Treetop trail in Singapore Zoo

Treetop trail in Singapore Zoo

The Singapore Zoo has a number of different trails, such as the Treetop Trail, as shown in this signboard. The Treetops Trail is supposed to replicate a rainforest habitat, letting visitors see animals at different levels of a forest. You can view different groups of animals while on this trail, along with their sounds.#SingaporeZoo
For more about this trail and the animals, can visit this site https://www.wrs.com.sg/en/singapore-zoo/animals-and-zones/treetops-trail.html

If you are planning to visit Singapore, then a travel guide would be helpful. https://amzn.to/2yu1cGw

The Singapore Zoo has a number of different events and shows, you should go through the site of the zoo to find out more. https://www.wrs.com.sg/en/singapore-zoo.html

Entrance and cars of the Blair Drummond Safari park near Stirling in Scotland

Parked vehicles and people walking inside the Blair Drummond safari park near Stirling (More photos at this link)

A large number of vehicles at the open parking area of the Blair Drummond Safari park near the town of Stirling in Scotland. It is one of the most famous attractions for children, given the various slides and shows for children, but their exhibits of animals can attract people of all age groups - and for the sheer pleasure of getting into controlled danger, you can drive your vehicle through the exhibits of dangerous animals such as lions, rhinos, and the like. You are not supposed to open your windows, but the car shell is all that separates your from those dangerous animals.

Prints of this photo are available in the form of a Digital Oil Print at Fine Art America.

Parked vehicles and a slide for kids inside the Blair Drummond safari park near Stirling in Scotland (More photos here)

This is another view of the parking for visitors at the Safari park. The place is well maintained with a good grassy cover where the visitors first arrive, and from here itself, children can start to get excited. There is this wavy slide, with children climbing from one side and coming down on the other side. And further one, there are other rides next to each other; so it can be hard controlling children as come out from the parking.

Get prints of this photo in the form of a Digital Oil Painting at FAA.

Cars at the entrance near the Blair Drummond Safari park in Scotland (More photos at this link)

This photo is actually a precursor to the images above. It is near the entrance to the Safari Park, which is located at a side road from the main road. This sign just shows vehicles heading towards the actual entrance of the park, from where you can enter the park.

Print of this photo available in the form of an Oil Painting at FAA.

Ships inside the Ras Muhammed marine park near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Rear view of a small ship taking tourists from Sharm el Sheikh to the Ras Muhammed marine park in Egypt

This is a classic example of a ship taking tourists from the pier of Sharm el Sheikh to the Ras Muhammed marine park located at a distance of around 12 km away. The Ras Muhammed marine park is a prime tourist attraction because of the number of coral reefs in the region, and because of the snorkeling and scuba diving that happens in the region. Since we were both moving, the photo did not come out as focused as I thought it would. I liked the image of the tourists casually sitting at the back of the ship, relaxing so close to the water. This photo was shot soon after we had left Sharm el Sheikh, and the ship was in front of us, but somehow the angle of movement was such that it actually seemed that Sharm el Sheikh was in front of us.

Multiple ships right next to each other with the shore in the background near Sharm el Sheikh

This seemed very interesting. We were at the Ras Muhammed marine park near Sharm el Sheikh, where a number of ships come to a rest while the visitors get down from the ship into the water and swim over to the coral reefs (what actually happens is that when you get down into the water, a guide comes along with you and then makes sure that everybody is fine - for example, there was an initial minute of panic which finally settled down). In this case, I was not sure why these ships were so close to each other, with 3 ships of different sizes. I asked the guide with us, and he had no answer why these ships were right next to each other like this, unless they were all part of the same tourist agency.

