First Bay South

Best Drift Dive

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True name First Bay South
Depth 6m to 30m+
Conditions Strong current *, excessive depth
Visibility Excellent (20m)
Platform Boat (recommended), shore
Level Beginner to technical
Snorkelling? No
Other names used First Bay, Cazar Reef, House Reef, Death Valley *
First Bay South

First Bay South

The rope's purpose quickly becomes clear - it's a permanent navigation line. Many dive centers use this as a training dive site, but don't let First Bay South's idyllic diving conditions fool you: this site is packed with gorgeous soft corals and sponges interspersed with large hard coral formations.

First Bay South, Aqaba
First Bay South's varying depths house diverse, intricate reefs.

Schools of reef fish, from damsels to parrots to butterflies to fusiliers and more, abound with pelagics cruising the outer reef, looking for an easy meal.

First Bay South, Aqaba
Easy access to a variety of dive conditions make First bay South one of Aqaba's most popular dive and training sites.

Soon, we come to a seamount covered in black corals and a cabbage coral garden - that's what's attracting the larger fish who are here looking to feed. We'll take a looping dive path to take it all in and spend most of our time around 12-18 m, where we'll find the best coral growth and biggest variety of marine life.

First Bay South, Aqaba
Lots of reef means LOTS of life – you could spend days diving First Bay South!
First Bay South, Aqaba
There are many types of coral and many reef fish that live inside the coral

Let's head back to the boat for now - we'll come back at night, when First Bay South really comes alive, especially the seamount. Octopi and invertebrates feed unafraid on the reef while large predators - even the occasional shark - cruise open water around the seamount.

First Bay South, Aqaba
Aqaba is well known for macro-photography opportunities. First Bay South is a photographer's dream.

Just one thing:

* While most of this site is absolutely beginner-friendly, be aware that near the edges of the sandy valleys we'll see throughout the site, you'll find strong and constant downward currents that will take you swiftly down to 100 m or more. Coral growth is spectacular below 40 m here and this site is extremely popular with technical divers, who gave it a name all their own: Death Valley. That's more than a clever name: stay well out of the down current. Technical divers should keep their dive plans tight - venture too far and you may have to complete your deco schedule swimming through blue water.

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Arab Divers

CHOOSE THE REEF FROM THE LIST

Please, choose one of the reefs to see its location on the map, or browse through all the reefs below

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  • Black Rock

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    Best Night Dive

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  • Japanese Gardens

    Best Snorkel Site

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    Best Chance for Turtle

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    Best Gorgonians

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    Best Girls in Aqaba

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  • The Tank

    Best Safety Stop

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  • Al Shorouk Shipwreck

    Best Tec Dive

    She almost ended up at extreme depth, but luckily the Al Shorouk's 2008 scuttling ended up going pretty close to plan. This pristine wreck now lies on her starboard side, straddling two reefs just beyond Eel Canyons with a marker buoy attached to her bow. Although the water here is exceptionally clear, that's all we can see for now - let's descend into the blue...

  • Yellowstone Reef

    Best National Park

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  • Blue Coral

    Best Deep Dive

    Covering this large, varied, and very healthy set of 3 finger reefs in a single dive is just about impossible. You could easily use your whole tank exploring a single coral head for frogfish, crocodilefish, and nudibranchs, surrounded by fusiliers - but there's always something new just ahead, and the reef extends well beyond sight...

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