Ras Burg
27.7564°N 34.2520°E · reef
Ras Burg (“Tower Cape” in Arabic) is a wall dive site at the eastern edge of Ras Mohammed National Park, on the Sinai Peninsula. The site takes its name from a large fossil coral pinnacle that protrudes above the water like a tower, forming the entry marker for the dive. It is one of several Ras Mohammed sites that see lighter traffic than the famous Shark & Yolanda reef, making it notably pristine.
Overview
The dive descends from the surface alongside the pinnacle-marked entry point and follows a wall to the right. The wall drops gradually to around 20 metres, along the way reaching a wide chimney — a vertical shaft open at the top — similar in structure to the chimney at Ras Za’atar nearby. A large cavern sits to the left of the Burg landmark. The site is recognised for its intact, uncrowded soft coral and gorgonian coverage.
Marine Life
Inside the chimney, yellow gorgonian fans are abundant and spectacularly coloured, alongside red sponges (Cliona vastifica), siphon sponges, and large schools of anthias filling the upper arch opening. Butterflyfish (genus Chaetodon) are common along the wall. Soft corals (alcyonarians) and madreporarian hard corals are both described as “still intact” due to lower visitor pressure. The site is recommended for macro and wide-angle photography, particularly around midday when light penetrates the chimney from above.
Dive Profile
A drift/wall dive entering at the surface near the fossil pinnacle and following the wall to the right at depth. The wall configuration and chimney are the primary features at 15–20 metres depth. The dive can also be made as a swim-through the chimney. Current can be moderate; the site is rated Advanced due to the wall character and the need for buoyancy control in the chimney.
Photography
Excellent photography conditions: the chimney’s yellow gorgonians and coloured sponges under midday light, the dramatic fossil pinnacle above water, and the intact wall soft corals all provide strong compositions. Less crowded than nearby Shark Reef and Yolanda, making timing and framing easier.
Site Information
- Location: Eastern coast of Ras Mohammed National Park, South Sinai
- Entry Type: Shore entry
- Site Type: Reef
- Maximum Depth: 30 metres
- Difficulty: Advanced
Additional Resources
- Last Updated: 2026-05-17
Sources: Sharm Club — Ras Mohammed Dive Sites, Scubago — Explore Ras Mohammed. Last updated 2026-05-17.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
675 verified species observations (355 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 1828 and 2018, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Rhincodon typus · Whale Shark
- Stenella attenuata · Pantropical spotted dolphin
- Tursiops truncatus · Common bottlenose dolphin
- Grampus griseus · Risso's dolphin
- Tursiops · Bottlenose dolphins
- Sargocentron caudimaculatum · Tailspot Squirrelfish
- Priolepis cincta · Banded Reef Goby
- Epinephelus fasciatus · Black-tipped Cod
- Tursiops aduncus · Indian ocean bottlenose dolphin
- Vinciguerria mabahiss
- Stenella longirostris · Spinner dolphin
- Grammistes sexlineatus
Scientific survey records skew toward sampled taxa (molluscs, corals) and do not reflect what you are guaranteed to see on a dive.
Source: OBIS (obis.org), aggregated Darwin Core occurrence records.
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