Best Diving Spots in Aqaba, Jordan
In Jordan, all diving sites are located in the south, near the city of Aqaba. Bordered by a marine park, the coastal waters are home to well-preserved coral reefs and abundant marine life.
In Jordan, all diving sites are located in the south, near the city of Aqaba. Bordered by a marine park, the coastal waters are home to well-preserved coral reefs and abundant marine life. You'll also find several wrecks renowned worldwide. In total, there are around twenty diving sites. Discover the best diving (and snorkeling!) spots in Aqaba, Jordan.
Top Diving Spots in Aqaba (excluding wrecks)
Power Station
The Power Station site takes its name from a power plant located east of the diving site. Nevertheless, it's an extraordinary spot: a sheer wall dropping beyond 70 meters deep where multicolored corals shelter countless fish, shrimp, moray eels and nudibranchs...
Rainbow Reef
One of the most popular diving sites in the marine park. Composed of two reefs, the site features a canyon teeming with small species (nudibranchs, shrimp...) where you can spot black corals and elephant ears... In the distance, you can see the electrical cables connecting Jordan to Egypt. Beyond its striking structures, Rainbow Reef is famous for night dives where you can encounter Spanish dancers, lobsters and eels.
First Bay
The first accessible diving site in the marine park. Divided into two sections (First Bay North and First Bay South), you'll find magnificent coral formations (including many black corals) and can observe rays and schools of anthias. The sites aren't very deep, making them widely accessible to beginner divers and snorkelers.
Eel Garden
Eel Garden is a genuine sanctuary for garden eels and moray eels. You'll also spot shrimp, nudibranchs, anthias, lionfish, toadfish... With a maximum depth of 35 meters, the site is accessible to all levels and is equally appreciated for night dives.
King Abdalla Reef
Named in honor of Jordan's king, who happens to be a diving enthusiast, this site is one of Jordan's most popular. Why the success? Ultra-vibrant coral reefs, great fish diversity (lionfish, parrotfish, emperors, fusiliers...) and frequent encounters with hawksbill turtles and rays. The site is also accessible via snorkeling.
Japanese Garden
Japanese Garden ranks among Aqaba's most beautiful diving sites thanks to its exceptional topography. Through coral bommies, reef walls and seagrass beds, countless fish inhabit the space: Barbary barracuda, schools of sergeant majors, fusiliers, stonefish, scorpionfish... The site also hosts Hawksbill turtles! Characterized by multiple depth levels, it's accessible to beginner divers and snorkelers.
Blue Coral
The Blue Coral diving spot owes its name to the incredible abundance of blue corals offering a striking spectacle. Here too, dives are shallow and easily accessible. This is a diving site that will delight both beginner and experienced divers.
Best Wreck Diving Sites in Jordan
The Cedar Pride Wreck
The Cedar Pride wreck is undoubtedly Jordan's most famous diving spot. It's also one of the Red Sea's most impressive wrecks. A former Lebanese cargo ship damaged by fire, it was intentionally sunk in 1982 at the king's request to create an artificial reef. The wreck rests between 9 and 27 meters deep and measures 80 meters long. It's easy to penetrate inside. Located around 200 meters offshore, the site is accessible by boat or from the shore. Moreover, beginner divers will have no difficulty visiting it.
The C 130 Hercules Aircraft Wreck
The most recent wreck. An immense fuselage with impressive dimensions: 30 meters long, 40 meters wingspan and 12 meters tall! It was intentionally sunk in 2017 and now rests at 18 meters depth. Colonized by glassfish and covered in soft corals, the wreck offers a striking sight. For capable divers, it's possible to enter the military aircraft and even access the cockpit.
The M42 Duster Tank Wreck
Located near the C 130 Hercules wreck, the M42 Tank wreck is a former armored vehicle belonging to the Jordanian military that was sunk in 1999 by the Jordanian Royal Ecological Diving Society to create an artificial reef. Since then, it's been covered in corals and serves as refuge for moray eels and lionfish (among others). This former armored vehicle is easily accessible and can even be seen snorkeling as it sits only 6 meters deep and 20 meters from shore.
The Taiyong Wreck
Located near the Japanese Garden site, the Taiyong wreck is a former vessel that served as a cargo discharge platform. The ship was sunk in 1999 after a crane boom accidentally fell. Since then, the site has been covered in soft corals and serves as refuge for numerous fish: schools of fusiliers, jacks, glassfish... Positioned at 35 meters and down to 57 meters depth, it's more of a technical diving site. The spot is also popular with photographer divers.
The Al Shourouk Wreck
One of the deepest wrecks in Aqaba's marine park. Located between 38 and 60 meters depth, it's reserved for technical divers. The Al Shourouk is a vessel deliberately scuttled in 2008 by the marine park to create an artificial reef. Currently, marine life is sparse but the wreck remains intact and interior penetration is possible.
Military Underwater Museum
Here's an unusual diving site to discover in Jordan. Not really a wreck but rather an underwater museum—the only one of its kind in the world. Inaugurated in 2019, it consists of 21 military objects (tanks, ambulances, jeeps, helicopters...) sunk between 5 and 28 meters depth along the reefs to reproduce a tactical combat formation. The museum is accessible to all diving levels!
Guide to Diving in Jordan
Diving conditions (visibility, currents...), underwater flora and fauna to see, best time to dive... Discover or rediscover our complete guide to diving in the Red Sea in Jordan.
Frequently asked questions
Several sites are ideal for beginner divers in Aqaba. First Bay (North and South), Blue Coral, Japanese Garden and King Abdalla Reef are shallow and accessible from the Open Water level. The Cedar Pride wreck, resting between 9 and 27 meters, is also recommended for beginners wishing to discover wreck diving.
Inaugurated in 2019, Aqaba's Military Underwater Museum is the only museum of its kind in the world. It comprises 21 military objects (tanks, ambulances, jeeps, helicopters) sunk between 5 and 28 meters deep along the reefs, reproducing a tactical combat formation. It's accessible to all diving levels.
Yes, several diving sites in Aqaba are accessible via snorkeling. Among the most suitable: First Bay, King Abdalla Reef, Japanese Garden and Blue Coral are shallow and offer spectacular underwater fauna and flora without requiring certification. The M42 Duster tank, situated at just 6 meters depth, is even visible snorkeling from the shore.
The most famous wreck in Aqaba is undoubtedly the Cedar Pride, a former Lebanese cargo ship 80 meters long intentionally sunk in 1982 at Jordan's king's request to create an artificial reef. It rests between 9 and 27 meters depth and is accessible from shore or by boat, for all diving levels.
Yes, several wrecks in Aqaba are reserved for technical divers. The Taiyong wreck is located between 35 and 57 meters depth, and the Al Shourouk between 38 and 60 meters. These sites require specific technical diving training and equipment due to their significant depth.
Aqaba's marine diversity is remarkable. You can observe hawksbill turtles, rays, moray eels, nudibranchs, lionfish, barracuda, parrotfish, fusiliers, jacks, garden eels, shrimp and many other species. During night dives at Rainbow Reef or Eel Garden, it's possible to encounter Spanish dancers, lobsters and eels.
