Parts of the coral reef in the Ras Muhammed marine park in the Red Sea in Egypt

Colorful fish just next to a coral reef in the Red Sea in the Ras Muhammad water park in Egypt

Some very colorful fish right next to a section of coral reef. The photo seems a bit out of focus, since it was taken underwater using a camera similar to this one (my camera is now old, but this is a modern camera) Kodak EasyShare Sport C123 12 MP Waterproof Camera. What seems interesting in this photo is that all the fish seem to be swimming heading downwards. Also, in the photo, it seems clear that the coral reef seems very colorful, but the water depth of this section of the Red Sea was atleast 15-20 feet, not a lot, but it seems a lot when your feet are not able to touch the bottom.

Guide, in a body suit, right next to some coral reefs, in the Ras Muhammad marine park in Egypt

The feet of the guide, wearing a black suit and wearing some bright blue flippers. In the background are coral reefs, of different shapes, and sometimes with different colors (although in this photo, the colors are not so clear as they were in reality). He was standing near the edge of the coral reef, which seemed like a vertical wall in the background of the photo. The flippers seem hard, but in the photo, you can see them curving and flexing as the guide moves his legs. The water depth at this point seems much more than 10 feet.

Yellow colored fish nibbling at the coral in the Ras Muhammad marine park in the Red Sea in Egypt

3 yellow colored fish seemingly nibbling at the sides of the coral reef. This is another view of the side section of the reef, and hence it seems more like a vertical column rather than the top surface of the reef. In this photo, the colors of the reef seem more clear, and yet, in a roof, the fish and other marine animals nearby tend to be much more highly colorful. It was incredible to be snorkeling so close to this activity, and having the opportunity to see one of the beauties of nature.

Twisted flipper in front of a section of coral reef in the Ras Muhammed marine park in the Red Sea in Egypt

The flipper worn during snorkeling and scuba diving seems very hard, but as the photo shows, it is very flexible. In the photo, the bright yellow flipper almost seems bent over itself. Also, in the photo, you can see a very good section of the coral reef and the different shapes of the structures of the roof, along with a small fish.

The beautiful coral reefs at the Ras Muhammad protected marine park near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Lady tourist doing snorkeling under water at the Ras Muhammad national park near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Photo of a lady doing snorkeling in the water of the Red Sea, in the Ras Muhammad marine park near the town of Sharm el Sheikh. This is located at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula, and with some excellent weather here, especially in the winter months. Tourists come here in large numbers, many of them on charter flights, for enjoying the place, the resorts, and the excellent water of the Red Sea. A short distance away from Sharm el Sheikh is the Ras Muhammad national park, a protected place, where a number of tourists come via ship or overland for enjoying snorkeling, such as this lady in the picture. The round white spot just below her is interesting, maybe some quirk of the light.

Snorkeling just next to a coral reef in the Ras Muhammad marine park near Sharm el Sheikh

There are a number of coral reefs in the water of the Red Sea, located at a short distance away from Sharm el Sheikh. A number of people come there for the purpose of snorkeling, reaching to within touching distance of these reefs. Tourists are not allowed to cause any damage to these reefs, not even to carrying away any sections of reefs which have broken away. In our case, one tourist was trying to pick up such a small section when the guide reached there and prevented him from doing so. In this photo, one can see the closeness of the reef to the water surface, with a very short gap.

Part of my leg right next to a coral reef while snorkeling close to Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea

This was a photo taken while snorkeling in the Ras Muhammad marine park, a protected national park, a short distance away from Sharm el Sheikh. Right next to the coral reef is my leg, with the knee slightly bent. The water depth here seems very shallow, but it was actually around 10 feet, so life vests are important for those who do not know swimming or are otherwise hesitant. However, some care needs to be taken around coral reefs, since sections of these can be very sharp and hurt the skin.

Group of tourists clutching a rubber tube and being directed by a guide in Sharm ek Sheikh in Egypt

A group of tourists who are doing snorkeling in the water of the Red Sea, in the Ras Muhammad marine park near the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh. They are clutching a rubber tube, using this for helping them stay afloat while having their faces under water for looking at the coral reef and the colorful fish that surround them.

