Tom
Apr 2026
Amazing diving, with chances to see sharks and rays as well as a nice reef wall. Also sometimes possible to go up the lighthouse which is a great experience.
Far South / Liveaboard · Boat Dive
Daedalus Reef
A near-circular offshore reef around 80 km east of Marsa Alam, marked by a 19th-century Egyptian lighthouse still in use today. Accessible only by liveaboard (typically a 4–6 hour open-sea crossing).
Depth
5-70m
Level
Advanced
Access
Boat Dive
Visibility
30-50m
Current
Strong current
About this site
A near-circular offshore reef around 80 km east of Marsa Alam, marked by a 19th-century Egyptian lighthouse still in use today. Accessible only by liveaboard (typically a 4–6 hour open-sea crossing). The reef drops vertically on all sides into 700 m+ of open water, which is what brings the big animals close: scalloped hammerheads in summer, threshers in spring, and oceanic whitetips year-round on the south-east plateau. Currents are strong and unpredictable — Advanced certification, drift experience, and a surface marker buoy are mandatory.
Highlights
- Scalloped hammerhead schools — peak Jun–Aug
- Pelagic thresher sharks Apr–May at dawn
- Oceanic whitetip sharks year-round (denser Oct–Dec)
- Vertical walls dropping past 70 m on every side
- Historic 1862 stone lighthouse — still operating
- Liveaboard access only — no day trips
Marine life
Scalloped hammerheadPelagic thresher sharkOceanic whitetipSilky sharkManta rayTunaBarracudaGiant trevally
Location
24.9233°N, 35.8583°E · ~90 km south of Marsa Alam
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Real reviews . Real divers
What divers say about Daedalus Reef
4.7/599 Google reviews
Google
Marta Stashevska
Jun 2025
Beautiful lighthouse. Thanks to the weather we were able to dock and have an excursion! We stayed there for one full day of diving, saw sharks and coral walls are beautiful as well. Lighthouse workers were friendly l, you can buy cap and T-shirts-don’t forget to negotiate the price!
Emil Mundzhos
May 2025
best diving experience ever!
Petra
Nov 2023
Amazing dives with longimanus, hammerhead and silky sharks. Also saw an oceanic manta and many turtles. Top notch dive site, hoping to come back soon!
Paul Lungu
Oct 2017
Beautiful place, I didn’t have the chance to see the hammerhead sharks but we had part of few Oceanic WhiteTip Sharks and many more other things. Huge population of anemones and clownfish, formation of massive coral growth.
Public Google reviews of Daedalus Reef as a dive site - they describe the location itself, not a specific trip with us.