Snorkelling Tours Around Farun Island in Taba
In keeping with the majority of other beach destinations in Egypt, snorkelling outings are out there for visitors to Taba and Taba Heights. The place is Pharoah’s Island and it is sometimes called Farun Island. It is situated just off the Sinai coast close to 40 minutes cruising time from Taba Heights marina. On the island, the most dominant landmark is the old fort built in the time of the Crusades by the Saracens.
The snorkelling visit is run on a wonderful vessel with masts and plenty of deck space which enables you to relax in the sunshine. The setting in the northern area of the Gulf of Aqaba is excellent between the mountain range of the Sinai on one side and breathtaking views across to Jordan on the other. However, the outstanding sights are seen in the crystal clear, warm waters.
Before you don your mask and enter the sea, the guide will brief you on a number of things in regards to the snorkelling zone. Dive boats also head over to Pharoah’s Island and so though it is easy to just look down and watch the variety of sea life, you need to be aware of other boats, divers and where you are.
When the formalities are completed, your snorkelling gang goes into the ocean and you are an observer on a magnificent underwater world filled with life and colour. Many of us believe that diving is the perfect way to observe the wonderful marine life of the coral reefs but snorkelling has one particular big advantage. Regular scuba equipment is what is known as open circuit. In Layman’s terms, this means that whenever you breathe out using scuba equipment, you to discharge flow of bubbles into the water. This does annoy the little fish and so it’s more difficult to get close to them. However, there are no bubbles when snorkelling and you can float along in your own quiet world and you’ll be amazed at just how close you are able to the tiny fish without frightening them away.
The variety of fish and things to check out while snorkelling at Pharoah’s Island is quite simply mind-blowing. In a perfect world you should aim to get nearer to the coral formations as many of the creatures keep close to it but don’t forget never to touch because there are many things such as Fire Coral and Lion Fish that can give you a horrible sting. It is quite likely you will see the little Clown Fish which we all love. If you are especially lucky, you may also see a Frog Fish which can be found in this part of Egypt. Visits to Pharoah’s Island are common and run on a daily basis.
Taba and Taba Heights is one of the quieter destinations in Egypt but it is a wonderful place for snorkellers to visit.. Free reprint available from: Snorkelling Tours Around Farun Island in Taba.
