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Always dive according to your level of training.
Check with your dive center for safety and level required for each dive site.
The Brothers Island (A1
Akhawein Islands)
dive sites of the Red Sea Egypt
a gooddive
tip!
The Brothers Islands are not only one of the outstanding dive sites of the Red Sea, they count among
the 10 best dive spots worldwide as well.
The Egyptian Government recognized the ecological importance of the islands and declared it as a
Marine Protectorate in 1983.
The Brothers, two rocky islands rising up from the depth are located about 70km offshore from
El Quseir, in the South-East of Hurghada. The islands are only about 1km away from each other
and their sheer drop offs provide stunning wall diving. An abundance of colourful soft corals and
gorgonian fans and the rich diversity of marine life and large pelagics make the dives at Brothers
Islands an unforgettable experience.
To dive the Brothers Islands you have to join a liveaboard. The boats depart from Hurghada, Ras
Galeb or Marsa Alam. The cruises mostly last one week during which you will spend between 3 to 4
days at the Brothers (depending on weather conditions).
As the islands are swapped by strong and often shifting currents, an SMB is needed on all dives.
Further it’s important to make a current check before deciding the direction to dive.
Because of the depth and the currents, the diving on Brothers Islands is only recommended for
experienced divers! Even the Egyptian port authorities ask for a minimum of 50 logged dives to
embark.
Exploration of the dive sites and wrecks beyond the 40m limit for recreational dives is left to
experienced technical divers only. They should be aware and plan their dives well with special
attention being given to decompression stops, which should be done in the shelter of the reef and
not in free water.
Water:20 to 29 degrees Celsius (68 - 84°F)
Air: 15 to 40 degrees Celsius (59 - 104°F)
Diving season: all year around
Best time to dive: end of Spring and Autumn
As the Brothers Islands are located in the middle of the Red Sea, they are exposed to wind and
waves. For this reason the trips during the winter months (mid of November until end of March)
might be restricted by the weather.
The Little Brother has a nearly round shape, it’s about 100m in diameter. Its walls, packed with soft
and hard corals and gorgonias show a vibrant marine life and are famous for their shark population.
Don’t miss the plateau in the North-West of the island. Top dive sites in the Red Sea, a gooddive tip!
The plateau in about 40m depth is exposed to the main current and for this it’s the best site to watch
sharks and other big fish like mantas, shoals of tuna, snappers and jacks. Besides, grey reef sharks,
hammerheads, silky sharks, silvertips, oceanic white tips (carcharhinus longimanus) and even the
rare tresher sharks can be spotted here.
Another dive spot is the north eastern wall, it drops vertically and shows a multitude of clefts and
giant gorgonian fans. Here you find lots of groupers, moray eels, napoleons, barracudas, grey reef
sharks and other predators in the blue water. The main reason for this outstanding marine life are
the permanent currents, which bring substantial nutrients to the sites.
The Big Brother, located in the North of its small brother is about 400m long and 60m wide. The
lighthouse on its west side is an important navigational aid for cargo ships and ferries in the Red
Sea.
Direct at the mooring places in the South you descend to a terraced plateau at a 35-55m depth.
Top dive sites in the Red Sea, a gooddive tip!
The pristine site offers an excellent dive where you might see hammerheads, oceanic white tips,
schools of jack fish, big groupers and with luck encounter the shy tresher sharks.
Wreck divers have the opportunity to visit the two famous wrecks of the Big Brother, in the North-
West the Aida II, an Egyptian supply vessel and at the northern tip the Numidia, a cargo ship. Both
wrecks are overgrown with a fantastic wealth of soft and hard corals.
Read more about Aida II and Numidia. More about the Brothers Island:
Visit the page of
Liveaboards in the Red Sea
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