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Scuba Diving in Sharm El Sheikh, Red Sea
Reader Reviews:
Dive Site: Near Gardens
Location: Sharm El Sheikh
Description: Reef / drift / night dive
Depth: 5 - 25 metres (16 - 82 feet)
Visibility: 20 metres (65 feet)
Rating:***
The Near Garden is located northeast of Na'ama Bay (north of Sharm el Shek) and as its name suggests is nearer to Na'ama Bay than Middle Garden (located east) and Far Garden located even further to the east just before the mainland swings back to the west. Near Garden has a gentle slope which falls away to 20-25m and is a combination of sand and colourful coral formations and outcrops. If you head south from this slope it drops away on an increasingly steep curve until you reach 50m and beyond. Current is rarely a consideration here and this makes it ideal for night dives from Na'ama Bay, or safari boats. It really is a colourful dive with shoals of red sea bannerfish, longnose & masked butterflyfish and angelfish crowding the coral outcrops.
Rik Vercoe, BSAC Advanced Instructor
Have just dived this as one site instead of a drift from Middle Garden. Fantastic dive - two eagle rays, one big, one small. So the Gardens are not devoid of fish life due to the building work that went on.
Ian Higgins, PADI Assistant Instructor
I am an instructor in Sharm. This is usually done as a drift dive as the current is usually present and can be strong, especially at the corner by the pinnacles.
Sarah | 09/05/2009
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