Sudan Itineraries:

Sudan North and South

This itinerary covers the Sudan classic itinerary dives plus exploration of some southern reefs in the Sha'ab Ambar area. It is the perfect itinerary for divers who would like a change from the Egyptian Red Sea and are also looking for a bit of adventure. Famed for its pristine coral reefs, abundant marine life and historic sites, Sudan is a real untouched underwater paradise.

QUALIFICATION NEEDED: Due to diving conditions and remote location, divers must be a PADI Advanced diver or equivalent with a minimum of 50 logged dives to join this safari.

Why join this itinerary?

Due to a history in difficult access, there are very few liveaboards operating in this region; meaning that dive sites have remained beautifully pristine and divers are able to explore them in practical solitude.

Sudan is well known for a rich diversity of marine life; not only are the coral reefs untouched, you can also see huge numbers of schooling fish along with moray eels and sea turtles to name just a few. Large pelagics such as hammerheads, reef sharks and mantas are also common. Aside from the abundance of stunning marine life, the Sudanese waters are also home to the WW2 wreck 'The Umbria' and Cousteau's Conshelf II making Sudan the perfect destination for any diver looking for a real adventure.

Itineray highlights:

WINGATE REEF & THE 'UMBRIA' WRECK: This reef lies right in front of Port Sudan harbour and can be reached within 15 minutes. This massive reef offers a few dive sites which would be excellent for a "check dive", but its main attraction lies sheltered at its core: the wreck of the "Umbria". The wreck is one of these jewels you rarely dive and is considered one of the top 10 wrecks in the world. You could call it the "Thistlegorm of Sudan" but the comparison stops there. This Italian cargo ship, on its way to the actual Eritrea, was stopped by the British authorities, which were controlling Sudan at that time, in 1940. Its cargo mainly consisted of ammunition, detonators, bombs and construction materials and was supposed to be delivered to the Italian troops stationed in the horn of Africa. This was troubled time and, when its captain heard first that Italy had declared war, he decided to organize a "rescue exercise". Little to say that he and the crew had sabotaged their own boat to avoid the cargo falling into enemy's hands. The wreck now lies on its side at a maximum of 36m and a minimum of 3m and is completely intact (Thanks Captain!). One dive allows you to explore it entirely, but it would be a shame to stop there. The holds are easily penetrated and the cargo (from ammunition to cars, passing by good Italian bottle of wines) is still there to be explored.

SANGANEB: This very large reef lies 1h30 north of Port Sudan and is easily identified by its British-built lighthouse. Between dives, the lighthouse attendees will welcome you and from the top, you will have an impressive view of the whole reef with a large sheltered lagoon in its centre. Due to its size, it offers several dive sites and you can easily spend a full day on that reef without getting bored. Grey reef sharks are a very common sight, both on the North & South plateaus, and, with luck, other larger pelagics, such as hammerheads or silky sharks, might show up. Another likely attraction is to snorkel in the lagoon with a pod of dolphins.

JUMNA: A coral tower plunging down into the deep blue, this site belongs to Suakin Archipelago. On the eastern side a large number of cavities offer spectacular views and are full of marine life and beautiful corals. It is also possible to see grey reef sharks, Oceanic whitetips, the solitary Silvertip shark and large schools of hammerheads.

SHAAB ANBAR: This is a very long reef at nearly 5 miles. On the Northern side is a well-sheltered lagoon where large groups of dolphins are often spotted. On the south eastern point at 20-25 metres, is a large sandy plateau offering a beautiful dive with large numbers of pelagic fish, such as tunas, barracudas, hammerheads and grey reef sharks. With luck it is possible to encounter the gigantic coral groupers.