Smooth beach and sharp rock at the Ras Muhammed marine park in the Red Sea

This seems such an image of contrast. This is one of the main tourist locations in the whole region of Sharm el Sheikh, with the coral reefs spread over different parts of the region, and to enjoy which people come here for snorkeling or scuba diving. The coral reefs are pretty close to the shore, although the terrain of the shore can be pretty diverse - towards the right is a region where the shore gracefully meets the waterline, and towards the left is a region of more violence, where a small cliff with jagged edges would cause much more furious movement of the water. The dark region of the water seems to indicate something very close to the water, which is many cases are coral formations.

Ships circling an outcrop of land in the Ras Mohammed marine park in the Red Sea

If you look at the photo closely, you can see a sharp outcrop of the land that seems to punch into the water like a finger, forcing the ships to take a detour. This is the scene inside the Ras Mohammed marine park, where we are making our way from one set of coral reefs, having spent some time snorkeling here and then decided to make our way to the next snorkeling spot. With this case of land formation, the water depth will not be much, and if you look at some of the maps of the region, there is a certain amount of continental slope only after which the water starts to get deeper.

Ships and tourists near the coral reefs in the Ras Muhammed marine park near Sharm el Sheikh

Multiple small ships carrying tourists in the waters of the Red Sea - moving from Sharm el Sheikh to Ras Muhammed marine park

Sharm el Sheikh is one of the prime tourist locations in Egypt which is not dependent on the tale of the pharaohs (as compared to some of the other tourist locations such as Giza, Abu Simbel, Luxor or the other which all showcase temples and other structures built by the ancient pharaohs). This place is popular with tourists because of the natural beauty of the place, with the cool and calm waters of the Red Sea, long beaches, and coral reefs within a short distance. These small boats are meant for carrying tourists from Sharm el Sheikh to the waters of the Ras Muhammed park and other places in the Red Sea where tourists go.

Family on a small tourist ship on the way to the Ras Muhammed marine park near Sharm el Sheikh

The weather in Sharm el Sheikh is very temperate, in winter, when a large number of countries in northern Europe and North America being exposed to very cold weather. At such a time, if you have the inclination to travel, and have the budget, who would not want to go to a place where you can relax in great weather, enjoy large stretches of water, and also get a chance to do snorkeling or scuba diving in some beautiful coral reefs. In this photo, you can see a family enjoying the sun on a ship in the waters of the Red Sea, in the time it takes to get from the pier of Sharm el Sheikh to the Ras Muhammed marine park. In the distance, you can see another ship and also the shore with a cliff.

Tourist ships in the Red Sea, very close to the shore near Sharm el Sheikh

The coral reefs which draw a large number of tourists, starting out from Sharm el Sheikh to the waters of the Ras Muhammed marine park, are fairly close to the shore for the purpose of snorkeling. If you want to do scuba diving, many of the diving locations are also not very far from shore, so the ships look to be very close to the shore when they get to their destination. When we were at our destination, we could see a number of ships not very far away, all of them letting tourists down from their rear position from where they can swim to the multiple coral formations that are close together. In this photo, you can see that the shore also contains a number of cliffs and other such locations.

The turbulence in the water when the ship is coming to a stop in the Red Sea

This seems like a lot of turbulence in the water, but is actually a normal process. The ship, which was moving steadily in one direction, finally came close to the intended destination, and had to come to a stop. For stopping, the ship moves its propeller (or screws) in the opposite direction, which causes the turbulence in the water that you can see, and ensures that it comes to a quick stop. This is preferred than coasting to a stop, since this gives much more control and precision.

The shoreline in the Ras Muhammed marine park near Sharm el Sheikh

The shoreline near the Ras Muhammed marine park is very sandy and with rough terrain. In this photo, you can get an idea of the same. The terrain here is very rough, although it is near these areas that tourists who have come over the land route for the purpose of snorkeling in the coral reefs also slip into the water and go to the coral reefs.

