Sharm El Sheikh · Egypt · Wall · Drift · Reef
Jackson Reef
Scalloped hammerheads off the back of the reef in late summer
Photo: Tim Sheerman-Chase · CC BY 2.0
The northernmost of the reefs strung across the Straits of Tiran, dived from sheltered moorings on its southern side. The wall at the mooring drops to 40 m, and the dive works west along the reef until the current builds at the shoulder and turns you back. Scalloped hammerheads show up off the back of the reef between July and September.
Where it is and how deep
28.0062° N, 34.4716° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Boats tie into the sheltered moorings on the southern side, so the entry is calm even when the strait is not. From there you descend to your planned depth and head west with the reef on your right shoulder; the wall at the mooring runs to 40 m, and you set your profile against it. The reef face is the only reference the dive needs, and there is no navigation to do beyond keeping it on the same side.
The turn comes at the western shoulder, where the current strengthens noticeably. That is the signal to come back rather than push on, and the return leg is an easier swim towards the mooring. Turtles, large eels and big tuna work this stretch of reef, and an octopus perched on the coral is the kind of find worth slowing down for.
In late summer and early autumn the interest moves to the back of the reef. Scalloped hammerheads appear off Jackson from July to September, out on the deeper exposed side rather than the sheltered southern face, so seeing them means a deliberate plan and conditions calm enough for the boat to run the back of the reef at all.
Background
In November 1982 the Lara, a Cypriot cargo ship of 4,752 tonnes, ran hard aground on the northern side of Jackson Reef; one account dates the grounding to December 1981 instead. It was long suspected that the ship was put on the reef deliberately as part of an insurance scam, though that has never been proven. Salvage work in the mid-1990s removed much of the external hull plating and cut much of the wreck away, letting it drop into deep water.
Marine life and season
- Hammerheads
- Sea turtles
- Tuna
- Octopus & cuttlefish
| 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.
Know before you go
- Currents run strong once you leave the sheltered southern moorings, and the surface in the strait can be rough enough to make pickups slow.
Photos from Jackson Reef
Asmaa ElTouny · CC BY-SA 4.0
Dive videos
Diving in Egypt, Sharm El Sheikh. Jackson Reef and Thomas Reef, 2021. 4K · Scuba Notes by Dmitry on YouTube
Questions divers ask
When can you see hammerheads at Jackson Reef?+
Scalloped hammerheads appear off Jackson from July to September, with schooling fish reported on the back of the reef in late summer and early autumn. It is a deeper dive on the exposed side of the reef, so it only runs when conditions allow.
How far is Jackson Reef from Sharm El Sheikh?+
Roughly 1.5 hours by boat. The reef sits in the Straits of Tiran, and boats use the sheltered moorings on its southern side, which is where the dive both starts and finishes.
Sources
- Jackson Reef - Straits of Tiran dive site — PADI
- Diving the Straits of Tiran, Red Sea — Scuba Diver Life
- Jackson Reef | Red Sea Diving College — Red Sea Diving College
- Straits of Tiran Diving, Sinai Peninsula, Red Sea - Egypt — Dive The World
Photo credits
- Rusted skeletal hull of the Lara wreck breaking the surface at Jackson Reef. by Tim Sheerman-Chase, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
- Low rusted wreck at Jackson Reef silhouetted against the Sinai mountains at dusk. by Asmaa ElTouny, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
In The Logbook
- When and where to dive with hammerheadsBig animals · 16 min read
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