BLUE HOLE DAHAB: ALL THERE IS TO KNOW (2024)

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The Dahab blue hole is one of the most well-known attractions in the Sinai peninsula and an unmissable geological attraction when visiting Egypt.

Are you planning a visit to Egypt? Do not forget to spend some time in Dahab and plan a visit to the Blue Hole.

Even if you are not planning to get wet there are also many activities you can do around the mythical Blue Hole.

In this guide, I am giving you as much information as possible to make the best out of your visit to this epic natural landmark.

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THE BLUE HOLE DAHAB VIDEO

This is the video about one of my visits to the Blue Hole in Dahab. In this video I walk you to the Blue Hole view point where you can see the Blue Hole from above and to the Diver’s cemetery (memorial plates) where the names of the people whole lost their lives there are written.

ABOUT THE BLUE HOLE

The Blue hole is a submarine sinkhole close to Dahab town with a depth of approximately 100 meters.

The hole has a 6 meters shallow opening to the sea called the “saddle” and a 26 meters long arch which ceiling lies at 55 meters of depth: “The arch”.

The Blue hole is located in the Gulf of Aqaba and it was formed during the last Ice Age, when the sea level was several meters lower than it is today.

There’s a local Bedouin legend that states the Blue Hole was cursed by the ghost of a girl who drowned herself there to escape from an arranged marriage. The Bedouin people have been avoiding the place since centuries for this reason.

While the Blue Hole has its dangers I do not believe that is is haunted. You can enjoy water activities in the Blue Hole as long as you take the right measures and proper training.

WHERE IS THE BLUE HOLE IN DAHAB?

The Dahab Blue Hole is located 10 Km North of Dahab in the Sinai peninsula, on the Coast of the Red Sea. The Saudi Arabia coast is visible from of the Blue Hole, in the horizon, on a cloud free day.

The hole is located just a few meters of the hills of the Sinai desert and it is accessible by car.

I am adding here a pin with the Blue Hole location in case you would like to visit it on your own.

HOW TO GET TO THE DAHAB BLUE HOLE

The best way and hassle-free way to get to the Blue Hole from Dahab or Sharm el Sheikh is by taking a tour or on an organized dive trip.

Most tours combine a visit to the Blue Hole with a visit to some other spots in the area.

Here you can find the best day trips the Blue Hole:

Book: Day trip from Dahab

Book: Day trip from Sharm el Sheikh

GETTING THERE ON YOUR OWN

You can take a taxi to the Blue Hole or get there by bike or motorbike. It usually takes 20 minutes to reach the Blue Hole by car. You will need to pay an entrance fee of 10 dollars to the Egyptian authorities and the permit will be valid for one day.

WHY IS THE BLUE HOLE SO DANGEROUS

The Blue Hole is not especially more challenging that any other dive site in the world. There is almost no current and the visibility is usually great. However, it has been given the nickname “the diver’s cemetery”, as it is the deadliest dive site in the world.

It is estimated that around 200 divers died in the Blue Hole in the last 15 years. Most of the deaths in the Dahab Blue Hole are caused by overconfident experienced divers attempting to cross “The Arch” without proper training or equipment.

“The Arch” is an opening to the sea whose ceiling is located at 55 meters depth. The tunnel is 26 meters long. To dive beyond 40 meters depth technical diving training is required.

I have worked as a PADI Open Water Scuba recreational diving instructor and I will never attempt such a dive without proper technical training or equipment.

At these depths Nitrogen Narcosis can impair your ability to make the right decisions and beyond 55 meters Oxygen Toxicity could kill you. That is why technical divers dive with several tanks full of different gas mixes.

The depth and length of the “Arch” together with the mild current coming from the open sea into the Blue Hole make the minimum gas requirement to cross it more than one tank. And even if crossing “The Arch” would be possible on a single tank more air is required for decompression purposes.

Some divers have also got lost while trying to find the entrance to “The Arch” and went on an uncontrollable descent to the bottom, which is a one way ticket on a single air tank.

There are some free divers deaths that took place at the Blue Hole.

CAN BEGINNERS DIVE INTO THE DAHAB BLUE HOLE?

Despite its deadly fame and its dive site “The Arch”, only suitable for technical divers, the Blue Hole has still a couple of dive sites suitable for all levels.

The only precaution to be taken while diving these two sites is to carefully monitor your depth as the bottom lies at more than 100 meters. The two dives run parallel to a beautiful coral wall that will serve you as a reference point during the dive. Make sure you will never lose sight of your local guide and dive buddy and you will be able to enjoy one of the most beautiful dive sites in the Red Sea. Open Water Scuba diving trainings are also conducted in the Dahab Blue Hole.

• The Blue Hole crossing – Beginner divers can enjoy this dive that consists in entering the Blue Hole through the saddle and crossing it on top of the deep blue, to teach the beautiful coral gardens located on the right side of the Blue Hole.
• The Bells – The Bells is one of the most famous dive sites in the world. The entry point is 200 meters away from the Blue Hole through a chimney that ends at 28 meters and has openings to the open sea at any depth. Advanced recreational divers exit the crack at 28 meters and continue the dive at 30 meters close to a spectacular coral reef wall. The dive continues until the Blue Hole is reached and the dive concludes by crossing the Blue Hole to reach “The saddle” and leave the water.

