Tourists relaxing on the deck of a yacht in the Red Sea off Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

The Red Sea is a fairly narrow sea compared to other seas or oceans, being bounded by Asia on one side and Africa on the other side and being a channel that goes through them. In addition, the parts near the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh are even narrower, and there are a number of coral formations near Sharm, with these coral formations attracting a large number of tourists. The Red Sea can be very deep in parts, with an average depth of 490m, but is also famous for some shallow regions that have coral formations. These coral formations provide a magnet for tourism in the region, since the shallower coral formations let tourists enjoy snorkeling while the slightly deeper coral formations and reefs providing an extensive location to enjoy scuba diving. Tourists are taken to the site of these coral formations in the Ras Mohammed park (declared protected locations to prevent shipping and to prevent the creation of resorts nearby) through the use of yachts or small ships such as can be seen in this photo. The temperate weather also ensures that getting into the water is not a problem throughout the year.

Sharm El Sheikh (New Millennium Collection: North Africa)	View Larger Map