Aqaba South Coast & Marine Park Dive Sites

About Aqaba – South Coast & Marine Park

The Aqaba South Coast and Marine Park zone encompasses the area from the Marine Science Station southward to Tala Bay and represents the most diverse and innovative diving region in Jordan. The centrepiece is the extraordinary Underwater Military Museum sunk in two thousand and nineteen comprising a Lockheed TriStar fuselage Cobra attack helicopter M42 Duster tank military vehicles and field guns all at fifteen to twenty eight metres now heavily colonised by marine life creating a unique fusion of military history and coral reef ecology. The C-130 Hercules wreck deliberately sunk in two thousand and seventeen lies at thirty to forty metres providing an advanced dive with schools of jacks barracuda and impressive soft coral coverage. The Seven Sisters pinnacles offer dramatic coral towers with hawksbill turtles and giant puffers while Black Rock features deep gorgonian walls with grey reef sharks and eagle rays. Cable Canyon and New Canyon provide thrilling drift diving through deep reef fissures with pelagic encounters. Tala Bay House Reef offers excellent training and macro diving while the Al Shorouk wreck provides a deep technical diving challenge. This zone combines pristine natural reefs with world leading artificial reef projects making it one of the most compelling diving destinations in the Red Sea.

Highlights

• ✓Underwater Military Museum featuring tanks aircraft and military vehicles sunk in 2019 as artificial reefs
• ✓C-130 Hercules four-engine transport aircraft wreck at 30-40m for advanced divers
• ✓Seven Sisters coral pinnacles with hawksbill turtles giant puffers and swirling glassfish
• ✓Black Rock deep gorgonian walls with grey reef sharks eagle rays and seasonal tuna
• ✓Cable Canyon drift dive through deep reef fissure with schooling barracuda and pelagics
• ✓Tala Bay House Reef for training macro diving and seahorse encounters

Getting There

The South Coast sites are accessed primarily by boat from Aqaba city or the South Beach dive centres. The Marine Park area begins approximately five kilometres south of the city centre and extends to Tala Bay approximately fifteen kilometres south. Most dive operators provide boat transfers from their dock facilities. Some sites including Tala Bay House Reef are accessible from shore at the Tala Bay resort community. King Hussein International Airport serves as the main gateway with connections to Amman and regional destinations.