Blue Hole

Dahab’s Blue Hole: separate the reef visit from the deep arch

The Blue Hole is a deep coastal sinkhole north of Dahab on Egypt’s Gulf of Aqaba. It is accessible from the shore and attracts scuba divers, snorkellers and trained freedivers. These activities share a location, but they do not share the same profile or requirements.

The deep arch is not part of a recreational Blue Hole or Bells dive. It begins around 56 metres and forms an overhead passage. Appropriate technical training, equipment, support and detailed planning are required; an Advanced Open Water card or confidence in deep water is not sufficient preparation.

What a recreational visit can offer

The attraction is not simply looking into a deep hole. The surrounding reef walls carry coral growth and fish life, while the shallow reef rim provides a different perspective. A planned recreational dive can appreciate these features without approaching the arch.

Local descriptions place the sinkhole’s bottom around 120 metres, with an uneven floor. Its total depth is geological context, not a dive objective. Your own maximum depth must be set by your training, experience, conditions and the plan agreed with the operator.

Bells and the outer wall

The Bells is a narrow entry feature north of the Blue Hole. Local operators describe its deeper opening around 28–30 metres and offer wall dives associated with it. This makes it a different proposition from a shallow visit inside the hole; the entry and intended depth must suit the diver.

Scuba Seekers requires Advanced Open Water and a prior check dive for its recreational Blue Hole profiles. Ask your own operator what it requires and which entry is planned. An online route description cannot determine current, surface conditions or the group’s suitability on the day.

Reputation, conditions and experience

Serious accidents have occurred here. Choose the activity and profile with care: a shallow reef visit, a deep technical dive and a freediving session involve different skills, equipment and support.

Easy access from land does not remove depth, overhead or breath-hold risks. Keep the recreational profile separate from technical exploration, maintain buoyancy and depth awareness, and respect the agreed turning and exit plan. If the planned dive exceeds your training or comfort, choose another profile or site.

The hole can be more sheltered than the outer wall, but wind and surface conditions still matter at entries and exits. Visibility and marine life vary. Coral and reef fish are the everyday interest; turtles or larger passing animals are possibilities rather than promises. Keep fins and equipment clear of the reef, particularly around busy entry points.

Snorkelling and freediving are different activities

Snorkellers can enjoy shallow reef features without attempting a descent into the hole. Choose a supervised programme matched to swimming ability and conditions, and confirm the entry, exit, equipment and flotation arrangements. A dive guide supervising scuba divers is not automatically supervising accompanying snorkellers.

Freediving means breath-hold diving and can involve dedicated equipment, training and safety support. DAN stresses that freediving alone or with an untrained buddy is unacceptable. Do not copy a deep descent or arch crossing from a video. A professional performance is not a suggested activity for an ordinary visitor.

Access and costs

Trips normally travel by road from Dahab. Confirm the meeting point, transport, guide, rental equipment and any food or drinks in the quote. Scuba, snorkelling and sightseeing visitors may have different packages even when travelling together.

Confirm the current entry fee before travel. Sources checked on 24 October 2026 were inconsistent: Dive Urge’s page states $10 in its general park-fee section and $20 in several Blue Hole supplements. An older Scuba Seekers guide also states $10. These cannot establish one current official tariff or a complete trip total, so this page does not present either amount as guaranteed.

Ask the operator for a written total showing entry fees, transport, activity, equipment and taxes separately, together with the applicable visitor category and date. A cheap advertised transfer is not necessarily the cost of a supervised snorkelling visit.

Historical freediving film: context, not a dive plan

The film below shows an expert freediving performance. It is retained as historical viewing, not as a demonstration of what a recreational visitor should attempt. The arch is outside the scope of the recreational visit described above.

Play historical video

Where is the Dahab Blue Hole?

CDWS lists the site at 28°34′21″ N, 34°32′12″ E, approximately 28.572500° N, 34.536667° E. This is a location reference for the site, not the arch, a dive route or an entry instruction.

Blue Hole questions

Sources

Checked 24 October 2026: Scuba Seekers site and profile distinctions; PADI Bells description; Dive Urge package terms and inconsistent fee listings; DAN freediving safety; CDWS coordinates.