The Canyon, Dahab: dive site guide

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

Depth

10–30 m

Level

Advanced

Entry

Shore (via lagoon)

Area

North

Canyon dive guide: what to expect

The Canyon Dahab is the site divers talk about over dinner after their first week in town. It lies north of Dahab, roughly halfway out to the Blue Hole and a couple of kilometres south of it, and is usually paired with a Blue Hole dive on the same day. Above water there is just a quiet beach and a reef lagoon. Below, an ancient crack splits the reef into a long, narrow gorge with light shafts falling through the slit above.

Diving the Canyon Dahab starts easy. You swim out through a shallow sandy lagoon, then cross a coral garden that slopes gently from about 10 m to 20 m. Near 18–20 m you reach the top of the canyon and slip in through its widest opening. Inside, the walls close around you and the floor drops in a sandy channel to about 30 m. Glassfish and cave sweepers hover in the shadows, and when you look up, your bubbles trickle out through the cracks in the reef roof like a curtain of silver.

The crack itself carries on deeper, to around 50 m, but that part is outside recreational limits and we never follow it. At 30 m we turn and work our way back up toward the entry, then return across the coral garden. Keep an eye out for octopus, scorpionfish, stonefish and morays in the reef, and anthias, butterflyfish and unicornfish over the garden. The safety stop is usually made between two coral pinnacles that mark the way back into the lagoon.

You might read older guides describing an exit through the Fish Bowl, a shallow dome above the canyon that used to be packed with glassfish. That exit is now closed by the protected-area authorities to let the reef recover, so please admire it only from outside. Because of the depth and the semi-enclosed feel, the Canyon is for Advanced Open Water divers or those doing the deep dive of their Advanced course. It isn't a true cave, since there is open water above most of the crack, but good buoyancy and calm breathing really matter.

Bring a torch for the colours in the shadows, and save some air for the shallow coral garden at the end.

Canyon dive map

The dive, step by step

1. Entry

   Wade in at the beach and swim through the shallow sandy lagoon, then out through the reef gap to the coral garden.

2. Coral garden

   Follow the coral garden down from about 10 m to 18–20 m toward the top of the canyon.

3. Into the Canyon

   Enter the canyon at its widest opening around 18–20 m and descend slowly along the sandy floor to a maximum of 30 m.

4. Turn at 30 m

   Turn around at 30 m (the crack continues to about 50 m, which is off-limits) and rise back toward the entry opening, watching the glassfish and your bubbles escaping above.

5. Return over the garden

   Swim back across the reef at 12–15 m, passing outside the closed Fish Bowl, and drift up through the coral garden.

6. Safety stop and exit

   Make your safety stop at 5 m between the coral pinnacles, then return through the lagoon to the beach.

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Conditions

Max depth

30 m (recreational); the crack continues to about 50 m and is off-limits

Dive time

45–55 min

Current

Generally mild

Visibility

Usually 20–30 m; darker inside the canyon

Best time

Year-round. Late morning to midday gives the best light shafts inside the crack.

Requirements

Advanced Open Water or Deep-certified (or as part of an Advanced course); good buoyancy and comfort in semi-enclosed spaces

What you'll see

• Glassfish schools
• Cave sweepers
• Lionfish
• Scorpionfish and stonefish
• Octopus
• Moray eels
• Anthias
• Butterflyfish and unicornfish
• Red Sea walkman

Guide's tips

• Advanced Open Water or equivalent experience recommended
• Bring a torch to see the colours inside
• Look up near the exit and watch your bubbles escaping through the reef

Snorkeling at Canyon

Rated beginner level: a calm lagoon and reef flat at about 2 m with a drop-off to 8 m, though the canyon itself (18-30 m) is for divers only.

Snorkeling guide →

Safety notes

• The crack keeps going below 30 m. Fix your turn depth before the dive and watch your computer; do not follow the canyon deeper.
• The canyon is narrow, with silt on the sandy floor; keep fins up, stay in single file and don't touch the walls.
• Exiting through the Fish Bowl is prohibited by the protected-area authorities; enter and leave only at the main opening.
• Gas use and no-stop time run short at 30 m; plan conservatively, especially if it is the second deep dive of the day.

Questions about Canyon