Diving in Aqaba Jordon

Aqaba is a coastal city located in the far southwestern corner of Jordan, on the Gulf of Aqaba. It is the only port in Jordan and serves as an important gateway to the country, as well as to the neighbouring countries of Egypt and Israel.

The city has a long and storied history, dating back to the time of the ancient Egyptians, who called it "Elath." In the Bible, it is mentioned as one of the places where the Israelites camped during their journey through the wilderness. Later, it became an important hub for trade and commerce, with traders from all over the region coming to exchange goods and ideas.

Despite its small size, Aqaba plays a vital role in the economy and culture of Jordan. It is a vibrant and diverse city that is well worth a visit for anyone interested in exploring the beauty and history of the region.

One of the main attractions of diving in Aqaba is the incredible marine life that can be found in the waters around the city. The Gulf of Aqaba is home to a wide variety of colourful coral reefs, as well as schools of tropical fish and other marine animals. Some of the species that can be found in the waters around Aqaba include clownfish, parrotfish, angelfish, and even sharks. The reefs around Aqaba are some of the most diverse and healthy in the world, making it a true paradise for divers.

Fantastic Coral

While other regions of the Red sea are suffering quite badly from exceptional sea water temperature rises and over finning or excessive dive activity, Aqaba is unique in so far as the Coral appears to be thriving under this water temperature rise. So much so a scientific centre has been set up to study the phenomena scientist from Australia and other regions suffering from bleaching are coming to study the coral.

As a result of this the marine life is fantastic and the variety of coral is amazing.

In addition to the diverse marine life, Aqaba also offers several wrecks for divers to explore. These wrecks include old cargo ships, fishing vessels, and even military planes. These wrecks provide an exciting and unique diving experience, as they are home to a variety of marine life and offer a glimpse into the past. Some of the most popular wrecks in the waters around Aqaba include the Cedar Pride, the Salem Express, and the SS Thistlegorm.

Aqaba is also a great destination for advanced divers, as the waters around the city offer a number of challenging dive sites. These sites include deep walls, caves, and other structures that offer a more challenging diving experience. Some of the most popular dive sites in Aqaba include the Canyon, the Caves, and the Arch.

In addition to the diving, Aqaba also offers several other activities and attractions for tourists. The city is home to a number of beautiful beaches, which are popular for swimming, sunbathing, and other water sports. Petra is only a couple hours drive away and is well worth the visit as well as various desert excursions and wadi trip are to be had.

Getting There

Getting there. There are direct flights from the UK in winter which depending upon your tolerance for hot weather I would recommend it can get exceptionally hot in summer.

Dive centres.

There are a large number of places advertising diving but these tend to be fronts for a small number of centres. Covid has had a devastating impact upon the dive centres, however upon a recommendation by another diver I used Jordon Frogman, http://www.jordanfrogman.com/DivingCenter.html, however the best way to make contact is through the Facebook page, Jordan Frogman Diver's Aqaba | Facebook the web site needs updating and improving.

I would highly recommend this dive centre. I found that they where great guardians of the coral and spent much time ensuring the divers avoided damaging the coral.

Because it was only a short trip, we hired our equipment and I found the equipment to be well maintained and in good condition.

The briefings were excellent and the safety to a good standard. What more could one ask for.

They use WhatsApp to communicate, and they called upon us at our hotel the night before to run through what was happening the next day.

Dive Sites

Most the dive sites are easily accessed by walk ins from the beach, Japanese garden is a must, there are also couple of sunken military vehicle a tank and airplane. I’m not much of a wreck diver and so cannot speak to these, but it added some interest and a place for interesting wildlife.

Overall, diving in Aqaba is a truly unique and unforgettable experience. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced diver, there is something for everyone in the waters around this beautiful city. With its stunning marine life and rich history, Aqaba is a must-visit destination for anyone interested in diving.

You will find a short vlog of the trip to Aqaba on you tube. https://youtu.be/SUA0Rl8lvvY

This blog is not sponsored in any way and all costs were met by me.