Ras Nasrani

Overview

Ras Nasrani, "Christian Cape" in Arabic, sits at the northern edge of Sharm El Sheikh's local sites, facing the mouth of the Strait of Tiran. It is a colourful coral wall draped in soft corals and gorgonians, with a corner that funnels current and nutrients and, with them, the chance of something big. Versatile enough to dive as a gentle mooring drift or a fast drift along the wall, it rewards divers who keep one eye on the blue.

The Dive

The reef is a hard-coral wall that begins around 8m and tumbles into the deep, smothered in soft corals, gorgonian fans and clouds of anthias. The most enjoyable diving sits in the 12 to 18m band along the wall, with the reef shelving to a sandy area partway through that signals the start of the corner. That corner is the heart of the site: when the current runs it accelerates here, so the standard plan is to drift the wall and let the water carry you toward the point. Current ranges from negligible to strong and is the main thing to brief on; this is a site where conditions decide the dive.

Marine Life

The wall itself is the attraction, alive with soft coral colour, gorgonians and reef fish. The real draw is the corner, where current brings in pelagics: white-tip reef sharks, the occasional hammerhead in season, giant trevally, big tuna and, with luck, passing mantas. Closer in, look for moray eels, scorpionfish and turtles working the coral.

Good to Know

Best dived as a drift on a running current, which makes it more suited to divers comfortable in moving water than to nervous beginners. Visibility is usually good but can drop near the sandy corner when current stirs the bottom. It is reached by boat from Sharm and shore access exists via the jetty, though boat is the standard approach. Big-animal sightings are a matter of luck and timing, so manage expectations and enjoy the wall regardless.