The Brothers Island

The Brothers (El Akhawein) are two small islands in the Red Sea roughly 60 kilometres offshore from Marsa Alam and Qesm Al Qoseir, reachable only by liveaboard due to the distance from the mainland. Both islands are surrounded by steep walls dropping into deep water, and the site is known for strong currents that draw pelagic life, including oceanic whitetip and hammerhead sharks. The larger of the two islands also has two wrecks, the Numidia and the Aida, sitting on the reef slope. Depths on the walls run from the surface down well past recreational limits, and the combination of open water exposure, current, and depth makes this a site generally reserved for experienced divers.

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

• Reef sharkReef sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• Napoleon WrasseCheilinus undulatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Oceanic Whitetip SharkCarcharhinus longimanusReported here · unconfirmed
• Freckled HawkfishParacirrhites forsteriReported here · unconfirmed
• Black-and-white SnapperMacolor nigerReported here · unconfirmed
• Red Sea BannerfishHeniochus intermediusReported here · unconfirmed
• Rusty ParrotfishScarus ferrugineusReported here · unconfirmed
• Masked ButterflyfishChaetodon semilarvatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Hammerhead sharkHammerhead sharkConfirmed present · 3 independent sources
• BarracudaBarracudaReported here · unconfirmed
• Napoleon (humphead) wrasseNapoleon (humphead) wrasseReported here · unconfirmed
• Thresher sharkThresher sharkReported here · unconfirmed
• DugongDugongReported here · unconfirmed