Eel Garden
Position : 27° 45.900' N / 34° 15.200' E
Access : 75 min.
Short Briefing :
  • Difficulty : 1
  • Current : 1
  • The best place to observe Garden eels.
  • A good site for snorkeling.
  • Do not dive if sea conditions are not good and especially if there are waves.
  • It is advisable to approach the eels from the north.
  • The morning hours are best for taking photos of the eels.
Map :
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Description : Eel Garden is situated in front of a small beach south of Jackfish Alley and is accessible by land. On the fossil coral wall dominating the little beach is the last of the three balconies that begin at the Ras Mohammed promontory. Eel Garden is rather well sheltered from the currents, but since it is exposed to prevailing winds and waves, you must pay attention to the condition of the sea, especially if you are diving from the shore. Diving here is easy and the route winds through the sandy, shallow plateau opposite the beach, where there is a small and not very interesting cave as well as an impressive sand flow. The middle section of the plateau is populated by a lovely colony of Garden eels (Gorgasia sillneri). This species, which belongs to the Eterongridae family, is endemic and is sometimes more than 80 centimetres long. The eels emerge from the sand for about two-thirds of their length, swaying in the current in search for their favourite food, plankton. Their lairs, which they never abandon, are cylindrical holes dug out of the sand, the grains of which are held together by a special secretion from a gland near the eels' tail. These creatures must be approached with extreme caution, since they are very timid and will slip quickly back into their lairs at the first sign of danger.