Daedalus Reef

Daedalus, known in Arabic as Abu el-Kizan, is a small oval reef standing alone in open sea about ninety kilometres from the coast, with a lighthouse on it and nothing else within sight in any direction. The reef drops vertically on all sides into very deep water and the walls carry heavy soft coral and gorgonian growth. Its reputation is built on hammerheads: schooling scalloped hammerheads gather off the northern plateau in the summer months, sometimes in large numbers, along with grey reef sharks, thresher sharks and oceanic whitetips later in the year. Manta rays pass. The exposure means conditions are frequently rough, current is often strong, and the reef is accessible only by liveaboard under permit.

History

Daedalus Reef, Abu Kizan in Arabic, rises alone from water some 550 metres deep about 90 kilometres east of Marsa Alam, its platform roughly 1,075 metres long and 300 wide, bordered by near-vertical walls. The lighthouse at its northern tip was first built in 1863 and rebuilt in 1931 and is still working. The reef is part of Egypt's Red Sea network of marine protected areas, founded on a law of 1983 (Wikipedia, Daedalus Reef).

The landscape

• Schooling hammerheads - summer aggregations off the northern plateau.
• Vertical walls with gorgonians - reef dropping into open ocean.
• The offshore lighthouse - the only structure within sight.
• Open-ocean isolation - no land visible in any direction.

When to go

May to September, with the hammerhead season at its peak in the warmer months. Liveaboard itineraries in the deep south. Conditions in winter make the crossing impractical.

What to expect

Advanced divers only: strong current, depth and open-ocean conditions. Liveaboard access under permit is the only way. The crossing is long and often very rough. Shark sightings, while likely in season, are never guaranteed and should not be the only reason to book.

Nearby

The Brothers lie north offshore; Marsa Alam is the nearest mainland base.

Key facts