Scuba Diving in Jordan: Best Wrecks
Diving in Jordan will allow you to enjoy some of the most amazing wrecks you can
imagine. A huge sunken ship, a large plane and even a curious war tank are some of
the wrecks that we met during our dive in Aqaba.
Diving In The Wrecks Of Aqaba
Dives in Jordan, both SCUBA and snorkeling, take place off the South Coast. The
Jordanian coast is not very large (24 kilometers) but there are a sufficient number of
dive sites to enjoy a few days of diving. In this part of the Red Sea, I only did two
dives, but I would consider both essential in Jordan, especially if you like diving in
wrecks.
As for the underwater life that we can find, it is varied and abundant. Large amount
of coral (soft and hard). I was struck by finding black coral Fantastic! We will see
large moray eels of different colors and a large number of reef fish, clown fish,
scorpion fish, napoleon … Small nudibranchs and sponges. With better luck, we can
perhaps find a turtle, rays or barracudas. In summer we can even find a whale shark.
Diving In The Tank And Seven Sisters
The first dive was made in a wreck of a sunken Hercules C-130 plane. It is a huge
plane that has been submerged for about a year. It doesn’t have a lot of coral
attached to its structure yet, but it’s still fun to see and dive inside. A “skeleton-pilot”
placed at the controls of the plane allows you to take fun pictures. This Hercules
plane is about 15 meters deep. An Open Water Diver qualification or equivalent
should therefore be sufficient to be able to enjoy this dive.
But in that same dive we can also visit a second wreck. It is an American M-42
model tank submerged 10 years ago at a depth of about 6 meters. Even it can be
reached in apnea as it is a few meters from the coast. It is also a very original place
to take some underwater photos.
Diving In The Cedar Pride
On my next dive in the Red Sea we went to see the “star dive” off the coast of
Aqaba. The huge cargo ship Cedar Pride . Sunk more than 30 years ago after
having suffered a fire that left it useless; today it houses a great deal of life with
corals all over its hull and masts. The maximum depth of the Cedar Pride is 27
meters.
We can go around it to admire its size. We can enter its doors and nooks with
thousands of small sheltered fish. We can even visit an air bubble in one of its rooms
and remove the regulator for a few seconds. Later we admired its mast and the
crow’s nest, where the lookout would go. That is the part with the most coral and
color. We finish by the propeller and with a last admiration of its size before returning
to the coast.
Diving Recommendations In Aqaba
The dives in Jordan are from shore. There are some boats that also do it, but the
dive sites are practically the same. So, by diving from the coast, we save money and
gain comfort. The recommended time to dive in Jordan is throughout the year. The
water temperature varies between 20 and 30ºC, so a thin neoprene suit will be
enough in whatever season we decide to go.
In addition to the ones I describe here, other famous dives are the ornate Japanese
Garden. Also the Yellowstone Reef or the Aquarium of Aqaba.
If you are hesitating between diving in Aqaba or Eilat (Israel), I have to say that the
dive centers in Israel travel to Jordan to dive on numerous occasions. They say there
are more and better dives, more underwater life and less crowding of divers.
Where To Stay In Aqaba?
There are many diving centers in Aqaba. I’ll leave you with the one that I dived, good
professionals and with equipment in good condition. Arab Divers has its center on
the South coast about 15 kilometers from the city of Aqaba. You have
accommodation in the same diving center for about € 60 a double room with
breakfast. The center also has a large swimming pool and is quite cozy, with good
and extensive facilities. Of course, it is quite far from the city, so you need a car or
taxi to get around.
The dive center has a small office in the city of Aqaba, in the Aqaba Gateway
shopping center (next to McDonald’s). You can also find out and book from there.
Even if you don't have a vehicle, they pick you up in Aqaba and transfer you to the
diving center (included in the price).
