Thomas Reef
Position : 27° 59.400 N / 34° 278.500 E
Access : 110 min.
Short Briefing :
  • Difficulty : 3
  • Current : 1 to 3
  • An extraordinary, grandiose marine environment.
  • You may come upon an exceptional array of fauna, with large pelagic fish, especially the Whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus).
  • Diving here is only for experienced divers because of the possibility of strong currents.
  • In general the morning is the best time for diving.
  • Avoid venturing far into the canyon.
Map :
( Zoom )
 
Description : This reef is one of the most spectacular diving sites in the northern Red Sea. The lack of mooring points makes drift diving necessary: The southern corner of the reef is the classic starting point for your underwater itinerary, which continues along the eastern side where the wall, rich in multicoloured coral, descends to a sandy plateau that begins at a depth of about 25 meters and has a slight incline. Here you can see large Alcyonarians (Dendronephthya sp.), impressive gorgonians and colonies of black coral, among which are the striking large Antipatharians with their characteristic spiral shape.
At a depth of 35 meters a splendid and extremely deep canyon opens out, running parallel to the reef and crossed by a series of impressive arches.
At the north-eastern corner of the reef you may come upon a very strong counter-current. If you can get past this point and conditions are favourable, you can go around the entire reef. This will allow you to explore the northern wall, which has some nice shelters and splits, and the western one, where you will see many crevices and caves, lovely gorgonians and a wealth of fauna consisting of sea turtles, reef fish (angelfish, groupers, Surgeonfish) and pelagic fish (tuna, barracuda, etc.).