Jackson Reef

Jackson Reef sits at the northern end of the Strait of Tiran, where the Red Sea narrows between the Sinai coast and Saudi Arabia, and is reached by boat from Sharm el Sheikh. It is one of four coral reefs marking the strait, with steep walls and light current on the day, though the channel is known for stretches of strong current, including a washing machine effect around the Sella area and violent water at the southwest corner. Visibility here is generally great, and the site reaches a maximum depth of around 30 metres over a reef bottom, rated an intermediate dive overall. Divers regularly encounter barracuda, eagle rays, hammerhead sharks, leopard sharks, lionfish, manta rays, snapper, surgeonfish, and tiger sharks, with turtles, groupers, scorpionfish, stingrays, trevally, tuna, unicornfish, oceanic whitetips, and even whale sharks also reported by divers. The reef holds the wreck of the Lara, a cargo ship that ran aground here in the 1980s, and fire coral along the reef is worth avoiding on contact. The north side opens onto exposed water toward the strait, and passing ships add another hazard to watch for.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Garden eelGarden eelReported here · unconfirmed
• TrevallyTrevallyReported here · unconfirmed
• Tiger sharkTiger sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• GrouperGrouperReported here · unconfirmed
• ScorpionfishScorpionfishReported here · unconfirmed
• Eagle rayEagle rayConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
• BarracudaBarracudaConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Leopard / zebra sharkLeopard / zebra sharkConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Manta rayManta rayConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• UnicornfishUnicornfishReported here · unconfirmed
• Oceanic whitetip sharkOceanic whitetip sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• Whale SharkRhincodon typusReported here · unconfirmed
• StingrayStingrayReported here · unconfirmed
• Sea turtleSea turtleReported here · unconfirmed
• Bluespotted Fantail RayTaeniura lymmaReported here · unconfirmed
• Freckled HawkfishParacirrhites forsteriReported here · unconfirmed
• Red Sea BannerfishHeniochus intermediusReported here · unconfirmed
• Indian LionfishPterois milesReported here · unconfirmed
• Slingjaw WrasseEpibulus insidiatorReported here · unconfirmed
• Red Sea AnemonefishAmphiprion bicinctusReported here · unconfirmed
• Indian Bullethead ParrotfishChlorurus sordidusReported here · unconfirmed
• Masked ButterflyfishChaetodon semilarvatusReported here · unconfirmed
• LionfishLionfishConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• SnapperSnapperConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• Hammerhead sharkHammerhead sharkConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
• SurgeonfishSurgeonfishConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
• Tiger SharkGaleocerdo cuvierConfirmed present · 4 independent sources
• TunaTunaReported here · unconfirmed