Underwater coral reef in the Red Sea in the Ras Muhammad marine park

Some fish above a section of coral reef under water in the Red Sea near Sharm el Sheikh

A coral reef attracts a large number of fish, and a number of these fish can be very colorful. Doing snorkeling or scuba diving near a coral reef is something that a large number of people want to do, just for the sheer pleasure. This photo was taken when we were doing snorkeling in the Ras Muhammad protected national park, near the town of Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea. I was using a waterproof camera (here is such a camera - Olympus TG-320 Water Proof camera) to capture some images of the reef along with the fish. This was not the best example of colorful fish, but it was still a fascinating sight.

Coral reefs of different shapes and colors below the water surface, part of the Ras Muhammad marine park

Coral reefs can be fascinating. If you step on one in your bare feet, it can sting, but the appearance of a coral reef (or rather the multiple reefs that they seem to be) shows a variety of incredible shapes and sizes. Look at this photo of a coral reef under the water surface, and you can see many different shapes and sizes under the water (ignore the blue tint in the color, all because of the underwater shooting). And there are a number of small fish all around the coral reefs, with the colors not being so apparent in the photo, but still looking great.

Different forms of coral reefs along with small colorful fish in the Ras Muhammad marine park in the Red Sea

Yet another photo that shows the different types of coral reef formations underwater. These look incredible, what with the different forms of the coral reef and the small fish everywhere. We saw many different varieties of fish in these reefs, but did not see any big varieties; I was hoping to see a turtle or some eel, or something like that, but I guess that we would have needed to go deeper for that.

Photography using a waterproof camera in the Ras Muhammad marine park in Egypt, near the Sinai

Guide in the Red Sea pointing out to some coral reefs at some depth inside the water

We had done some snorkeling in the Red Sea, in the Ras Muhammad protected national park, close to the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh. There were a number of coral reefs over there, and we took trips to multiple such coral reefs, at different points in the park. It was fun doing snorkeling, and there were a couple of guides who were helping us during this process. This was a photo where the guide had gone down a bit deeper, to show us a part of the coral that was deeper and I took the chance to take a photo where the guide was indicting towards a particular piece of coral.

Another view of the guide coming up from the shallow depths of water near a coral reef in the Red sea

The guide as coming up from the depths of the water in the Red Sea (these were not very deep areas, with the water level around 10-15 feet deep, deeper than a person can stand, but otherwise not very deep). The guide had gone down into the water to show us a specific piece of coral, and this was a photo taken when he was on the way up from the depth of the water, and this was using a waterproof camera (here is such a camera - Olympus TG-320 Water Proof camera).

Photo of a person doing snorkeling, taken from under the water surface using a water proof camera

I was doing snorkeling in the Red Sea, in the Ras Muhammad protected national park, near the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh. It was great fun, especially to see the coral reefs and the incredibly multi-colored fish that live nearby. It was great fun, especially since I was experimenting with a water proof camera that had been bought for the trip, (here is such a camera - Olympus TG-320 Water Proof camera) and the camera worked perfectly under water (it was rated upto a depth of 10m, and I did not do scuba diving, so there was no need to take the water below that depth).

Tourists doing snorkeling in the waters of the Red Sea near Sharm el Sheikh

Faces of people snorkeling in the Red Sea in the Ras Muhammad national park in Egypt

People snorkeling in the Red Sea, in the protected marine park called Ras Muhammad, close to the Egyptian town of Sharm el Sheikh. The town is famous for being a tourist location, where a number of tourists come there in the winter to enjoy the weather, and to indulge in water pursuits such as snorkeling and scuba diving. This photo is located close to the coral reefs, where a number of men, women and children have come to enjoy snorkeling. This photo was taken using a waterproof camera. This was the first time that such a water-proof camera was being used (here is such a camera - Olympus TG-320 Water Proof camera), and it was incredible to be able to take such photos at and under the water level. I took a number of such photos.

