Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Snorkelling Adventures Around Pharoahs Island in Taba

By Rob Atherton


In step with just about all other coastal destinations in Egypt, snorkelling outings are out there for visitors to Taba and Taba Heights. The place is Pharoah's Island which is otherwise known as Farun Island. It is situated just off the Sinai coastline close to forty minutes cruising time from Taba Heights harbour. At the island, by far the most dominant landmark is the ancient fort constructed in the period of the Crusades by the Saracens.

The snorkelling experience is run on a splendid boat with masts and plenty of deck space so you can soak up the sunshine. The setting in the northern area of the Gulf of Aqaba is excellent with the mountains of the Sinai on one side and spectacular views over to Jordan on the other. However, the outstanding sights are located beneath the crystal clear, warm waters.

Before you don your mask and enter the sea, the guide will brief you on a number of things in regards to the snorkelling zone. Dive boats also head over to Pharoah's Island and so though it is easy to just look down and watch the variety of sea life, you need to be aware of other boats, divers and where you are.

After the formalities are completed, your own snorkelling gang gets into the water and you are an observer upon a superb marine world full of life and colour. Most people believe that diving is the perfect way to observe the astounding marine life on the coral reefs however snorkelling has one huge advantage. Normal scuba equipment is what is called open circuit. In Layman's terms, which means that when you exhale using scuba gear, you to produce stream of bubbles into the water. This does annoy the little fish hence it's trickier to get close to them. However, there aren't any bubbles when snorkelling and you may drift along in your own quiet world and you'll be blown away at just how close you are able to the little fish without frightening them away.

The variety of fish and things to find while snorkelling at Farun Island is quite simply mind-numbing. In a perfect world you should try to get nearer to the coral reefs as several of the creatures remain near to it but remember not to touch because there are lots of things such as Fire Coral and Lion Fish that can give you a terrible sting. It is quite likely you will notice the tiny Clown Fish which we all like. If you're especially fortunate, you may also see a Frog Fish which is found in this area of Egypt. Visits to Pharoah's Island are common and run on a daily basis.




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