Diving in Aqaba: Best Dive Sites, Wrecks and Snorkeling

Aqaba is Jordan’s only coastal city and its window onto the Red Sea. Its reefs are now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Just south of town, coral reefs start a few steps from the beach, the water is calm and clear for most of the year, and some of the best wreck dives in the region sit in water shallow enough for beginners. Whether you’ve never breathed underwater or you’re logging your hundredth dive, here’s where to go, what you’ll see and how to plan diving and snorkeling in Aqaba.

Planning a trip? Start with our complete Jordan travel guide and our Aqaba guide.

Why dive in Aqaba?

• Reefs from the shore: most sites lie along the south coast and can be reached by walking in from the beach, so you don’t need a boat.
• Calm water: the sea and currents in the Gulf of Aqaba are usually gentle, which suits first-timers and photographers.
• Wrecks for every level: a tank at about 6 m, an aircraft at about 16–18 m and a large freighter down to about 28 m.
• World Heritage reefs: the reefs south of the city are protected as the Aqaba Marine Reserve, which in July 2026 became a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Jordan’s first listed for its natural value.
• Warm and clear: visibility is often more than 20 m, and the water stays warm enough to dive all year.

The best dive sites

The Tank (about 6 m)

An M42 “Duster” anti-aircraft vehicle placed on the sand in 1999 as an artificial reef, about 20 m from shore. It’s shallow, easy to find and covered in life, which makes it a favorite for first dives, training, snorkeling and underwater photos. Many dives end here as a safety stop.

The C-130 Hercules (about 16–18 m)

A Hercules transport aircraft sunk as an artificial reef in November 2017. With its doors removed it offers easy swim-throughs, and the tip of its tail rises close to the surface, so snorkelers can see it from above. It’s one of the most photographed dives in Aqaba.

Cedar Pride (about 10–28 m)

Aqaba’s signature wreck: a 74 m Lebanese freighter sunk in 1985 as an artificial reef, at the request of then-Prince Abdullah (now King Abdullah II). It lies on its port side, so the upper side sits at about 10 m and the seabed at about 28 m. Soft corals cover the hull, and moray eels live inside. Beginners can see the upper parts; certified divers get the most from it.

Reef sites: Japanese Garden, Seven Sisters and more

Between the wrecks are colorful coral gardens. The Japanese Garden is known for the variety of its hard and soft corals, and Seven Sisters is a set of coral pinnacles close to the Tank, with small reef fish and good visibility in shallow water. Hawksbill turtles are often seen on Aqaba’s reefs.

For technical divers

The Taiyong, a crane barge scuttled in 1999 near the Japanese Garden, lies at about 35–57 m and is a dive for advanced and technical divers only.

Your first dive: how a try dive works

You don’t need a certificate for a first dive. Dive centers in Aqaba run introductory “try dives” with an instructor at your side the whole time. A typical one goes like this:

1. Check-in and fitting: you meet the team on the south coast, fill in a short medical form and get fitted with a wetsuit, mask and fins.
2. Briefing and practice: about 30–45 minutes learning how to breathe from the regulator, clear your mask and use hand signals, first in very shallow water.
3. The dive: about 35–45 minutes underwater, staying shallow. Beginner dives are usually limited to about 9 m, often at the Tank and the nearby reefs.

Allow about two hours in total. If you enjoy it, you can continue to a full beginner course such as PADI Open Water, which usually takes several days.

Health check: you’ll be asked about heart, lung and ear conditions and any medication. Don’t fly for at least 18–24 hours after diving, so plan your dive day early in your Aqaba stay.

Snorkeling in Aqaba

If you’d rather stay on the surface, Aqaba is just as good for snorkeling. From the piers and beaches of the south coast you can float straight over the reef, see the Tank and the tail of the Hercules from above, and watch parrotfish, butterflyfish and clouds of anthias. Glass-bottom boats also run trips along the coast for non-swimmers and families.

When to go: water temperature and conditions

You can dive in Aqaba all year. The sea is coolest in February and March, at about 22 °C (72 °F), and warmest in August, at about 28 °C (82 °F). Spring (April to June) and fall (September to November) are the most popular seasons, with warm water and comfortable air temperatures. In summer the water is at its warmest, but the air can be very hot by midday, so dive in the morning. In winter, a thicker wetsuit makes a big difference. For the rest of the country, see our best time to visit Jordan guide.

Tips and reef etiquette

• Don’t touch or stand on coral. It’s alive, grows slowly and breaks easily.
• Use reef-safe sunscreen, or better, a rash guard and hat.
• Wear water shoes for shore entries; some beaches are pebbly.
• Don’t feed fish or collect shells and coral.
• Book a day ahead so your dive center can match the site to your level.
• Ask for photos: many dive teams can film your dive, which is worth it on a first dive.

Fitting diving into a Jordan trip

Aqaba is about an hour from Wadi Rum and about two hours from Petra, so it fits naturally at the end of a southern loop: Petra, then a night in the desert, then one or two days by the sea. Remember the no-flying rule after diving if you’re flying home from Aqaba. For a ready-made route, see our Jordan itineraries, and for peace of mind, read Is Jordan safe to visit?

Dive with a local

Two Simsem hosts in Aqaba run diving trips. Aqaba Leaders Dive Center runs beginner dives from South Beach at the Tank and Seven Sisters, and films your dive. Saif Hamdan, a local diving instructor, combines a dive or snorkel with an evening of home cooking, crafts and simsimiyya music at a local women’s house.

Find a local guide: meet our local guides in Jordan.

Diving in Aqaba FAQ