Ras Mohammed National Park

Ras Mohammed, which is a small, arid peninsula at the very southernmost tip of the Sinai, can be visited either overland or by boat. First declared a park in 1983, the area it encompasses was extended in 1989 to take in the surrounding seas of the peninsula, which are rich in corals and fish species (over 1000 species), and it became Egypt’s first marine national park. The park now covers a 480sq km area.

Most of the peninsula is an exposed coral reef plate, which has been reclaimed by the land due to a fall in sea-level. As a result there are many marine fossils to be found here. There are a number of beaches worth visiting here, from where one can snorkel and many tour companies offer excursions by land.

On land, within the park, lives a variety of wildlife including 3 species of fox, gazelles, the Ibex (in the mountainous section) and several types of wild cat. Many of these, are nocturnal, however, so unless you stay overnight in the park at one of the designated campsites, you are unlikely to encounter them. Animals you will see on land and by the water’s edge include many different bird species; some live in the vicinity including the Osprey and Sinai Rosefinch but many more pass through on their migratory path such as the White Stork.

Divers and snorkellers often visit Ras Mohamed National Park by boat, visiting the popular dive sites for which the park is so well-known such as Shark and Yolanda Reefs and Shark Observatory. The fantastic coral reefs here support a vast amount of marine life, indeed statistics tell us that there are more fish to be found per m² in the Northern Red Sea than anywhere else in the world! The reef fish are colourful and plentiful – as a diver, you can expect to see parrot fish, lionfish, moray eels and puffer fish amongst hundreds of others. The larger pelagic species which feed on the reef species include tuna, barracuda, groupers, and, of course, sharks. Species of shark known to frequent the waters here include White and Black Tip Reef Sharks, Hammerheads and Oceanic Whitetips, all of which are more plentiful in the summer months. Other shark visitors include whale sharks, tiger and leopard sharks.