Diving the Blue Hole, Dahab

Updated October 2026 · by Mohamed Fathy, PADI & SSI dive instructor in Dahab

Depth

5–30 m

Level

Open Water (rim, max 18 m); Advanced for the 30 m Bells route

Entry

Shore

Area

North

Blue Hole dive guide: what to expect

The Blue Hole Dahab is the dive almost everyone has heard of before they land in Sinai. It sits about 10–12 km north of town on the Gulf of Aqaba coast: a round, dark-blue sinkhole punched into the fringing reef, more than 100 m deep and only a few fin kicks from the beach. From the cafés on the shore you can see the colour change from turquoise reef top to deep indigo, and it is just as striking from underwater.

Diving the Blue Hole Dahab within recreational limits is a wall dive, not a bottomless descent. The classic plan starts a short walk north at The Bells, drops down a narrow chimney to around 26–28 m, then follows the outer reef wall south with the wall on your right shoulder. As you slowly rise, you reach the saddle, a shallow gap at roughly 6–7 m on the seaward rim, and cross over into the hole itself to finish the dive along its inner walls. If you prefer an easier option, we can also enter straight from the shore and explore the rim and saddle area without going deep.

The walls are covered in hard and soft corals, plate corals and black coral, with clouds of orange anthias around the saddle. Lionfish and scorpionfish rest on the ledges, Napoleon wrasse cruise past, and there is always a chance of turtles, barracuda or tuna out in the blue. Inside the hole you will often watch freedivers training on their lines, which is a very Dahab sight.

The Blue Hole has a serious reputation, and it is worth being honest about why. Deep inside the seaward wall is the Arch, a tunnel about 26 m long whose top lies around 55 m. Recreational divers never go there: it is a technical dive that needs trimix-level training and redundant equipment, and most of the accidents in the Blue Hole's history happened to divers who tried it on a single tank of air. With a guide, a clear depth limit and good buoyancy, a Blue Hole dive is a relaxed and beautiful experience.

Practical tips: arrive early to beat the tour buses from Sharm, expect a protected-area fee, and plan a check dive in town first if you haven't dived recently. Visibility is usually excellent, so bring a camera.

Blue Hole dive map

The dive, step by step

1. Entry

   Kit up at the Blue Hole beach. For the classic route we walk about 150 m north to The Bells and enter through the small gap in the reef table, descending the chimney one diver at a time.

2. Chimney to the wall

   The chimney narrows near 23 m and opens onto the outer wall at about 26–28 m. This is the deepest point of the dive; we stay at or above 30 m.

3. Wall swim south

   Keep the wall on your right shoulder and swim south, rising gradually past black coral, overhangs and plate corals. Watch the blue for passing fish.

4. The saddle

   After roughly 35–45 minutes you reach the saddle at about 6–7 m, a shallow notch in the seaward rim with anthias, lionfish and scorpionfish.

5. Across the Blue Hole

   Cross the saddle into the hole and follow the inner wall (right is the shorter way) at 5–10 m, staying shallow over the deep water.

6. Safety stop and exit

   Make your safety stop along the inner wall at 5 m, then exit at the shore-side entry point of the Blue Hole.

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Conditions

Max depth

30 m (recreational); hole is 100 m+, Arch at about 55 m is off-limits

Dive time

45–60 min

Current

Usually mild; a gentle drift along the wall on some days

Visibility

Typically 20–30 m, often more

Best time

Year-round. Early morning is quietest before day-trip groups arrive. Water about 22 °C in winter, 26–28 °C in summer.

Requirements

Advanced Open Water (or 30 m certification) for The Bells route; Open Water divers can dive the rim and saddle within 18 m. Recent dive or check dive recommended.

What you'll see

• Anthias clouds on the saddle
• Napoleon wrasse
• Black coral and plate corals
• Lionfish
• Scorpionfish
• Moray eels
• Barracuda and tuna in the blue
• Blue-spotted stingrays
• Turtles (occasional)

Guide's tips

• Go early in the morning to beat the day-trip crowds
• Combine it with The Bells for the classic Dahab dive
• Bring a camera, because the visibility is often 30 m or more

Snorkeling at Blue Hole

One of Dahab's best snorkel spots: calm, clear water over the reef rim and the saddle, with shore access, but it drops straight into very deep water.

Snorkeling guide →

Safety notes

• The Arch (top around 55 m) is a technical dive only. It is never part of a recreational plan, and many past fatalities involved divers attempting it on air.
• Over 100 m of open water makes depth hard to judge. Watch your computer constantly, because it is easy to sink deeper than intended.
• Gas consumption rises quickly at 25–30 m at the start of the Bells route; agree turn pressures before the dive.
• The surface around the hole can be busy with snorkellers and freedivers; ascend carefully and look up.

Questions about Blue Hole