Diving in Sudan

Sha'ab Rumi and Cousteau's Conshelf II, Sanganeb atoll, hammerheads, the Umbria wreck

Sudan — Sha’ab Rumi and Cousteau’s Conshelf II, Sanganeb atoll, hammerheads at Angarosh, the Umbria wreck. Liveaboard schedules and prices.

Why divers come here

Sha'ab Rumi — the remains of Cousteau's Conshelf II underwater village (1963)
Sanganeb — the Red Sea's only true atoll, a UNESCO site with a British lighthouse from 1906
Angarosh and Abington — schooling hammerheads on exposed offshore reefs
The Umbria — a 1940 wreck loaded with bombs, cement and Fiat cars
Almost untouched reefs — barely visited by boats for decades
Empty water — a whole week can pass without another vessel in sight

Scalloped hammerhead sharks (Angarosh, Abington, Sanganeb plateau)

Grey reef sharks

Oceanic whitetip sharks

Schooling barracuda and jacks

Bottlenose dolphins

Green and hawksbill turtles

Manta rays (seasonal)

Pristine hard and soft corals

Photos: credits and licences

Best season: March–June and September–November (calm seas, best visibility)
hammerhead action peaks in the cooler months
Water temperature: 25–31 °C
Visibility: 20–40 m
Wetsuit: 3 mm in summer, 5 mm in winter (go warmer for four to five dives a day)
Experience level: Advanced (strong currents, remote location, deep dives
50+ logged dives and nitrox recommended)
Getting there: Connecting flights (usually via the Middle East) to Port Sudan (PZU), or to Khartoum (KRT) with a domestic hop to the coast.
Routes and carriers change often — confirm the current options well in advance.
Airports: Port Sudan (PZU), Khartoum (KRT)
Visa: A visa is required for most nationalities and must be arranged in advance through a Sudanese embassy or consulate — there is no visa on arrival.
A passport valid for at least six months is needed.
The country is unstable, so always check the current situation and your government's travel advice before booking.
Climate: Tropical desert, 30–42°C in summer, 25–32°C in winter, almost no rainfall
Currency: Sudanese pound (SDG), onboard payments usually in USD or EUR
Language: Arabic, English in the dive industry
Time zone: UTC+2