Sanageb, Sudan

This coral reef is a truly beautiful spot for diving or snorkeling. It boasts the greatest diversity of corals in the Red Sea.

The lighthouse, built by the British, is situated on the reef, and next to it are caves and depressions that interested divers can explore. There are two Sudanese men who take turns living in the lighthouse every 4–5 weeks and are happy to welcome visitors. You can climb the lighthouse and look out over the coral reef with its crystal-clear water. Everyone who has climbed the lighthouse comes back with a different count of steps—people simply can’t agree on how many steps the lighthouse has.

You don’t have to dive deep to see the rich biodiversity, which is why Sanageb is also a great snorkeling spot.

The southern plateau is a fantastic dive site. Soft and hard corals are just as abundant as schools of mackerel, barracuda, tuna, and snapper. Gray reef sharks cruise close by, sometimes accompanied by white-tipped reef sharks swimming past. Occasionally, hammerhead sharks, silky sharks, and white-tipped sharks can also be spotted, and sometimes manta rays as well.

The North Plateau is also worth a visit. This is a deep dive with a plateau at 45 meters, where schools of hammerhead sharks are often found. It’s also common to see gray reef sharks, silvertip sharks, and whitetip sharks. Where the boat anchors inside the lagoon, there’s often a group of dolphins, and it’s not unusual to be able to snorkel among them.