{"id":10428,"date":"2019-02-11T09:43:22","date_gmt":"2019-02-11T09:43:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/face\/?p=10428"},"modified":"2021-03-02T15:24:30","modified_gmt":"2021-03-02T15:24:30","slug":"dangerous-dive-dahabs-blue-hole","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/dangerous-dive-dahabs-blue-hole\/","title":{"rendered":"Dangerous dive: Dahab’s Blue Hole"},"content":{"rendered":"Approx read: <\/span> 2<\/span> mins<\/span><\/span>

After the pyramids, after the camel rides, after the endless cups of tea, what does an adventure-seeker in Egypt\u00a0do? Dive the Blue Hole in Dahab.<\/h2>\n

Despite its simple moniker, the Blue Hole is one of the most technically challenging dive sites in the world. Located in the Red Sea, just off the beach of Dahab, Egypt, the Blue Hole is an off-shore sinkhole surrounded by stunning reefs chock-full of fish.<\/p>\n

The deep end<\/h4>\n

It\u2019s as beautiful as it is dangerous. The funnel-shaped structure creates strong currents throughout its 190-metre depths. The light in the Blue Hole is tricky. The water near the surface is absolutely still and clear. About halfway down, the water takes on the deep blue colour of the site\u2019s name. The sinkhole narrows into a cave-like structure that is deceptively deep. The skinny tube makes it difficult to get a reference point, and many people lose consciousness, or run out of air, or both. According to local sources, the floor of the Blue Hole is covered in bones.<\/p>\n

Beware sea monsters and narcosis<\/h4>\n

Legend has it that an emir found his unmarried daughter up to no good with a young man and ordered her to jump into the \u2018well,\u2019 where her ghost entices fit divers to this day. Other stories tell of mermaids and sea monsters. But the biggest danger at the bottom of the Blue Hole is narcosis. For techno-divers, this may be the most fun and challenging diving you may ever do.<\/p>\n

Preparing to dive the Blue Hole is key. Get some rest the night before. (Nightclubs have sprung up in the area, due to the site\u2019s popularity.) Be prepared and stay sharp: the forty-or-so memorial markers aren\u2019t decorations. If things do go terribly wrong, know that the nearest decompression chamber is a thirty-minute drive down a gravel road.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The shallow end<\/h4>\n

For less-experienced divers, know your limitations, and don\u2019t exceed them. The shallow water reefs are rich in coral and marine life and the windsurfing\u00a0is excellent.<\/p>\n

For landlubbers, Dahab\u2019s golden beaches and laid-back atmosphere makes whiling away an afternoon easy-peasy. But don\u2019t get too relaxed. Grizzled career travellers may spin yarns about partaking in alternative smoking blends beachside, but that hasn\u2019t happened since the uptick in security after the 2006 terror attacks.<\/p>\n

Though Dahab has a warm and friendly vibe, it\u2019s still in the Southern Sinai, and under an amber (essential travel only) FCO warning. What does this mean? Your cream-puff insurance won\u2019t work here if things hit the fan. Look for a policy that offers War and Terrorism cover. And though you\u2019re more likely to be attacked by parasites hiding in your water bottle than terrorists hiding in the bushes, keep an eye on the news.<\/p>\n

[vc_video link=’https:\/\/youtu.be\/c25zMBopPhE’]<\/h2>\n

Interview: A veteran tour guide’s safety tips for Egypt<\/span><\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It\u2019s as beautiful as it is dangerous.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":37,"featured_media":10438,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[1182,1183],"class_list":["post-10428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-insurance","tag-diving-holidays","tag-egypt"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/37"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10428"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11955,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10428\/revisions\/11955"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10438"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.battleface.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}