Temple

Overview

Temple is a cluster of towering coral pinnacles in the bay beside Ras Umm Sid, just outside Sharm El Sheikh port — a set of massive blocks rising from the sand almost to the surface, riddled with swim-throughs and arranged like the pillars of an ancient underwater temple. Easy, sheltered and endlessly explorable, it is one of Sharm's most popular local and night dives, and a perfect site to potter through interesting topography at a relaxed pace.

The Dive

The site is a mooring dive over a flat bottom running roughly 10-18m, built around several large coral pinnacles. The main tower rises from sand at around 18-20m to within about 5m of the surface, surrounded by smaller pinnacles, and the fun is in working between them. One huge pinnacle has a swim-through that enters at 18m and emerges vertically at 14m; the main block carries a crack running right down its middle — split by the 1995 Sharm earthquake — that makes a second atmospheric swim-through. Mild currents tend to hit the left side of the pinnacles, which is the richest for soft coral, pipefish and glassfish. Tucked among the structure is an amphora, carried over from the nearby Amphoras wreck site, a small treasure-hunt for divers who know to look. The pinnacles are the whole dive; between them the bottom is fairly featureless, so a compass and a little orientation keep you from wandering.

Marine Life

The pinnacles are dense with soft coral and reef life — glassfish swarm the blocks, pipefish and a resident clownfish hold their patches, and octopus are a regular find for anyone exploring the nooks. After dark the site transforms: Spanish dancers unfurl across the coral, free-swimming moray eels hunt in the open, and the night brings out a parade of other reef life that makes Temple a celebrated night dive.

Good to Know

Temple dives year-round and suits all levels, with the easy depths and swim-throughs making it as good for newer divers as for night dives and relaxed exploration. Visibility typically runs 10-30m. The site lies in the bay at Ras Umm Sid, a short boat trip from Sharm El Sheikh port, and is moored rather than drifted. Easy, characterful and packed with topography, it rewards slow exploration — just keep an eye on your compass between the pinnacles.