Aqaba Marine Reserve

The Aqaba Marine Reserve protects the reef along the southern part of Jordan's short Red Sea coastline, a fringing system that grows close inshore and drops away steeply within metres of the beach, which is why the diving here works from the shore. The corals have shown unusual tolerance to warming water, which has made the northern Red Sea a focus of research. UNESCO inscribed the reserve in 2026.

History

The Gulf of Aqaba is Jordan's only outlet to the Red Sea, and Jordan holds just 27 of its 160 kilometres of coastline, a short shore under heavy economic and tourist pressure; the marine reserve was set up in 1997 over 2.8 square kilometres to protect part of it, with its seagrass, fish and corals, and in 2026 UNESCO made it a World Heritage Site (Wikipedia, Aqaba Marine Reserve).

What you'll find

• The fringing reef - coral growing close inshore with a steep drop just beyond.
• The shore diving - reef reachable by walking in from the beach.
• The heat tolerance - corals that have resisted bleaching better than most.
• The 2026 inscription - the UNESCO listing of the reserve.

When to go

March to May and September to November are the most comfortable. Summer heat in Aqaba is extreme though the water is fine. Diving works year round.

Things to know

Jordan's coastline is only around twenty seven kilometres long and the reserve is a small part of it. Port and industrial traffic sits immediately alongside. Reserve fees are charged on top of dive costs.

Nearby

Aqaba is north, and Wadi Rum is inland.

Key facts