Tourists on the shoreline near the Ras Muahmmed marine park near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Tourists on the shoreline near the Ras Muahmmed marine park near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

The coral formations in the Ras Muhammed marine park are very famous, and draw a large number of tourists on a regular basis. These coral formations near the shore attract people here for the purpose of snorkeling. Since the coral formations are so close to the shoreline, there are 2 ways of getting here. One way is the way that we came here, through a small ship that took us from the pier at Sharm el Sheikh and through the few miles that it takes to get to this location. A large number of tourists come through this approach, since it also provides a good trip over the water (and we got the chance to see some dolphins in the water); there is another approach to come here, which is over land, and tourists come here on bus and other vehicles. This photo shows tourists on the shore very close to the water surface, where they can enjoy the water or actually use snorkeling equipment and slip into the water to get to the corals.

Tourists in the water near the shoreline of the Ras Muhammed park in the Red Sea in Egypt

In the Ras Muhammed marine park near Sharm El Sheikh, you can see a number of tourists on the surface, apparently bobbing on the surface. They are actually snorkeling on the coral formations that are close to the shore, and some of these coral reefs can actually be upto the water surface (I remember one where it was impossible to get on the water on top of the coral, since it was actually breaking the water surface). If you look at the photo, you can clearly see the people, with some standing in the water as well as the sheer rock surface of the shoreline.

Multiple tourists above a coral formation near Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea

The water near Sharm el Sheikh (or rather, a short distance away in the Red Sea, not just outside the harbor) has a number of coral formations, close to the surface and very close to the shore of the water. In this photo, this closeness is pretty visible. You can see a number of visitors swimming in the water of the Red Sea, all around a specific area of the water. It is this area that has a coral formation, and they are almost all of them wearing snorkeling goggles, the air pipe, flippers, and a life vest, and looking downwards so that they can see the coral as well as the colorful fish and other animals that live on the reefs.

Tourists wearing snorkeling gear close to the shore in the Red Sea

The area of the Ras Muhammed marine park (located close to Sharm el Sheikh, at a distance of around 12 km from the tourist city) is famous for its coral reefs and for the number of tourists that it attracts. There are many coral reefs, located close to the shore, and at a height where it is very close to the water surface. As a result, there are a number of people who come here for snorkeling, such as can be seen in this photo. The shore also seems very dangerous, since the land is composed of sharp cliffs, and any waves could be dangerous.

Tourist ship approaching the shore in the Ras Muhammed park near Sharm el Sheikh

The previous photos showed tourists on the shore and in the water near the coral reefs, in the Ras Muhammed marine park. This photo shows one of the ships approaching the shore, a ship that had started its journey from the pier of Sharm el Sheikh, picked up tourists from there, and then started on the short journey to the coral reefs in the marine park. Many of these coral reefs where snorkeling can happen are very close to the shore, and that is where the ship is heading towards. It will come to a stop very close to the shore.

Ships in the Red Sea on their way to the Ras Muhammed marine park, having started from Sharm el Sheikh

Driving the direction of the tourist ship in the Red Sea through the wheel

With today's technology, it is no longer complicated to use these modern small ships, especially those used for tourist purposes. All the controls for the boat are right there in front of the person, and with regard to today's world, there is a provision for powering up mobile phones as well (and that is an incredibly useful provision - one of the most often searched for facilities anywhere is about making sure that the mobile phone can be charged). With the Red Sea totally calm and no wind either, it is effortless to take this small ship along with the tourists to their destination.

Tourist ships emerging from the Sharm el Sheikh harbour in the Red Sea in Egypt

On any given day, there are a large number of ships that are seen to be coming out of the Sharm el Sheikh harbour. All these ships are heading for various destinations that are significant to tourists, typically being coral formations, where they can do snorkeling, or to deeper coral (and also other destinations such as sunk ships) where scuba diving is the activity. This was the scene as seen from our ship, when we had left Sharm el Sheikh harbor, with ships having left in front of us, and yet others behind us. We were there during the winter months, and there are a large number of such ships.

