Pelagic\Large Animals in Dahab\Sharm area- Best chance

[MartinNorway78]

Eagle rays are spotted nearly every day in Dahab at the moment, especially down south

 

[String]

d apologies if this is a repeat but I used the search and couldnt find anything definitive.

What sites should I visit to give me the best chance of seeing large Animals such as sharks, Eagle Rays Manta's? I realise that I'd be very lucky to see anything like that but if there is any chance then I'd like to maximise it by visiting the most likely spots.

Thanks
Iain

Very unlikely in Dahab any time of year, especially September. Best bet is to get a trip out of Sharm El Shiite to Tiran and try North Jackson or similar. Doable from Dahab via dayboats, usually involves leaving at 5am and returning by about 8.30pm. Ive done it a few times lately and also Thistlegorm with Shark/Yolanda etc.

My plan in a couple of weeks will be to dive Abu Talha and Helal,

Not sure how accurate this is but i was told by someone last week that Talha is closed due to building work currently.

The eagle ray was spotted at the Caves.

Must be the only thing ever worse seeing at the Caves then! They've been seen lately around Gabr, Shaab Said (sp?), Meridien reef and Mashraba. Maybe 1 seen every other day no more.
Turtles are everywhere currently, Canyon through Helal to Blue Hole of late and Umm Sid. None at Gabr.

 

[MartinNorway78]

abu talha was not closed two days ago when we did it....
(at low tide with choppy conditions which made me loose a weight pocket and two were "sea-urchinezed" quite badly as well, but its still such a great site)

 

[Stephensharm]

Whale sharks and Manta in sharm, not to mention white tip oceanics, black tips, Hammerheads and the odd eagle ray... Turtles too

 

[Jai Bar]

Whale sharks and Manta in sharm, not to mention white tip oceanics, black tips, Hammerheads and the odd eagle ray... Turtles too

Sure, and you can see Humpback whales too!

If you don't believe it, there is a photographed encounter (in Dahab) in Helmut Debilius Red Sea fish guide... The book is great anyway- one of the best I've seen for the Red Sea.

A friend (lucky bastard) who went on a Kayaking trip from Taba to Sharm met a whale (about 4m long) somewhere between Nabeq-Tiran. That was about 4 years ago.

So, there are lots of large stuff in the sea, but what are the chances of a diver coming for 3-5 days to meet any of them?

 

[Stephensharm]

18-08-09 Ras Mohamed National Park, Dive site Ras Gozlani 6 meter Manta Ray, eight divers and guide had the chance to enjoy it. (I was the guide). Some of them only dived for two days...

 

[Iain-le-roi]

Thanks for everyone's responses/advice.... I think I am just going to turn up at Dahab with nothing pre-booked and then have a word with the dive shop on the first day to organise some diving around Dahab's top sites and hopefully a trip out of Sharm out to Jackson reef or at least Shark/Yolanda Reef.

Just hope I can find a trip willing to go out that far from Dahab.. I suppose a Dahb dive shop could potentially put me in touch with a Sharm shop that was making the trip if nothing else.

 

[String]

Most centres in Dahab can organse Tiran trips via a centre in Sharm thats not a problem. Also Shark/Yolanda is nearly always done as dive 3 after 2 on the Thistlegorm again which most centres can organise. They all involve 5am starts and returning by about 8.30pm (due to having to wait 4hrs after leaving the water due to altitude) so you have to spend 2hrs or so in sharm el shiite.

 

[MartinNorway78]

just returend from Dahab, did exploration diving north around ras abu galum: saw nothing!, went to gabr el bint and did 3 dives there as well, same story: nothing!!

I.m going marsa alam next. After six trips to Dahab the last 18 months I want something else... allthough I love the Dahab feeling, the diving is just not as good as further south...

 

[Iain-le-roi]

aww no don't say that.... right I am going to try doubley hard to get a trip to Tiran.