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Scuba Diving Holidays In Sudan |
Come face to face with sharks and rays in this land beloved of Jacques Cousteau.
Country Description
Just like neighbouring Egypt, the countryside of Sudan is desert. However, unlike Egypt, Sudan isn't crammed with mile upon mile of tourist hotels. Sudan is a poor country with only one real place of interest being the one-time trading port of Suakin, 36 miles from the Port Sudan. Little more than a ruin now, Suakin was once the hub of the slave trade of Africa.
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Diving Description
Favoured by the late Jacques Cousteau (his 1963 experiment in underwater living Pre continent II was in Sudanese waters) Sudan offers excellent wall diving with a plethora of sea life. Most of the reefs in Sudanese waters rise up from the deep creating sheer coral covered walls. The area is known for its shark populations with giant hammerheads, a feature in many destinations below 30m. If you are wall diving, however, it is best to keep an eye open as the hammerheads occasionally swim closer to the surface for a better look.
Most of the best dive sites are far apart so most people pick up liveaboards from Port Sudan.
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| Dive Sites |
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Meshareefa
Many atolls and small islands litter the Sudanese coastline. Meshareefa is an atoll that promises large numbers of manta rays at certain times of the year. A little further south and you will find the wreck of the Blue Bell, a cargo ship that was carrying a load of Japanese cars when it sank. The cargo now covers the sea floor. The Blue Bell is a very big ship and this dive is on the edge of recreational dive limits, so you are advised to take great care.
Sha'ab Rumbi
This most famous reef is better known as the location for Cousteau's Pre continent II. The remains of this underwater living experiment can still be seen today. Sha'ab Rumbi is also famous for its population of grey reef and silvertip sharks, which exist in large numbers here. Sanganeb also features a plateau where grey reef and silver tip sharks gather in large numbers.
Wingate Reef
A safe mooring for container ships waiting to gain access to Port Sudan, Wingate Reef boasts the wreck of Italian WWII freighter The Umbria. An awesome, and almost unspoilt site, which is teaming with life.
Suakin Islands
The Suakin Islands offer excellent diving where the islands rise up from the depths to form spectacular coral walls. There are also loads of coral plateaux where coral heads are in abundance. The waters are also home to large numbers of sharks, manta rays and turtles, while the corals attract an abundance of pelagic life.
Other info
Port Sudan offers a land based dive centre while the number of liveaboards is growing all of the time. Although very rewarding, this is a difficult destination.
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