Dive sites in Jordan

Situated along the South Beach coastline of the Gulf of Aqaba, Black Rock features a gentle coral slope leading down toward deeper sand patches and coral pinnacles. The site gets its name from a dark volcanic rock formation on the adjacent shore that serves as a landmark for entry. Underwater, sweeping cabbage corals and scattered black coral bushes dominate the deeper contours, while the shallows offer dense hard coral gardens with sandy channels.

Scuttled intentionally in November 2017 off the coast of Aqaba, this decommissioned Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport aircraft rests upright on a flat sand bed near the Seven Sisters coral pinnacle. Divers can easily peer through the cockpit windows or penetrate the open cargo hold, which has become heavily colonized by soft corals, schooling fish, and macro critters.

Located along Aqaba's southern coastline, this site takes its name from several coral overhangs and shallow swim-throughs hollowed beneath large Porites formations. Divers explore a gently descending sandy slope dotted with coral heads where nocturnal species shelter during daylight hours. The sheltered bay provides an easy navigation profile along the fringing reef system.

Located within the Aqaba Marine Park, First Bay North offers a relaxed shore entry through a sandy channel that opens directly onto a sloping fringing reef. Sprawling hard coral formations, particularly extensive patches of cabbage coral and branching acropora, define the underwater landscape before giving way to deeper sandy patches punctuated by isolated coral heads.

First Bay South sits within the Aqaba Marine Park along the Jordanian coast of the Gulf of Aqaba. A gently sloping reef bottom transitions into sandy plains dotted with cabbage corals, brain corals, and scattered coral pinnacles. Divers often use this site for relaxed navigation dives, photography sessions, and training owing to the typically calm Gulf waters.

Located within the Aqaba Marine Park south of the city, Japanese Garden is renowned for its dense, terraced formations of hard and soft corals that resemble traditional landscaped gardens. The reef begins immediately offshore and slopes down gently across a series of sandy gullies and plateaus. Calm surface waters and dependable visibility make it a favorite for naturalists and photographers seeking thriving Red Sea ecosystems in benign conditions.

Located within the Aqaba Marine Park, King Abdullah Reef features massive circular reef patches and sloping coral heads. The shallow flats give way to deeper sandy gullies adorned with sprawling gorgonian sea fans and black coral colonies. Divers navigate among towering stony coral bommies that host active reef communities.

Located along the southern coast of Aqaba, Power Station is one of Jordan's premier drop-off dives. The reef flat transitions into a steep wall that plunges into the deep waters of the Gulf of Aqaba. Divers drift along vertical rock faces adorned with large gorgonian sea fans, black coral bushes, and encrusting sponges, with good chances of spotting pelagic species patrolling the open blue.

Located in the Aqaba Marine Park, Rainbow Reef features a gently sloping coral ridge that descends toward deeper sandy channels. The reef structure takes its name from the wide spectrum of hard and soft coral colonies carpeting the slope, particularly large formations of cabbage and brain corals. Divers navigate along the contour of the reef crest before exploring coral pinnacles that rise from the deeper seabed.

Resting upright on a sloping sand patch just off the Aqaba shoreline, this scuttled M42 Duster anti-aircraft vehicle has become one of Jordan's most recognizable artificial reefs. Corals have thoroughly encrusted the twin gun barrels, treads, and chassis, creating a compact micro-habitat that attracts juvenile reef fish and invertebrates.

Scuttled in 2019 off the southern coast of Aqaba, this unique artificial reef consists of nineteen decommissioned combat vehicles stationed in tactical battle formation along the seabed. Divers can navigate past tanks, armored troop carriers, anti-aircraft guns, and attack helicopters resting on a gentle sandy slope. Soft corals and encrusting sponges have rapidly colonized the metal hulls, attracting shoals of glassfish and shelter-seeking predators.

The Cedar Pride is a former Lebanese cargo ship scuttled deliberately off the coast of Aqaba to create an artificial reef. Lying on its port side across two distinct reef spurs, the ship forms a natural swim-through underneath its hull. Soft corals, encrusting sponges, and hydroids blanket the superstructure, while the interior holds accessible compartments for divers trained in overhead environments.