4 people gathered around a rubber tube and looking into the water surface while snorkeling

A wide open expanse of water with 4 people close together. From what I remember, this was the scene where there were these 3 tourists around a rubber tube, with a guide also with them. All of them are clutching a rubber tube to provide them the required floating support, and the guide is showing something in the water below, most likely some colorful fish (could be a coral reef though, located several feet below the water surface). The 4th person seems to be the guide, with the 3 tourists wearing life vests and the 4th person wearing a wet suit.

Flippers worn by the guide who was helping us do snorkeling in the Red Sea in the Ras Muhammad national park

We had a couple of guide for all the tourists who were doing snorkeling in the Red Sea. The guides were dressed a bit different from the tourists, wearing wet suits unlike the rest of us. Some tourists were wearing life vests, while others who were more confident of their swimming prowess were not wearing these life vests. I was doing some further testing of the water proof camera (here is such a camera - Olympus TG-320 Water Proof camera) and ducked a bit below water to take a photo below the surface of the water, and caught a photo of the guide wearing his flippers.

4 people clutching onto the rubber tube when doing snorkeling in the Red Sea

Another sight of people clutching onto the rubber tube in the Red Sea. This is in the Ras Muhammad protected national park, close to the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt, on the Sinai peninsula. They had some rubber tubes for the tourists (us) and these were used to full effect. For example, even though I knew how to swim, I was also clutching onto the tube since it provided a lot of moral support when in waters that were much deeper than us (the water would have been around 10-15 feet deep).

Tourists wearing snorkeling equipment around coral reefs in the Red Sea in Egypt

Clutching to rubber tubes while snorkeling in the Red Sea near Sharm el Sheikh

Tourists in the water of the Red Sea in the Ras Muhammed protected marine park, near the Egyptian town of Sharm el Sheikh. They are here for the snorkeling, with a number of coral reefs nearby (if you look closely, you can see a coral reef just next to these tourists, something that looks shining under the water). Most of this set of tourists are not wearing life vests, and if they do not know swimming, the rubber tube provides an excellent device to help them float. In the photo, you can see some of these tourists with their head under the water, trying to look at what was under the water surface while some of the others are either tired or taking a break and have their heads out of the water.

Man wearing the snorkeling equipment including the life vest, with the head out of the water

A man with his head out of the water. He is wearing the entire snorkeling equipment, with the goggles, air tubes, and the life vest (and that too, a bright colored life vest). This is winter, but the temperature of the water in the Red Sea near Sharm el Sheikh is incredible, and the water was very comfortable. This photo is almost like a poster for doing snorkeling, and was taken in the Ras Muhammad national park in the Sinai peninsula, of a tourist who had come here from Sharm el Sheikh to do snorkeling in the coral reefs in the region.

View of the backside of 2 people swimming face down in the Ras Muhammad national park in Egypt

2 people swimming in the Ras Muhammad protected national park near the town of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt, near the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula. This is the typical pose of people doing snorkeling, with their eyes covered by a goggle and an air tube projecting up in the air. Both of them are wearing life vests and one of them is also wearing flippers, which can make swimming easier, but which need to be handled properly (however, flippers can hurt very badly if you accidentally tread on somebody's foot with them).

Tourists gathered around a rubber tube in the Ras Muhammad national park in Egypt in the Red Sea

A number of tourists gathered around a rubber tube in the water. This is in the Red Sea, in the Ras Muhammad protected marine park near the town of Sharm el Sheikh. A large number of tourists come to the marine park, for doing snorkeling near the coral reefs. Some of the coral reefs here are small in section, which means that one can easily cover some of these reefs in a few minutes, but with the number of colorful fish around these reefs, one can just be there and watch these fish.

