Aqaba, Jordan

Diving is becoming big business in Jordan, with centres springing up along the Aqaba coast. But what's it like underwater? Charlotte Boan finds out. Photographs by Paul Kay

Photo: Paul Kay Photo: Paul Kay Photo: Paul Kay Photo: Paul Kay

WHAT'S NEW
A huge development of diving centres along the coastline of Aqaba has greatly improved the facilities offered to divers visiting Jordan. The best dives are only a giant stride from these centres and include a newly discovered wreck, which offers a playground for the more adventurous wreck diver. The Taiyong lies near the Japanese Garden reef at a depth of 35–57m. Little is known about the 30m-long barge, but initial investigation of coral growth suggests it sank around 30 years ago.

HOW'S THE DIVING?
Although Jordan’s Red Sea coastline is a mere 25km in length, the diving is surprisingly varied. Care has been taken to preserve Aqaba’s reefs and the diving here benefits from the backing of the country’s royal family. King Abdullah is a serious scuba diver and has influenced the sinking of many objects to create artificial reefs for underwater exploration. The most remarkable of these was the Cedar Pride, sunk in 1986 to provide one of the best wreck dives in this part of the region. This 80m-long tanker lies on its port side at 30m and is covered in a colourful blanket of soft corals. The lack of current along the shore makes the Cedar Pride a perfect dive for beginner wreck divers and photographers. Life around the wreck includes a wealth of emperorfish, wrasse, triggerfish, trumpetfish, boxfish, snappers and grouper. The deck, superstructure and cargo areas are among the most interesting aspects of the ship. However, the chosen spot for many photographers is at the stern, which rises from the sea floor complete with propeller.

Jordan’s reefs vary greatly in structure. Slopes, walls, flats and drop-offs are all easily accessible from the stretch of beach that runs from Aqaba to the border of Saudi Arabia.
A short walk from the Royal Diving Centre in Aqaba takes you to the Aquarium, a house reef that is in exceptionally good condition. It gently slopes down to 30m, with an average depth of 20m. Patches of coral across the sea floor offer shelter to a high concentration of life, including a number of frogfish.

At the Power Station dive site (named after the nearby domed power station) the reef falls to 12m before a sheer wall drops to 200m. While finning along this coral-encrusted wall, divers will often encounter hunting pelagics such as barracuda and large jacks.

At the Saudi Border site, the topography changes to reef flats. This area marks the end of the line of dive sites stretching from the town of Aqaba. It offers a mixture of soft and hard corals which makes it one of the best dives in Jordan.

TOPSIDE ATTRACTIONS
Captivating topside scenery combined with the underwater sites makes Jordan a popular choice for those wanting more than diving from their holiday. No visit would be complete without a trip to the ancient city of Petra, which was carved from rock around 3,000 years ago. Other places worth a visit include the Wadi Rum desert, the Dead Sea, and Roman city remains at Jerash. Petra and Wadi Rum can be done as day trips from Aqaba, but warrant at least a two-day stint.

Jordanians are among the friendliest people in the world. Despite sharing borders with troubled areas of Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Israel, the country continues to enjoy a trouble-free existence. Jordanians articulate this perfectly by describing their country as: ‘The quiet house in a noisy neighbourhood.’

AND THE VERDICT

Jordan is a great destination for new divers and underwater photographers, but not necessarily for those looking for the more demanding underwater adventures that a trip to the Egyptian Red Sea can offer. However, if it’s excellent topside attractions combined with good diving that you want from your holiday, Jordan is an ideal choice.

How do I find out more?

Aquatours offers direct charter flights to Aqaba weekly, flying out from Gatwick. Flights, transfers and seven nights’ bed-and-breakfast packages start from £429. Five-day diving packages start from £110. Excursions to Petra, Wadi Rum, Jerash and the Dead Sea can be arranged at an extra cost. For more information phone 020 8398 0505, email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or see the website www.divejordan.com.