Middle Reef, Sharm El Sheikh: Navigating 'Swiss Cheese' Corals

Middle Reef in Sharm El Sheikh presents itself as a broad, encompassing reef system. Unlike sites known for dense schools of pelagic fish, this location distinguishes itself through its intricate and expansive coral architecture. As you descend, the reef's distinctive topography immediately becomes apparent, promising an immersive exploration of its formations.

The southern-eastern flank of Middle Reef reveals one of its most compelling features: an area aptly nicknamed 'Swiss cheese'. Here, the hard coral structures are riddled with myriad holes, tunnels, and swim-throughs, creating a complex, three-dimensional maze. Navigating through these formations feels like an exploration of a natural underwater labyrinth, providing endless opportunities for discovery and close-up observation of the coral ecosystem.

While Middle Reef is celebrated for its remarkable coral landscape, the focus here is less on a massive profusion of marine animals and more on the intimate aesthetics of the reef itself. The beauty lies in the detailed intricacies of the hard corals, their varied colours and structures forming a vibrant underwater garden. This emphasis on the coral scenery makes for a different, yet equally rewarding, dive experience, where the reef is the star.

Beyond the 'Swiss cheese' section, the outer perimeter of Middle Reef offers conditions highly conducive to drift diving. For those who appreciate the sensation of gliding along with the current, surveying the broader expanse of the reef, this presents an engaging option. The contours of the reef guide your passage, revealing new perspectives and scale as you drift effortlessly by.

This dive site is often included in extensive liveaboard itineraries, specifically within the 'Safaga, Brothers & Elphinstone' route, underscoring its value as a significant stop for divers exploring the deeper and more remote sections of the Red Sea. Its inclusion among such renowned sites speaks volumes about its unique character and the quality of the dive experience it offers, setting it apart from more common shoreline dives.