People near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt, in the coral reefs of the Ras Muhammed marine park

Tourists in different physical modes while doing snorkeling in the Ras Muahmmed marine park in Egypt

Tourists floating, getting ready to float and standing, all in the Ras Muhammed marine park near Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea in Egypt. They are all very close to a coral reef, since if you look behind these people, you see a shine in the water, which is that of a coral reef very close to the water surface. All 3 of them (2 ladies and 1 man) are wearing the essential snorkeling equipment (goggles and air tube) while the man is not wearing a life vest and the other 2 are (although in the case of one of them, the life vest has climbed up on the shoulders and does not appear to have been properly fastened).

Man wearing snorkeling equipment emerging from the water and can see the feet of another person wearing a flipper

A man emerging from the water, wearing the goggles and air tube which form the essential part of snorkeling equipment, in the Ras Muhammed protected marine park, near the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea. There are a number of coral reefs in the region, and hence there are a number of people who come here to do snorkeling. In this photo, the leg of another person doing snorkeling can also be seen, along with the flipper that they are wearing. The flippers make you more graceful in the water, but can be a pain outside the water, and can hurt badly if you hit somebody with this flipper.

Can see just the back of multiple people wearing snokeling equipment and looking into the water

A large number of people wearing the goggles and air tubes that are a part of snorkeling equipment and currently doing snorkeling in the Ras Muhammed marine park (a protected marine park where no commercial activities are allowed except for tourism). This is a typical posture of people doing snorkeling, where nothing can be seen of the people except for their backs and hair, and the air tubes rising into the air.

Snorkeling in the Ras Muhmmed marine park near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Snorkeling tourists grouped around a rubber tube near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Snorkeling in the waters of the Red Sea in the Ras Muhammed protected marine park near Sharm el Sheikh is very popular. The marine park, located at a distance of between 12-15 km from Sharm el Sheikh is a protected place, with no commercial activity allowed in that area. There are a number of coral reefs located in the marine park, and they attract tourists who come here to snorkel. In this photo, you can see many such tourists clutching onto a rubber tube for support (in fact, two rubber tubes). Some of the tourists are looking into the water, while others are standing upright. In the background, one can see a shine under the water level, which is a coral reef.

Man wearing snorkeling equipment heading towards a rubber tube in the Ras Muhammed park

A man wearing the goggles and air tube which is part of the snorkeling equipment. However, he is not wearing a life vest that many others who do snorkeling end up wearing. There is a rubber tube right in front of him, and this rubber tube acts as an excellent flotation device. The man seems to be heading towards the floating tube, and although this photo shows only one person, the other photos shows a number of tourists all around. If it was only one person, it might end up seeming a bit lonely. The water here is deeper than the height of the person, and hence for those who do not know swimming, the use of either a life vest or such a rubber tube can become essential.

2 people seemingly collaborating while doing snorkeling in the Red Sea

Overall 3 people in the photo, all of them snorkeling in the protected marine park of Ras Muhammed near the Egyptian tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh, all near the Sinai Peninsula. It is always interesting to see people doing snorkeling, since if you have not done it or have not seen it being done, it can look very strange. In this photo, there are 3 people, all with their heads under water and wearing life vests and having air tubes coming out of the water. Snorkeling is only meant to be a water surface sport, since the air needs to be taken from just above the water surface, and hence the look. In addition, in the photo, there seems to be 2 people collaborating on the process of snorkeling, looking at the same thing. From this photo, it is not apparent the level of coral on the surface, although in most of these cases, the coral can be very close to the water surface.

Just heads visible above water while doing snorkeling in the Ras Muhammed marine park in the Red Sea

Another view of heads of people doing snorkeling in the Red Sea, near Sharm el Sheikh, in the Ras Muhammed marine park in Egypt. The typical pose of people doing snorkeling is that of their hair being visible, since they are face down in the water, wearing protective goggles, and with an air tube protruding from the top so that they can get air from above the water surface. It is a very pleasant feeling, relaxing in the water, wearing a life vest and watching the colorful coral reef and the colorful fish that live there. Of course, it will not be pleasant if sharks arrive there, but it very rarely happens, although sharks did attack swimmers in Sharm el Sheikh a couple of years back.

