive center then go for Dolphin Divers. I went with them once and found them well organized.

Photo Source: abouther.com