WHAT TO DO AT THE BLUE HOLE IN DAHAB OTHER THAN SCUBA DIVING

SNORKELING

The Blue is the most popular snorkeling site in Dahab with crytal clear water, almost no current and a pristine shallow coral reef with a wide variety of colorful fish.

Your tour will usually include a snorkel and a mask, but if you are coming there on your own you can usually rent them in one of the several seafront restaurants

The Dahab Blue hole is a very popular spot for free divers as there are usually no currents and the great depths accessible from the shore.

As you snorkel or scuba dive the Blue Hole you will see several descent lines descending into the whole for free divers.

The Blue Hole is an ideal place to start your free diving training and there are many free diving schools in Dahab.

SCUBA DIVING

This is the number 1 activity in the Blue Hole and why many people come to Dahab in the first place.

As I mentioned before the dive site is not more dangerous when dived within the limits and with the proper training and equipment. There is now a police at the entrance of the Blue Hole making sure all divers get into the water accompanied by a local guide.

HIKING UP TO THE VIEW POINT

On top of the main seafront restaurants there is a small hill from where you can have a panoramic view from the Blue Hole.

You just need to walk towards the “ Diver’s cemetery” and before the last couple of restaurants take the left and you will find a stair case to the view point.

Make sure to bring your camera as you will not want to miss taking this picture.

VISIT THE DIVER’S CEMETERY

On the way to the Bells entry there is a wall full of memorial plates remembering the divers that lost their lives at the Dahab Blue Hole.

CHILL OUT AT THE SEAFRONT RESTAURANTS

There are many restaurants where you can chill out and relax while you sip a cup of tea or have a meal. People usually leave their belongings in these restaurants when they go into the water and it is pretty safe. Owners are used to taking care of your belongings.

TAKE A BOAT OR HIKE TO RAS ABU GALLUM

You can take a boat, camel or hike to Ras Abu Gallum and from there take a truck to the Blue Lagoon.

Some people chose to spend the night at the Blue Lagoon to make sure they can visit all the sites at a slow pace.

MY EXPERIENCE DIVING THE DAHAB BLUE HOLE

Diving the Blue Hole had been in my to do list for a very long time. So, when I requested my scuba diving package I asked the diving shop if it was possible we would visit the Blue Hole a couple of times so that I could have enough time exploring and enjoying the area in depth.

On the first time we dove the Blue Hole twice and the second time we first dove Canyon, that is an adventure dive very close to the Blue Hole area ,and then the Blue Hole Bells dive site.

Before my first dive, I visited the Diver’s cemetery memorial side and that made the irrational fear kick in, even if I have hundreds of dives on my logbook. My local guide reminded us before entering the water: -Monitor your depth or it is a one way ticket down there.

I crossed the wall a couple of times to reach the coral gardens and entered the dive through “The Bells” chimney and found the dive sites very impressive.

Honestly, apart from the irrational fear kicking in before entering the water, due to the fame of the hole, I did not feel any different than any other dive. In fact it was much easier than many of the dives I did in the past. There was no current and more than 20 meters visibility on all the dives.

There was almost no current and very good visibility. We could admire beautiful coral and fish while diving parallel to the wall and it was super fun.

Yes I would recommend this dive to anyone coming to Dahab. I was lucky to be diving with people carrying a go Pro and I also had an underwater camera myself, so I could record a video of the dives that I shared on YouTube.

WHERE TO STAY IN DAHAB

Here you can find my hotel recommendations in Dahab.

Basic acommodation: Soliman house

Mid range accommodation: New Happy Land hotel

Luxury accommodation: Jaz Dahabeya Resort

BLUE HOLE FAQs

How deep is the Blue Hole?

The Blue Hole has a maximum depth of around 120 meters and a bit beyond the Blue Hole the Red Sea drops off to 1000 meters depth.

What happened to Yuri Lipski?

Yuri Lipski was a 22-year-old Russian diver and is one of the most famous deaths in the Blue Hole. He was a Russian recreational scuba diving instructor who attempted to cross the Arch on a single tank. It seems that he lost the entrance to “The Arch” and went on an uncontrollable descent to a depth of 115 meters where his life ended. This is a very famous example as he was carrying a camera with him and the camera was intact when his body was rescued.

The video of his death is on YouTube and it is a great example to see the risks of diving beyond the limits of your training and equipment.

How many people have died in the Blue Hole?

There is no official record of lives lost in the Blue Hole. However, many sources across the web mention that it is as high as 200 in the last 15 years.

How long should I spend here?

You can spend a day at the Blue Hole or combine it with a day trip to other famous locations like the Blue Lagoon.

When is the best time to visit?

You can visit the Blue Hole all year round.

Are there sharks in the Blue Hole?

No, there are no sharks in the Blue Hole. Some sharks have been spotted just outside the Blue Hole. However they are not in the area very frequently and for sharks encounters in the Red Sea is better visiting other location.

How many bodies are in the Blue Hole?

Tarek Omar is famous in Dahab not only for claiming the previous record for the world’s deepest dive (209 meters) but also for recovering recovering bodies from the Blue Hole.

There is no record of how many bodies are still lost in the proximity of the Blue HOle

Is this the site of the world’s deepest dive?

The current world record holder Ahmed Gabr broke the record in 2014, diving to 332 m (1090 feet) in Dahab. The dive took place not too far from the Blue Hole.