Sharm El Sheikh · Egypt · Reef · Drift · Cave & cavern
Jackfish Alley
Two enormous caves filled with shoaling glassfish
Area photo: patano · CC BY-SA 3.0
A comparatively shallow site on the Ras Mohammed coast, run most often as a drift and usually slotted in as a second or third dive of the day. Two enormous caves cut into the reef hold shoaling glassfish, and the sandy plateau below them is where whitetip reef sharks sleep through the afternoon. Depth runs from 6 to 20 m.
Also known as Fisherman's Bank, Stingray Alley.
Where it is and how deep
27.7476° N, 34.2559° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The reef sits a short distance from the beach, so the dive can start from shore as well as from a boat. The usual entry lines up on a white mark on the cliff, and from there you drop to a cave at about 5 m that is full of glassfish. From that point the site is normally run as a drift, so it is worth being clear before you get in about which way the group will be going.
The reef also gives way to a sandy plateau, and that is where whitetip reef sharks are found taking an afternoon nap; the divers who see them are the ones watching the sand rather than the reef. Coral growth along the alley is good overall and the fish population is heavy. The whole dive sits between 6 and 20 m, which is what makes it work as a second or third tank.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows Sharm El Sheikh: Hammerhead sightings at Tiran peak June–September; winter winds can make Tiran crossings choppier.
Questions divers ask
Is Jackfish Alley good as a second dive?+
Yes. Depth runs from 6 to 20 m, which keeps it comparatively shallow, and it is commonly slotted in as the second or third dive of a Ras Mohammed day. It is rated intermediate, mostly because it is usually run as a drift.
Sources
- Jackfish Alley — Scubago
- Diving in Ras Mohammed, Egypt — Dive The World
More dive sites in Sharm El Sheikh
Reef
Anemones holding a permanent population of anemonefish
Reef
The freighter Loullia aground on the reef since 1981
Scalloped hammerheads off the back of the reef in late summer
A 1984 freighter broken up in 10 to 12 m of water
Coral blocks from 2 to 40 m on a sea-grass bottom
Table corals still intact on a slope opened to divers recently
A column of gorgonian fans standing from 14 to 28 m
A freighter's bathroom cargo scattered across the reef at 25 m
Similar dives elsewhere
Coral blocks and small caves over sand at 18 m
Swim-throughs and pinnacles from 10 metres, diveable year-round.
Tunnels and fissures cut into an 840 m reef block
A mushroom-shaped reef with a labyrinth of caves along its south side