A small tourist ship in the Red Sea with the Egyptian flag on top

A tourist ship on the way from Sharm el Sheikh to various tourist destinations in the Red Sea. Sharm el Sheikh is located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula and draws a large number of tourists, especially in winter (when the weather is very cold in large portions of Europe and North America). The Red Sea is a very calm water surface with a very temperate temperature, ensuring that tourists find this place very comfortable. In the photo, one can see one such ship that would be taking tourists from Sharm el Sheikh to the various destinations, such as the coral formations in the Ras Muhammed national park, where commercial activity is prohibited other than tourist related activities (in fact when we were there, a visitor tried to pick up a piece of coral, and the guide prevented them from doing that).

A tourist ship in the waters of the Red Sea with the coastline in the background

I like such photos, where there is a wide landscape with just one small item in the center to catch the attention of people. So it seemed in this photo, where the blue color of the Red Sea was prominent, along with the coastline of the Ras Muhammed maritime park (somewhat blurred in the background, and is the place where visitors can come through the overland route from Sharm el Sheikh). In the middle is a small ship on which tourists come to the various coral formations that are present in the park.

A tourist ship heading our way in the Red Sea near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

There are a large number of tourist ships in the Red Sea near Sharm El Sheikh. These ships all cater to tourists who either want to go to the snorkeling sites or to the scuba diving centers near Sharm el Sheikh. These are the places where tourists head to, such as when we went for snorkeling in a ship similar to this one. The trip was not very long, and there were 3 specific spots where there were coral formations, where we could do snorkeling on the surface of the water. It was a lot of fun.

Ships in the Ras Mohammed protected marine park near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Tourist ship in Sharm el Sheikh, full of tourists enjoying the trip

The waters around the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh (located on the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula in Egypt) are full of these ships, especially in the winter months. The waters around Sharm el Sheikh see a large number of tourists, because of the temperate weather of the area (especially when many areas of the world are freezing in brutal winter temperatures) and also to see the coral formations in the area which are famous for offering tourists the option of doing either snorkeling or scuba diving. This ship seems so full of tourists, and if you look towards the back of the ship, you can see the oxygen cylinders piled there, needed for scuba diving along with other equipment.

View of a ship carrying tourists a short distance away from Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

This is an example of the standard small ship, used for carrying tourists from Sharm el Sheikh harbour. Typically, these ships carry tourists to and from the harbour and the Ras Muhamed protected marine park, where they get to see a number of coral formations. These coral formations almost come to the surface of the water and are near the shoreline (atleast for those who prefer snorkeling, such as we did). For those who prefer scuba diving, places are shown with more depth, including coral reefs as well as sunken ships, which are abundant with marine life.

Ship close to the shoreline so that passengers can get access to coral reefs

This photo shows the ultimate destination of those who use the ships from Sharm el Sheikh to go for snorkeling in coral formations. Here, this ship is inside the region of the Ras Mohammed marine park near Sharm el Sheikh, where there are a number of coral reefs. Many of these are are located fairly close to the shore, and in this photo, you can see a small objects in the water, very close to the shore. These are actually tourists, who are busy snorkeling and who are mostly face down in the water, admiring the coral formations. The ships can come to a safe distance close to the coral formation, so that tourists can get to the reef easily.

Tourist ship at anchor close to a coral reef so that people can get to the coral

In this photo, you can see a small ship inside the Ram Mohammed marine park near Sharm el Sheikh. The park is a protected area with prohibitions on commercial activities which also includes no fishing. Tourism is the key activity in the region, famous for the number of coral formations where which allow people to do snorkeling for those coral near the surface, and scuba diving for those at greater depths. If you look closely at the photo, you can see a person at the rear of the ship, with the flippers showing. There are some structures on the shore and a vehicle (with the structures meant for those visitors who come there over the land route, not over the water).

