The Bells

The Bells is a reef dive site in Dahab, Egypt, entered via a narrow vertical chimney approximately 26 metres long. The site takes its name from the sound of diving tanks occasionally striking the chimney walls during descent — a passage so tight that only one diver at a time can pass through. From the base of the chimney, divers exit onto a reef wall and follow it towards the adjacent Blue Hole, crossing the saddle at around 7 metres before finishing the dive inside the Blue Hole itself. Maximum depth reaches 27.5 metres.

The reef wall is lined with hard and soft corals in vivid colours, and the site also holds black coral and anemones. Marine life commonly encountered here includes cornetfish, nudibranchs, batfish, trevallies, eagle rays, oceanic whitetip sharks, hammerhead sharks, whale sharks, and sea turtles. Water temperature sits at 28°C.

The Bells is a boat or shore dive approached from the reef top, with the chimney serving as the entry point. Current is generally light, and visibility is great. The vertical chimney descent — confined and passable only in single file — is the primary hazard, and the site is rated at advanced level, making it unsuitable for newly certified or inexperienced divers.