Blue Hole

The Blue Hole is a roughly circular collapse in the fringing reef about a hundred metres across and something over ninety metres deep, separated from the open sea by a shallow reef lip called the saddle. Snorkellers and shallow divers cross the saddle and float over a wall of coral dropping into deep blue, which is genuinely one of the more striking things to be seen without any equipment. The notoriety comes from the Arch, a tunnel through the reef wall at about fifty-five metres depth leading out to open water, which has drawn divers well beyond their training for decades and has a long list of deaths attached to it, commemorated by plaques on the rock above. Done within limits, the site is straightforward; done as a dare, it is not.

What you actually see

• The sinkhole rim - a circular hole in the reef seen from the shore.
• The saddle crossing - a shallow lip snorkellers pass over into the blue.
• Coral walls dropping away - vertical reef under the surface.
• Memorial plaques on the rock - the record of divers who went too deep.

When to go

October to May. Early morning before the day trippers arrive from Dahab and before the wind picks up. Half a day including the drive. The cafes above the site open through the day.

Honest expectations

The Arch is beyond recreational limits and has killed a substantial number of divers; do not be talked into it. Snorkelling out over the saddle needs care with any swell. Access is over rough track and the shore is sharp rock. Litter around the cafes is a persistent problem.

Nearby

Dahab is a short drive south; Ras Abu Galum lies north up the coast.