The Ras Muhammed marine park near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

People wearing snorkeling equipment and clustered around rubber tubes in the Ras Muhammed marine park near Sharm el Sheikh

Tourists gathered around rubber tubes inside the Ras Muhammed marine park near the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh, located in the Red Sea near the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula. There are a number of coral reefs in the area, and tourists come here for snorkeling, to enjoy the coral reefs and the colorful marine fish found around these reefs. In the photo, you can see these tourists all gathered around the rubber tubes, which provide a lot of moral support for people who are not comfortable in water that is deeper than their height. What makes an interesting angle is when you look behind the people and you can something shining in the background, which is the presence of coral reefs almost at the water surface.

Girl standing up in the water while the rest of the tourists face down during snorkeling near Sharm el Sheikh

I liked this kind of a photo. There are a number of tourists in the protected marine park called the Ras Muhammed marine park (which is a protected place where there are no commercial activity allowed including fishing, except for tourists - and further, there are a lot of restrictions with the tourists not allowed to even carry back pieces of coral from this location). This is a famous site for snorkeling, with a number of coral formations and the varied and colorful fish that are found in such locations. In this photo, all these visitors are wearing snorkeling equipment, and except for this girl who is standing in the water, everybody else is face down in the water, breathing through their air pipes.

Man wearing snorkeling equipment clutching onto a rubber tube meant for floating

A man at the Ras Muhammed marine park near the Sharm el Sheikh tourist town. Sharm el Sheikh is located on the Red Sea, located close to the southern point of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt. The waters close to Sharm el Sheikh have a lot of attractiveness for tourists, given the excellent water temperature in water, and also the snorkeling and scuba diving that is done close by. In this photo, the rubber tube along with a man wearing snorkeling equipment is shown. The man is not wearing any life vests, so it seems a bit strange that he is clutching onto this tube, except if it is being done for just getting some support rather than to float.

People doing snorkeling near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt, near the Sinai peninsula

Person wearing snorkeling gear and holding onto a tube for floating purposes

Close up of a photo wearing the complete set of snorkeling equipment (goggles and the attached air tube which fits into the mouth) along with a life vest (and interestingly, the life vest has totally climbed up the back of the person and does not seem to have been properly attached). The person is holding onto a tube that helps in giving confidence about floating in the water, and in this photo, you can also see the closeness of the ship and the shore. We had just got down from the ship and were grouped around the guide, who was taking us towards a certain set of coral reefs, all of which were located very close to the water point.

People wearing snorkeling gear heading in the direction that the guide is leading them towards

A number of people in the water, wearing snorkeling equipment and with some of them hanging onto the rubber tube (being used as a flotation device). They are in the Ras Muhammed marine park, which is a protected marine park close to the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh, close to the Sinai peninsula. There are a number of coral reefs in the park, and this is what draws tourists there for the purpose of snorkeling. In this photo, a number of tourists are there in close to the guide who is leading them to a specific direction. The tourists are a mix of men and women, all heading towards a specific direction, which is the direction in which the guide is leading them towards.

A flotation tube, where the person holding onto the tube suddenly ducked under the water surface

For people who are doing snorkeling for the first time, or who have done it after a gap of some years (which was my condition), the first immersion in water that was deeper than the foot could reach took some time to get used to, even if one was already wearing a life vest. In such a condition, this simple tube (or even a rubber tube with air in it) was like a life saver, giving a lot of confidence to the person. In the photo, there was a person holding onto the flotation tube, but who was suddenly called away by his family to the other side and hence the splash of water away from the tube.

Catching hold of the tube and looking down into the water while snorkeling

This was one of the most interesting experiences while snorkeling. Given that the water level in some of the areas was several feet deeper than the height of a person, the flotation tube provided a lot of support. So, for those who did not have the confidence, you had people holding onto these tubes while still doing snorkeling, and so in this photo, you can see people with their faces into the water, looking inside the water and looking at the coral and fish. Because these were small tubes, you could have a number of people in the same small area, all clustered around the tube.

