Sharm El Sheikh · Egypt · Wall · Drift
Thomas Reef
Whitetip and leopard sharks resting on a ledge at 25 m
Area photo: patano · CC BY-SA 3.0
Thomas Reef is the smallest of the four reefs in the Straits of Tiran, near Sharm El Sheikh. With no mooring points on it, every dive here is a drift along its walls, which are hung with gorgonians, whip corals and black corals, and divers come for the resting sharks on the ledge below.
Also known as Thomas.
Where it is and how deep
27.9926° N, 34.4600° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Dives usually start on the southeastern section, with a descent down the wall past gorgonians, whip corals and black corals. The wall ends on a large ledge at 25 m, where whitetip reef sharks and leopard sharks often lie resting on the bottom, and this ledge is the deepest point of the recreational dive.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
| 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
- A canyon below the ledge runs down to 90 m and is strictly for technical divers.
Dive videos
Sharm El Sheikh | Deep Dive – Diving Thomas Reef in the Red Sea | 4K Underwater Cinematic · Divenonstop on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Is the canyon at Thomas Reef open to recreational divers?+
No. The canyon runs down to 90 m and is strictly for technical divers; the recreational dive turns at the ledge at 25 m.
Sources
- Straits of Tiran dive sites — Dive The World
- OpenStreetMap — OpenStreetMap contributors
- Sharm diving sites — Emperor Divers
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
Reef
Two enormous caves filled with shoaling glassfish
Scalloped hammerheads off the back of the reef in late summer
A 1984 freighter broken up in 10 to 12 m of water
Lagoon
Shallow hard coral lagoon on the west side of Tiran Island
Wreck
A 175 m bulk carrier aground off Nabq since 1996
Coral blocks from 2 to 40 m on a sea-grass bottom
Similar dives elsewhere
Cousteau's diving-saucer hangar still on the sand at 13 m
Starts at a 27 m pinnacle by the drop-off, then drifts shallow
Drift along a pinnacle-studded wall from the hotel jetty
A chimney through the reef onto a wall with no bottom in range