The Strait of Tiran is a narrow channel between the southern tip of the Sinai and Tiran Island. Four named reef heads sit in the channel, each marked by a small lighthouse: Jackson at the north, then Woodhouse, then Thomas, then Gordon at the south. A Tiran day visits two or three of them, hopping between mooring buoys.
The four reefs at a glance
- Jackson Reef: the northernmost and biggest. Walls drop into deep blue, hammerhead sharks possible in summer at depth. Schooling jacks and tuna common.
- Woodhouse Reef: a long narrow reef wall, often used as a drift snorkel. Best on a current day.
- Thomas Reef: round and dramatic, deep walls all around. Sweetlips, lionfish, and big morays.
- Gordon Reef: a wreck called the Loullia is grounded on its north side since 1981. Calmer and shallower than the others, the most family-friendly stop.
Tiran Island Snorkeling
Four legendary reefs, Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon, packed with marine life.
From $38Why Tiran is calmer than Ras Mohamed
Ras Mohamed sits where two gulfs collide and that creates current. Tiran is sheltered between the Sinai and Saudi coasts, so the channel water is calmer most of the year. The reefs are still spectacular but the snorkeling effort is lower. This makes Tiran the better choice for first-time snorkelers, kids, and nervous swimmers. Bring a long-sleeve rashguard either way, the sun in the strait is intense.
What a typical Tiran day looks like
- 08:30, Hotel pickup, around 30 minutes to Sharm marina
- 09:30, Boat departure, 45 minutes to the strait
- 10:30 to 14:00, Three snorkel stops across two or three of the named reefs, with lunch served between the second and third stop
- 14:30, Return crossing
- 16:00, Back at the hotel
Tiran is the perfect 'lighter day' in a Sharm trip. Pair it with Ras Mohamed on a different day and you've covered the two reef systems that define snorkeling in the South Sinai.
