Ras Bob

Overview

Ras Bob is an easygoing, sheltered site just south of Ras Nasrani in Sharm El Sheikh, named after Bob Johnson, a dive guide and underwater cameraman who worked the area through the 1980s and 90s. Tucked out of the wind and swell with usually gentle current, it is built around swim-throughs, small caves and a sandy plateau — a relaxed dive that hides a few surprises, including a real chance of big animals in summer.

The Dive

A coral-encrusted wall runs from the surface to about 16m, and hidden within it are a series of swim-throughs and narrow overhanging caves that are the signature of the site. Below the wall the reef gives way to a sandy plateau around 13m, with a central gully and swim-throughs, and a sprawling eel garden off to the north where hundreds of garden eels sway in the open sand. The dive can be run from the mooring or as a gentle drift toward Ras Nasrani, and conditions are usually calm with weak current, making it a comfortable site to potter through caves and search the sand. Keep it in the 5-20m range where everything of interest sits.

Marine Life

The standout is the northern eel garden, best approached slowly so the garden eels stay up out of their burrows. The wall and caves shelter glassfish, lionfish and reef fish, while the sandy plateau is good for blue-spotted stingrays. The real prize is seasonal: between May and August there is a genuine chance of manta rays and whale sharks passing through.

Good to Know

An easy, all-levels site, well suited to newer divers and to anyone who enjoys swim-throughs and macro on the sand. Visibility is typically good, commonly 10-30m. Access is by short boat ride from Sharm — pair it with Ras Nasrani for a natural drift, and dive it in the summer months for the best shot at the big pelagics.