Temple: Shallow Coral Tower Diving in Sharm El Sheikh

Descend into Ras Umm Sid Bay to discover Temple, a distinctive coral tower that anchors a diverse marine landscape. This site begins its ascent from the seabed, culminating just beneath the surface to create a natural beacon for marine life. As you approach, the sheer scale of the coral formation becomes apparent, offering numerous crevices and overhangs waiting to be explored by keen eyes.

The dive profile at Temple is straightforward, making it an excellent location for easing into the underwater world or refining your skills. From the surface, you’ll follow the coral structure down to its base at 15 metres. This maximum depth allows for extended bottom times, providing ample opportunity to meticulously scan the reef for macro life, or simply enjoy the tranquil sway of the soft corals.

Temple is a haven for its resident inhabitants. You'll find yourself amidst schools of colourful reef fish, making their intricate patterns around the coral. Keep a close watch for the delicate shapes and striking colours of nudibranchs as they crawl across the coral surface. Moray eels often peek out from their rocky shelters, while octopuses, masters of camouflage, might reveal themselves with a subtle shift in texture or colour.

While the focus here is often on the smaller creatures thriving within the coral tower, Temple occasionally surprises with larger visitors. During the spring, pelagic mantas have been observed gliding through this area, drawn perhaps by the plankton-rich waters or the site's prominent position within the bay. These encounters add an exciting, albeit less frequent, dimension to the dive experience.

This site is often compared to Tobia Arba, another local reef known for its accessibility and diverse, yet manageable, dive experience. This comparison suggests a topography that likely includes a series of coral bommies or a gently sloping reef, allowing divers to choose their depth and explore at their own pace. Such a structure allows for a multi-level dive, where you can spend your deepest time exploring the base of the reef before ascending gradually, extending your bottom time.

For divers looking to shake off the rust or build confidence, Temple Reef functions effectively as a 'check dive' location. Its relatively calm conditions and clear waters allow focus on buoyancy control, air consumption, and equipment familiarity, rather than battling challenging elements. This makes it an ideal spot to re-acclimate to diving after a break or to introduce newer divers to open water conditions before moving on to more exposed sites.

In the regional context of Sharm El-Sheikh, local reefs typically host a range of resident species. You would expect to encounter green turtles (Chelonia mydas) moving along the reef, as well as various reef fish such as snappers (Lutjanidae) and fusiliers (Caesionidae). Eagle rays (Aetobatus narinari) are also frequent visitors to protected reef environments, often gliding gracefully over the coral gardens.