A ship stopped near a coral formation with tourists taking a look at these coral formations near Sharm el Sheikh

The shoreline near the Ras Muhamed Protected marine park near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Sharm el Sheikh is one of the non-historic tourist locations in Egypt (well, you can get to an ancient Saint Catherine Monastery from here, but otherwise it is non-historic places, atleast none of the ancient temples and other signs of the age of the Pharaohs). It is more famous for the excellent weather, especially in winter, and also for the Red Sea. There are a number of coral formations, and the Government has given them protection in the form of the Ram Muhammed park where commercial activities except for tourism are banned. When you do get here, you do end up seeing a number of small ships and other boats that are carrying tourists here for the purpose of snorkeling or scuba diving. In this photo, you can just see a sample of the number of ships (there are a large number of ships that are visible here, with these just being a small set).

A typical example of the small ship used to carry tourists to the coral formations in Sharm el Sheikh

This is a typical example of the small ship that is used to carry tourists from the Sharm el Sheikh harbour to the various tourist locations in the Red Sea. The prime aim of these ships is to take people to the various coral formations where they can do snorkeling (fairly close to shore, and in waters that are typically not deeper than 20 feet), or they can do scuba diving in the more deeper parts of the coral or in sunken ships (all of these attract a large number of colorful marine fishes and others). While on the way to these locations, sun-bathing is a common time spending activity.

A ship stopped near a coral formation with tourists taking a look at these coral formations near Sharm el Sheikh

This is a ship meant for taking tourists for scuba diving (you can see scuba diving equipment at the rear section of the ship including the oxygen cylinders). The ship is full of tourists, on the lower deck and the upper deck. The ship has stopped near a coral formation, with the coral being pointed out to the tourists on board the ship. If you look closely, you can see that there is a difference in the color of the water near the back of the ship, which is a sign of there being some coral formations here. Some of the tourists have obviously seen this before, since they remain where they are instead of heading to the rear of the ship.

A ship close to our ship, moving at a fairly fast clip, close to the Sharm el Sheikh tourist town in Egypt

This is a view of a ship, fairly close to our ship, heading towards the Ras Muhammed Park, located a few miles away from the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh near the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula. I like the view of such ships, since they seem to be fairly sleek and fast, and look well maintained (atleast from the outside). You can also see some tourists at the lower and upper levels of the ship.

Ships in the harbour of the tourist city of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Police boat near a number of tourists at the pier in Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Multiple ships in the Sharm el Sheikh harbour in the waters of the Red Sea. We were there during the winter months, and there was a huge crowd of tourists in the location. Sharm el Sheikh sees a large number of arrivals during the winter season (especially when there is the frigidness of winter in many parts of the Northern Hemisphere and the weather in Sharm el Sheikh is far better). People come here for the sun and the beaches, and also for the water. The temperature of the water of the Red Sea is temperate, providing good sunning capabilities for tourists, especially on the long beaches and the numerous resorts in the location. The other major activity for tourists is snorkeling and scuba diving in the coral reefs of the region. The protected environment of the Ram Mohammed National park close to Sharm el Sheikh protects the coral reefs of the region (and the abundance of marine animals draws tourists here for snorkeling and scuba diving). To get there, there are a number of ships that set out from Sharm el Sheikh pier every morning, as you can see in the photo of tourists waiting to board these ships.

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Ships and yachts in the harbour of Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea in Egypt

Small ships and boats in the harbour of Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea in Egypt with backdrop of hills

Ships and yachts in the waters of the Red Sea off Sharm el Sheikh

The town of Sharm El Sheikh near the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula in Egypt is very famous with tourists, given the temperate weather, the great water, and the beaches. In winter, when it is freezing in Europe and other parts of the Northern Hemisphere, the place sees a large number of tourists arriving. Part of the attractiveness of the location is the scuba diving and snorkeling that can be done over there. With a number of coral reefs and the associated marine life, people can enjoy these through scuba diving for admiring life below the waves while the snorkeling lets people enjoy the corals and colorful fish at around the water level. These are located some distance away from the town, and hence tourist operators have ships, boats and yachts to take tourists to these location, as you can see with these large number of ships that are normally full of tourists.

