Jeddah, the area around Destination Reef

Jeddah · Saudi Arabia · Reef

Destination Reef

Easy reef averaging 12 m, shared with snorkellers

Area photo: Diego Delso · CC BY-SA 4.0

One of the northern outlying reefs, 20 minutes by boat on from Abo Almadafee and a long way from the North Obhur shops. The terrain is easy, averaging 12 m and reaching 15 m at its deepest, which makes it a photography and snorkelling site as much as a diving one. Sweetlips, turtles and barracuda are on it, over plenty of Red Sea coral.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Destination Reef: typical dive to 15 m (to 50 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit15 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

22.1474° N, 38.9164° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

There is nothing technical about the terrain. The reef averages 12 m and its deepest point is 15 m, so the dive is a long slow lap rather than a profile to manage, and the same ground is shallow enough for snorkellers to follow from the surface while divers work below them. The site is described as excellent for photography, and these depths are the reason: the subjects stay in front of you and there is no rush.

Sweetlips sit over the coral, turtles pass through, and barracuda come through with them. Coral cover is heavy across the site, and the shallow depth means you can spend the whole tank on one section instead of covering distance. Getting here is a boat run out to the northern outliers, 20 minutes on from Abo Almadafee, which is the nearest other named reef on this ground.

Marine life and season

  • Sea turtles
  • Barracuda
Month-by-month season rating for Destination Reef
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodPrimePrimePrimeGoodFairFairFairPrimePrimeGood

Season follows Jeddah: Diveable in any month: winter water near 22C wants a 5 mm suit and hood, and July-September pairs the warmest sea with severe heat ashore.

Questions divers ask

How deep is Destination Reef?+

The average depth is 12 m and the deepest point is 15 m, so the whole reef sits inside entry-level limits and leaves a long no-decompression time on a single tank.

Sources

  1. Destination Reef - Scubago — Scubago

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