Doing snorkeling in the Red sea off the town of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

2 people doing snorkeling in the Red Sea near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

The area near Sharm el Sheikh is very famous for water related activities, given that Sharm el Sheikh is located on the Red Sea, at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula. The water temperature here is excellent, and most importantly, there are enough attractions for people who want to do snorkeling or scuba diving. The presence of coral reefs in the region along with the marine life that is found in and around these coral reefs draws a number of adventure seekers. This photo shows a couple of people doing snorkeling, with one of them wearing a life vest and the other making do without one. Both have the snorkeling gear on and are drawing in air from their air pipes (helping them breathe when their faces are under water).

A lady wearing snorkeling gear and with her face outside the water in the Ras Muhammed marine park

The face of people wearing snorkeling goggles and the other snorkeling gear can seem very different, as can be seen in this photo. The presence of the goggles and the air tube which extends into the mouth totally distorts the facial features and can make a person difficult to recognize. This is near coral reefs in the Ras Muhammed marine park, close to the Sharm el Sheikh in the Sinai peninsula in Egypt. Though the photo shows only one person in the area, there are a number of tourists in the area, around the multiple tourist locations.

Family doing snorkeling in the water of the Ras Muhammed marine park in the Red sea

A man, woman and a child in the water of the Ras Muhammend marine park close to the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh, in the waters of the Red Sea. We had all just got down from the ship that was taking us to these coral reefs for enjoying the colorful reefs and the very colorful marine animals and were assembling around the guide before we left for the actual coral reefs. The guide had told those who wanted to go with him to accompany him, while those who were experienced or were comfortable could go on their own around the coral reefs. I preferred to be around the guide for the experience and the comfort, although being with the guide meant that we learnt some more about the reefs and the coral and also got to see more colorful fish that we would have missed otherwise.

Determining the direction in which we wanted to swim towards the coral reefs

Once we got down from the ship at a short distance from the coral reefs, we wanted to determine the direction in which to proceed. There were several sections of reef close by, and needed to figure out which we wanted to go to, and to swim in that direction. However, some of the more experienced swimmers had already proceeded in that general direction.

People wearing snorkeling equipment and using tubes as flotation devices near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

People wearing snorkeling equipment and using tubes as flotation devices

This is a scene in the Ras Muhammed National park, where a number of tourists come to enjoy the coral reefs. This marine park is located close to the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh, which itself is located on the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula. In the marine park, there are a number of coral reefs, and tourists come here for snorkeling and to the deeper regions for scuba diving. In this photo, you can see the snorkeling equipment along with a rubber air float being used as a flotation device. The shore is not very far away, as can be seen in this photo.

Person breathing using a breathing device as a part of snorkeling equipment, looking into the water

This is a view of a person using snorkeling equipment and floating over a coral reef. The person is wearing the snorkeling goggles and is face down, the purpose of being face down is to ensure that the person keep on viewing into the water and the front part of the face is covered with water. In this situation, the breathing tube is the one that ensures that the person is able to breathe easily and gets air from the air above. It always seems interesting to see a person doing snorkeling, since most of the body is at the water surface (or rather just slightly below the water surface).

Multiple people doing snorkeling in the water near Sharm el Sheikh near the coral reefs

A view of multiple people doing snorkeling in the Ras Muhammed marine park near Sharm el Sheikh. Tourists come to this region for enjoying snorkeling, and sometimes you can get scenes where a number of people are in the same area and with coral reefs in the vicinity. This is a photo taken soon after the tourists got down from the ship and started moving towards the coral reefs, which led to a number of tourists in the same location. There are people wearing flippers, and a lot of splashing as people try to move to another direction.

Person wearing life vest and air tube as part of snorkeling equipment in the Red Sea in Egypt

A tourist wearing a colorful (red and orange colored) life jacket in the Red Sea, in the Ras Muhammed marine park, near the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh. Snorkeling is a very interesting experience, with people facing down into the water and looking below (typically to look into coral reefs that are located below the surface of the water and the colorful fish that are near these coral reefs). They get air through a tube that connects the goggles (and hence the nose) through a tube that connects to the air above.