Saudi Arabia

Diving in Farasan Banks (Red Sea)

7 sites87 species22–33 °C10–40 m vis

Photo: NEOM / Unsplash

The Farasan Banks are the last frontier of Red Sea diving — 350 miles of untouched reef stretching along Saudi Arabia's remote southern coast. This UNESCO Biosphere Reserve boasts 30% live coral cover, 79 hard coral species, and pelagic encounters rarely matched anywhere else: scalloped hammerhead schools of 80+, whale shark nurseries (100+ juveniles seasonally), oceanic whitetips, dugongs, and mantas. With typically just 1–3 liveaboard vessels operating in the entire area, most sites see fewer divers in a year than Egypt's busiest reefs see in a morning. The cost is remoteness — no hyperbaric chamber within 5 hours, expedition-style diving, and a season that demands planning. For experienced divers seeking what the Red Sea looked like 40 years ago, there is nowhere else like it.

Farasan Banks has the highest live coral cover (~30%) of any surveyed area in the Saudi Red Sea.The archipelago hosts 79 hard coral species and 230+ fish species — including some found nowhere else in the Red Sea.More than 100 juvenile whale sharks aggregate at Shib Habil reef every spring — one of the only confirmed nursery habitats in the Indian Ocean basin.The Farasan Islands are ancient coral platforms uplifted during Pleistocene sea-level changes, not volcanic peaks like most Red Sea islands.Saudi Arabia's first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve (designated 2021) and an IUCN Green List site, encompassing 5,408 km² of protected area.Scalloped hammerhead sharks form schools of 20–80+ individuals at sites like Dohra and Sha'ab Ammar during the winter months.The Farasan Islands were historically a pearl fishing center — the pearl merchants' 19th-century estates still stand on the main island.There is no hyperbaric chamber anywhere in the Farasan Banks or Jazan region — the nearest is in Jeddah, 5–8 hours away.

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Conditions

Water temp

22–33 °C

Visibility

10–40 m

Depth

15–50 m

Current

Moderate

Best season

November to May (peak: December–March for whale sharks and best visibility)

Month	Summary
Jan	Peak winter diving with cool 25°C water and excellent 30m visibility. Hammerhead schools at their most reliable and whale sharks begin arriving at Shib Habil.
Feb	The visibility sweet spot at 32m with cool upwelling clearing the water. Both hammerheads and whale sharks overlap, making February arguably the best month of the year.
Mar	Water warming to 26°C with whale shark numbers peaking at Shib Habil. Visibility pulls back slightly to 27m but the marine life spectacle more than compensates.
Apr	Comfortable 27°C water and the tail end of whale shark season. Mantas become more frequent and hammerheads still patrol the southern atolls.
May	Final month of the peak season with 28°C water and 20m visibility. Pelagics begin to thin out but the reefs remain vibrant and liveaboard availability improves.
Jun	Summer arrives — water hits 30°C and visibility drops to 15m as plankton blooms increase. Most liveaboards suspend operations. Not recommended for diving.
Jul	Peak summer heat — water 31°C, air 42°C+, visibility at its annual minimum of 12m. Jellyfish present. The Banks are effectively closed for diving.
Aug	Conditions identical to July — extreme heat, poor visibility, and no diving operations. The Red Sea takes its summer rest.
Sep	The long summer continues with 30°C water and 12m visibility. By late September the first liveaboards begin repositioning for the October season opening.
Oct	Season reopens! Water cooling to 29°C with visibility improving to 22m. Mantas return in numbers and the first hammerhead sightings of the season begin.
Nov	Excellent transitional month — water 28°C, visibility rising to 25m. Hammerhead schools building, mantas active, and still very few boats in the water.
Dec	Peak conditions return — water 26°C, visibility 30m. Whale sharks arrive and hammerhead schools reach full strength. The holiday season brings slightly more traffic but still nowhere near Egyptian Red Sea levels.

Dive Sites (7)

Abu Galawa Soraya

5–25m · Beginner

Coral garden · Snorkeling · Turtles

Coral Maze

8–25m · Beginner

Coral passages · Macro life · Nudibranchs

Qumais Islands

15–40m · Advanced

Remote islands · Pristine reefs · Extended expedition

Ras Qummah

5–20m · Beginner

Training site · Shallow reef · Protected bay

The Blue Hole (Farasan)

3–40m · Advanced

Blue hole · Deep sinkhole · Pelagic encounters

The Caves of Farasan

10–35m · Advanced

Cavern dive · Light beams · Resident sharks

The Drop-off

10–50m · Advanced

Vertical wall · Deep drop · Pelagic sharks

Marine Life (87)

must-see

Diagonal Butterflyfish

must-see

Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin

must-see

Green Sea Turtle

must-see

Hawksbill Turtle

must-see

Spotted Eagle Ray

Arabian Angelfish

Great Barracuda

Kawakawa

bigeye trevally

coral grouper

Red Sea surgeonfish

Day Octopus

+75more species in the app

Dive shops

No dive shops are listed for this destination yet.

Guides

Best Farasan Banks Dive Sites: Hammerheads to Whales

From hammerhead-packed atolls to whale shark nurseries. Ranked guide to the best dive sites in Saudi Arabia's remote Farasan Banks.

12 min read

Diving the Farasan Banks: Saudi Arabia's Reef Guide

42 dive sites, 79 coral species, whale sharks every spring, and almost zero crowds. Everything you need to plan a Farasan Banks scuba diving expedition.

12 min read