Sharm El Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt

The Tower

The Tower is a popular shore-entry site in front of the Reef Bay area, between Sharm El Maya and Ras Umm Sid. The site is named for the tall, isolated rock pinnacle that rises from the deep blue and almost reaches the surface, set apart from the main reef by a sand channel at 18 metres. The pinnacle and the adjacent reef wall drop past 50 metres and are decorated with gorgonians, soft corals and large table corals. Schools of glassfish fill cracks in the wall, lionfish patrol overhangs and Napoleon wrasses, blue-spotted stingrays and turtles are regulars. The wall is dived as a north–south drift, with currents usually mild. Entry is from the reef edge over a short fringing flat. Visibility 25 metres typical.