Top 10 Dive Sites in Jordan
Jordan has one of the shortest coastlines of any country bordering the Red Sea — a mere 27 kilometres along the Gulf of Aqaba — yet it packs an astonishing amount of world-class diving into that narrow strip. The waters here benefit from the same nutrient flows and reef geology that make the Egyptian Red Sea famous, but with a fraction of the boat traffic. Visibility regularly exceeds 25 metres, water temperature holds between 22°C in winter and 27°C in summer, and the corals are among the healthiest in the entire Gulf. There are wrecks, purpose-sunk tanks and aircraft, Japanese garden-style coral formations, and reef walls that plunge vertically into blue water. The small size of the Aqaba diving area is actually an advantage — you can dive everything in a week without repeating a site. Open the map to explore what is available.
1. Cedar Pride Wreck, Aqaba
The Cedar Pride is the signature dive of Jordanian waters. This 70-metre Lebanese cargo freighter was deliberately sunk in 1985 at the request of King Hussein to create an artificial reef, and it has fulfilled that purpose magnificently. The ship lies on her port side on a sandy slope between 8 and 28 metres, almost entirely colonised by soft and hard corals. Large grouper and moray eels inhabit the superstructure, lionfish hover at the railings, and schools of glassfish pour through the holds. The shallowest section of the hull is reachable by snorkellers. Open Water certification. Best season: year-round; summer water is warm but winter offers better visibility.
2. Japanese Gardens Coral Reefs, Aqaba
Japanese Gardens is the name given to a section of reef north of the Aqaba dive hub that displays some of the most intricate coral architecture in the Gulf. Table corals extend from the reef face like balconies, branching staghorns create underwater thickets, and the spaces between are alive with anthias, parrotfish, butterflyfish and juvenile reef fish. The depth here is gentle — rarely below 18 metres in the main garden areas — making it ideal for photographers and those who want to extend their bottom time on nitrox. Open Water certification. Best season: year-round.
3. Gorgon 1, Aqaba Marine Reserve
Named for the sea fans that populate its walls, Gorgon 1 is one of the deeper dive sites within the Aqaba Marine Reserve. The reef wall descends to around 30 metres and is draped in large gorgonian fans, black coral trees and encrusting sponges. The site attracts occasional reef sharks — white-tips are seen here more reliably than most other Jordan sites. Currents are gentle compared to many Red Sea sites, but they do pick up in the channel; plan dives around the tidal cycle for best conditions. Advanced Open Water recommended. Best season: October to May for clearest visibility.
4. The Tank, Aqaba
Jordan has deliberately sunk several military vehicles off Aqaba to create artificial reef structures, and the most celebrated is a Soviet-era tank sitting upright on sand at roughly 8 metres of water. The shallow depth makes it accessible to almost everyone, and it is a popular second or third dive on a three-tank day. The tank has been colonised by anemones and is surrounded by a sandy area where flatfish, rays and small juveniles congregate. Lionfish are reliably present near the barrel of the main gun. Open Water certification; excellent as a post-wreck-diving shallow dive. Best season: year-round.
5. Plane Wreck, Aqaba
A Lockheed L-1011 TriStar fuselage section was sunk off Aqaba specifically for divers — an unusual and photogenic dive site. The aircraft section lies on sandy bottom at around 28 metres, its fuselage intact enough to swim through with appropriate care. The interior has become a nursery for various juvenile reef fish, and the outer hull supports anemones and soft corals. This is a more recent artificial reef than the Cedar Pride, so the coral colonisation is less advanced, but the dive itself is compelling for the visual drama. Advanced certification recommended for depth and penetration. Best season: year-round.
6. Rainbow Reef, Aqaba Marine Reserve
Rainbow Reef runs along the southern edge of the Aqaba Marine Reserve, where a mixed rocky and coral terrain creates an abundance of micro-habitats. The site is named for the density of chromatic reef fish that make the wall look improbably colourful in good visibility. Sea turtles visit the reef regularly — hawksbill turtles are the most common species in Jordanian waters. The reef starts at around 5 metres and the wall extends to 25–30 metres. Currents are generally mild. Open Water certification. Best season: April to October for sea turtle sightings.
7. First Bay (Al-Ghandour Bay), Aqaba
The First Bay site, closer to central Aqaba than most of the marine reserve sites, offers accessible shore diving on a reef that descends gradually from a sandy beach to a rubble slope at around 12–18 metres. The site is one of the best for muck-diving type species — ghost pipefish, frogfish and seahorses have all been recorded here. Lionfish are present in numbers. The shallow, accessible nature of the site makes it ideal as a morning dive before an afternoon boat trip to the marine reserve sites. Open Water certification. Best season: year-round.
8. The Power Station, Aqaba
The reef in front of Aqaba's power station might not sound inspiring, but the warm water outflow creates conditions that support an unusually high density of species, particularly invertebrates. Nudibranchs in extraordinary variety inhabit this reef, along with flatworms, mantis shrimps and colonies of garden eels on the sandy patches. The depth runs to about 20 metres. Visibility can be slightly lower here than at the marine reserve sites due to the particulate-rich warm outflow. Open Water certification. Best season: year-round; winter months when the temperature differential between the outflow and ambient sea is greatest produce the densest aggregations.
9. Seven Sisters, Aqaba Marine Reserve
Seven Sisters is a series of coral bommies rising from the sandy floor of the southern marine reserve area, each pillar covered in soft corals and colonised by a distinct community of fish. Divers swim between the structures in a loop, typically at 12–22 metres, watching the changing character of each bommie. Large Napoleon wrasse are occasional visitors. The site is best done as a drift dive in mild current, letting the water carry you through the series. Open Water certification; familiarity with drift technique helpful. Best season: October to May.
10. Saudi Border Wall, Southern Aqaba
The reef wall running toward the Saudi Arabian maritime border in the far south of Jordanian waters is remote by Aqaba standards — only accessed by private charter — and for that reason it sees far fewer divers than sites in the central marine reserve. The wall drops sharply to beyond 40 metres and hosts some of the most pristine coral in Jordanian waters. Large predators — dog-tooth tuna, giant trevally and occasional hammerheads — move through the blue water off the wall face. Advanced certification required. Best season: November to March for large pelagics.
Planning Your Dive Trip to Jordan
Aqaba is Jordan's sole diving base, reached by flights from Amman's Queen Alia International Airport or overland from Petra and Wadi Rum. The diving area is compact and all sites are day-trip accessible; most divers book two to three boat dives daily from operators along the marina. Water temperature stays comfortable year-round — never below 20°C — which means a 3 mm wetsuit suffices in summer and a 5 mm in winter. Nitrox is widely available. Combining a Jordanian diving itinerary with Petra and the desert makes for one of the most geographically concentrated adventure holidays in the region. Open the map to find the dive centres and plan your sites.