Dolphins frolicking around in the waters off Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea

View of dolphin under the blue water of the Red Sea off Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

A number of bottle nosed dolphins in the waters of the Red Sea off Egypt

A view of dolphins enjoying themselves in the waters of the Red Sea. There are a number of different species of dolphins in the waters of the Red Sea (a thin sea between the main part of Egypt and the Sinai peninsula (also a part of Egypt)). Since many parts of this waterway are protected, the dolphins find shelter here. We were on our way to the coral regions off the tourist city of Sharm el Sheikh and in the middle of the trip, there was a commotion. The people handling the boat told us that there were a number of dolphins to be seen in the water, and our boat (along with other such tourist boats) headed towards them, almost forming a ring around them. Although the dolphins did not do anything other than just generally swim around, it was a great experience to see them like this, and we stayed there till the dolphins submerged and went away one after the other.

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Rubber dhingy next to the tourist boat near the shore of Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea resort of Egypt

Rubber floats (small boats) powered with powerful small engines can be very fast and move easily even in shallow waters. This is such a boat next to a tourist craft. The Egyptian Red Sea coastal city of Sharm el Sheikh is a very popular tourist region, both for the beaches over there, and the coral reefs (which draw people wanting to do snorkeling or do scuba diving). Most of the tourist boats in the region cater to the needs of these tourists who come to visit the various coral reefs in the region (we were taken to 3 such coral reefs, with the ability to do snorkeling at all of them). It was a lot of fun, since in most of the cases, the coral reefs were right at the water level (in fact, it was difficult to move over the coral reef and one had to go by the side of the reef). When we were there, there were a number of such ships and tourists at the coral reefs, and we just joined the others who were also having fun over there.

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Couple sun-bathing on the lower deck of a small yacht used for tourists off the shore of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Couple on the lower deck of the yacht off the shore of Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea in Egypt. Sharm El Sheikh sees a large number of tourists from Europe and other parts of the Northern Hemisphere during the winter months, times when these lands are groaning under the snow and ice of winter while the weather in Sharm el Sheikh is perfect, with sun, beaches and perfect temperature water. Part of the activities at Sharm El Sheikh deals with making a trip to the various coral formations off the shore of Sharm El Sheikh (these are protected areas with restrictions on commercial shipping and fishing in order to preserve the coral formations), and since the journey can take some time, a number of tourists take the time to get some sun. Also, this is one of the few regions of Egypt (which is otherwise a conservative Islamic country) where tourists can wear a bikini or swimwear and not cause raised eyebrows.

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Snorkeling mask, air pipe and life vest at the water surface at Sharm el Sheikh

One of the biggest pleasures of the water at Sharm el Sheikh is the coral reefs. They provide an incredible assortment of reef, colorful and other marine creatures that visitors come a long distance to see. Visitors can do either of 2 activities - they can put on scuba diving equipment and dive to slightly deeper sections and enjoy the marine life there, including the viewing of sharks and dolphins; or you can do snorkeling on the surface near the coral reefs. If you are doing snorkeling and are a beginner, it is recommended that you have the protective gear such as safety vests (unless you are a good swimmer), snorkeling tubes and the goggles (the safety vests are useful for beginners since the water depth can be 15 feet or more, enough to drown you if you are not careful). The photo shows a young man having all these protective equipment and also clutching onto a rubber tube for added safety and flotation. Doing snorkeling and admiring the beauty of the coral reef can be really incredible. We had taken a water proof camera and were able to take a number of shots of the area.

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A view of the sea near Sharm el Sheikh - liked the shine in the sea

The sea near Sharm el Sheikh is very attractive. This was a scene where we were on a tourist ship, heading towards the coral reefs for some snorkeling. This was fairly warm water, and it was fun just standing there and watching the sea pass by while we whizzed by at some speed (not too much speed, but when you are standing on the lower deck and looking at the water going by, it can seem that the water is going by at some speed). There was a shine on the water surface that was pretty interesting, and you can see it in this photo, a shine or glimmer on the surface of the water.

