Text Author: Luigi Tanzillo
Photo credit: Roberto Sozzani
The coasts of Sudan, the largest country on the African continent, overlook one of the most beautiful stretches of sea on the planet. In this part of the African continent, the Red Sea is at its best, offering spectacular seabeds and unparalleled marine life, which left an indelible impression on the great French oceanographer J. Cousteau, who described it as the sea with "the highest concentration of life in the world."
Diving on Sudan's rarely visited reefs is among the best in the world for observing large pelagic fish, not to mention the abundant marine life that roams among the colorful, still-untouched coral gardens and historic wrecks dating back to World War II.
- sharks They are a constant presence on every dive. Divers, gazing into the blue, overlooking vertical walls that rise from the depths to the surface, will see schools of hammerhead sharks, grey and white fin.
Photo - Roberto Sozzani
Port of Sudan It is the starting point for all diving safaris. In a country that has not yet experienced mass tourism development, like neighboring Egypt, diving cruises are the best way to explore the coral atolls and wrecks located off the coast.
The classic one-week itinerary starting from Port Sudan allows you to visit the coral atolls and most famous wrecks of Sudan, which have rightfully become part of the history of diving.
Leaving the port, after only 20 minutes of navigation you come across Wingate Reef where lies the wreck of the Umbria, an Italian ship intentionally sunk on 10 June 1940 by its captain to prevent its cargo of weapons and equipment from falling into the hands of the British navy.
The 150-meter-long wreck lies at a maximum depth of 40 meters, lying on its port side with its cargo of war material and a Fiat 1100 still intact.
During the dive, the diver will be able to walk along the corridors and holds, observing the numerous tropical species that live among the Umbrian metal sheets, such as angelfish, glass fish and many others.
Photo - Roberto Sozzani
Un high lighthouse located on a coral tower, it marks the point where the Sanganeb reefWhile diving, it's easy to spot schools of resident barracudas, tuna, and gray sharks, while all around you can admire walls covered with soft corals, gorgonians, and corals of every color.
At the northern and southern tips of the reef, at a depth of about 30 meters, schools of migrating hammerhead sharks will offer an unparalleled spectacle.
Photo - Roberto Sozzani
Sailing north you reach Sha'ab Rumi reef, one of the most fascinating places in the Red Sea, chosen by Cousteau in 1963 as the site of his scientific project, called "Precontinent II", aimed at studying man's adaptation to long periods underwater.
For this purpose, two dwellings were built at different depths to house the aquanauts, maintaining them at the same external pressure using a helium mixture.
Today, it is possible to dive among the ruins and stay inside Cousteau's marine dwellings, observing the incredible spectacle offered by the surrounding marine life, which the former inhabitants witnessed for a full twenty-eight consecutive days.
Sha' ab Rumi is also a paradise for shark enthusiasts: especially at the southern tip of the reef, you can spot and get up close to schools of hammerhead sharks, grey sharks, oceanic whitetips, and even tiger sharks.
Photo - Roberto Sozzani
Having more time available you can drop anchor at other important diving spots such as Shaab Suedi, located 18 miles north of Sha'ab Rumi, where the wreck of the "Blue bell"wrecked in 1977 with its entire cargo of Toyota vehicles after hitting the reef.
Cars and jeeps covered in soft corals are a common home to abundant marine life of various sizes, such as glassfish, moray eels, groupers, grey sharks, and hammerhead sharks.
Photo - Roberto Sozzani
The meaning of the name in Arabic, “mother of sharks”, of the site of Angarosh gives a good idea of what the diver can expect when diving along the steep walls of this coral atoll.
Large size is the watchword for encounters on the seabed of Angarosh, frequented by pelagic fish such as tuna, jacks and an abundance of various types of grey sharks, oceanic whitetip sharks, hammerhead sharks and even tiger sharks.
For those who love strong emotions, Sudan is a must-see: an adventurous journey like no other.
Tour Operator: BanzigoViaggi
info@banzigoviaggi.it www.banzigoviaggi.it
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