Turtle Bay
27.2695°N 33.8938°E · reef
Turtle Bay is a sheltered reef dive site in the Sharm El Sheikh area, located south of Naama Bay. It is a drift dive suitable for divers of all experience levels, known for sandy plateau diving with large coral pinnacle formations colonised by glass fish, and regular encounters with sea turtles and stingrays.
Overview
The site features a sandy plateau at 10–26 metres depth, scattered with large coral pinnacles. The pinnacles are densely packed with glass fish (cardinalfish and glassfish schools), creating shimmering curtains of small fish around each coral formation. Larger species including stingrays rest on the sandy bottom between pinnacles, and sea turtles are regularly found grazing on soft corals along the plateau.
Turtle Bay is a drift dive requiring a current check before entry to establish the best starting point. When conditions are right, divers are carried gently along the reef, passing from pinnacle to pinnacle with minimal effort. The site is pleasant for beginners due to its shallow depth and low current, yet engaging enough for experienced divers who come to photograph marine life.
Dive Profile
- Depth range: 10–26 m
- Dive style: Drift dive over sandy plateau with pinnacles
- Currents: Check before entry; generally mild
- Visibility: 15–25 m
- Entry: Boat dive
Marine Life
Sea turtles (frequent — grazing on soft corals), large stingrays (resting on sand), glass fish (schooling around pinnacles), anthias, chromis, fusiliers, wrasse, groupers, and moray eels in crevices. The sandy bottom supports gobies and the occasional cephalopod.
Photography
The combination of shallow depth, good ambient light, and approachable marine life makes Turtle Bay a photogenic site. Turtles and stingrays are the main subjects. Glass fish clouds around pinnacles create striking wide-angle images when backlit by ambient light.
Site Information
- Location: South of Naama Bay, Sharm El Sheikh area, Gulf of Aqaba
- Entry Type: Shore entry
- Site Type: Reef
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Maximum Depth: 26 metres
Sources: Camel Dive Club — Turtle Bay, SSI Dive Guide — Turtle Bay, Divers Guide — Turtle Bay Sharm El Sheikh. Last updated 2026-05-17.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
575 verified species observations (344 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 1758 and 2025, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Tursiops aduncus · Indian ocean bottlenose dolphin
- Sousa chinensis · Chinese white dolphin
- Apogon coccineus
- Halichoeres marginatus
- Gymnothorax flavimarginatus
- Chlorurus sordidus
- Lethrinus nebulosus
- Lethrinus microdon
- Amphiprion bicinctus
- Hipposcarus harid
- Coris variegata
- Blenniella periophthalmus
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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