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Head and upper body of a Bottle Nose Dolphin emering from the water in the Red Sea near Sharm el Sheikh

The Red Sea is one of the smaller seas of the world, connecting the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea (almost touching the Mediterranean, this connection was made with the construction of the Suez Canal), but has some exceedingly beautiful coral formations in the shallower parts of the Red sea. Portions of these shallower coral formations are found in the Ras Mohammed marine park (a protected stretch of water containing a number of beautiful coral formations). We were on our way to the coral formations from the Sharm el Sheikh coastline in a tour ship run by one of the operators over there, and on the way we came across a pod of Bottle Nose dolphins; coming across this pod was a treat and we spent some time around the location of these dolphins (along with many other ships that also landed up in the area) until the dolphins made their move and got out of the area.

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A submerging bottle nose dolphin in the Red Sea off the coast of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

A Bottle nose dolphin, with the body of the dolphin almost fully submerged. The only part of the dolphin visible above water was the fin of the dolphin, which had not yet gone below water. This was one of the dolphins that were part of a small pod of dolphins (not sure about the size of the pod since we could see only 3 dolphins at the max at any point of time). This was off the shore of the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula in Egypt. Control of the town has tossed between Egypt and Israel twice over the past 60 years, but now is fully under control of Egypt. Over the past 40 years, there has been a concerted effort to promote tourism in Sharm, especially related to the waters of the Red Sea along with the incredible coral formations in the region that attract snorkeling and scuba diving. While on the way to the coral formations, we came across this pod of Dolphins, providing a fascinating beginning to the trip. It was not only us, in front of us, there was another ship that had spotted this pod, and our ship and many other ships behind us all started circling the pod of dolphins until they tired of all the attraction and dived under the water.

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Bottle nose dolphin above water in the Red Sea off the shore of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

One of the prime attractions of the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh is the sea, the Red Sea. Sharm el Sheikh is located at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula, and control of the Sinai was transferred between Israel and Egypt after 2 wars in the region. During the control of Israel of the Sinai, there were efforts made to ensure that tourism in the region was developed; this was continued after the Sinai was returned back to Egypt where the efforts to develop tourism was continued and there was the demarcation of the Ras Mohammed marine park as a protected area, in order to ensure that there was no fishing in the area, no commercial shipping, nothing that could impact the coral formations in the area. These coral formations now form the backbone of tourism in the area, since the coral reefs and their colorful fish attract snorkeling and scuba diving; further in the Red Sea there are multiple variety of dolphins. While heading to the coral formations, we were lucky to to come across a small school of dolphins and were able to see these dolphins at fairly close quarters for a few minutes before they decided to submerge and vanished from view.

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Bottle nose dolphin in the Red Sea off Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

The main attraction in the Sharm el Sheikh and other Egyptian resorts on the Red Sea is the water and the weather. Temperate weather all year ensures that people flock here during holiday season in other regions, especially in Europe and Russia. Sharm el Sheikh is easily accessible with a large number of people arriving her through charter flights, and through other airlines as well. Once here, you can relax in resorts, enjoy the water of the beaches (fairly long beaches). The other attraction of the location is the coral formations located fairly close to Sharm el Sheikh, primarily in the Ras Mohammed marine park (a protected marine habitat where fishing and commercial traffic are banned, where people are prohibited from feeding fish and also from picking up any coral); tourists head there in yachts and small ships run by tour operators to do snorkeling and scuba diving (snorkeling is done in places which are shallow while scuba diving is done in places that are deeper). While on the way to the coral formations, we encountered something which was incredible. We came across a small school of bottle nose dolphins, and soon there were a number of ships all around these dolphins, with cameras out in full and people admiring the view. However, after around 15 minutes, they dived and were soon out of view.

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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