Located in the southern area of Sharm El Sheikh’s local dive sites, Temple offers an easy yet endlessly fascinating dive. Its unique underwater landscape invites divers to explore with curiosity and can keep you captivated for the entire dive.
True to its name, the site consists of several massive coral formations that rise from the seabed to just a few metres below the surface. The main coral block is encircled by smaller pinnacles, giving the site the appearance of an ancient submerged temple crafted by nature itself.
Temple is typically dived as a mooring dive, which means good navigation is essential. The key is to orient yourself correctly, make your way around the primary structures without drifting too far, and ensure you return to your boat — a task that sounds simpler than it can be in this maze-like terrain.
20 M
Suitable for all levels
Your dive at Temple Bay begins with a gentle descent into a shallow, calm area ranging from 10–18 metres. As you glide over the sandy bottom, you’ll soon encounter the towering coral pinnacles that early divers believed resembled an underwater temple, giving the site its name.
Start the dive at the front of the pinnacles and follow the left-hand side, where a territorial clownfish often guards its anemone. Continue along the sandy pathway toward a deeper pinnacle rising from 18 metres to a top of 12 metres. Mild currents usually sweep the left side of this structure, bringing life to its upper section, which is covered in soft corals and frequented by pipefish and shimmering clouds of glassfish.
As you circle the pinnacle to the right, a much larger formation appears ahead. At 18 metres, it offers an enjoyable swim-through that ascends vertically and exits at 14 metres. From here, head toward the main pinnacle and keep an eye out for an ancient amphora—carried here long ago from the distant Amphoras dive site.
The main pinnacle is split down the center by a natural crack created during the 1995 Sharm El Sheikh earthquake, forming yet another exciting swim-through for divers to explore.
