Boats headed out to the open sea and with smaller boats tied to buoys in the water

Multiple ships, including small ones and a large cruise liner in the Red Sea off Sharm el Sheikh

The waters in the harbour of the Egyptian tourist city of Sharm el Sheikh can get very busy. The place attracts a large number of tourists since Sharm el Sheikh is blessed with a number of features that makes it very attractive for tourists such as the temperate weather in the region in winter when large sections of the northern hemisphere, especially regions of Europe and Russia are facing the harshness of their very cold winters. The long beaches make it very attractive to come here. And, to add a bonus to the whole package, and the reason for all these ships, the presence of a number of coral formations in the waters nearby - these coral reefs support a large number of marine creatures and encourage people to do snorkeling and scuba diving. We had also headed out in one of these smaller ships to head to these coral reeds where we had a lot of fun doing snorkeling.

A Life Guard boat tied to a buoy in the water of the Red Sea off Sharm el Sheikh

With the presence of such a large number of tourists in Sharm el Sheikh, and so many of them taking to the water, it was important for the Egyptian Government to ensure that these tourists are safe. After the scare of many years back where tourists were attacked by militants, including a bomb blast even in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt saw a reduction in tourism. Given the dependence on tourism to provide employment for a large number of people, it was important that tourists felt safe. This includes ensuring that tourists in the waters of Sharm el Sheikh see that there are facilities available if they get into trouble, and this boat is an example of that. Of course, I have no way of ensuring the response time if an emergency does happen.

A broken boat taken out of the water for repair in Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

The water of Sharm el Sheikh sees a large number of tourists, but with commercial fishing banned from the region. Boats are typically used by the crew of the tourist operators and for other such purposes, although like any other sea, the presence of boats in the water can be corrosive. In this case, the boat seems to have either been corroded by the water, or broken through impact with some hard object. The boat has been taken out of the water and mounted so that it can be repaired.

Boats headed out to the open sea and with smaller boats tied to buoys in the water

This is a view from the ship that we were in. We had just set out from the pier, and were following a number of other boats who had already set out for the coral reefs in the distance. There were of course other ships that were going to set out after us, and was an example of the high popularity of the coral reefs in the region (both for the purpose of snorkeling and scuba diving). In the short distance, one can see some small boats tied up.

A well decorated boat in the waters of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Tourists and locals on a colorful boat at Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Sharm el Sheikh harbour is typically bristling with a large number of ships, mostly of the standard white color. Given the importance of the waters of the Red Sea to the tourist town (including the stretches of coral reefs where a number of tourists indulge in either scuba diving or snorkeling), most tourists to the area do get onto the water in some form or the other. However, when I saw this interesting local ship there, I was intrigued because of its colorful nature and the way it seemed to resemble ships of old (that was its charm maybe).

Ships with a number of tourists at the Sharm el Sheikh harbour in Egypt

The previous photo showed a beautiful old style ship in the harbour of the Egyptian tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh. This photo shows more such ships in the harbor, with one of these beautifully decorated ships and another ship that is more traditional, white and with these sleek lines. If I had to travel, I would rather do it in the older style ship, which is decked out in a traditional workmanship, along with ropes and masts. It sure looks great, and if you look between these ships, you will see a rubber dhingy.

2 ships of different styles crossing each other in the harbor of Sharm el Sheikh

Yet another photo depicting 2 such ships of different styles in the harbor of Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea in Egypt, off the southern tip of the Sinai peninsula. If you look closely, you will see a person sitting at the front section of one ship, almost being able to cross into the other ship. In the background is the coast of Sharm el Sheikh and the busy part of the harbor.

One of the older style ships in the Sharm el Sheikh harbor

There are a large number of ships in the harbor of Sharm el Sheikh, with most of them being in the traditional style of the small kind of ship. These are white, with a lower and an upper deck. However, in Sharm el Sheikh I saw these other ships that were built more in the manner of an older style. I had not seen any of these from the shore, but in the water I was able to see some of them, although I have no idea of whether they were going to the same coral reef type of location, or some other location. The photo shows the darkened windows of the cabins inside such a boat.

Tourists near the water at the Red Sea close to Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Vehicles on the shore near the coral reefs off Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

A couple of vehicles on the shore, very near the water, near the tourist city of Sharm el Sheikh. The waters of the Red Sea have some beautiful coral reefs at this location. But it's not only the below water, but the above water. In addition to trips on the water surface through ship, where people can come there for snorkeling or scuba diving, there are options for people to drive around on the fabulous locations. The land surface almost looks like a desert, being barren in great parts. There are excursions from Sharm el Sheikh that allow tourists where they can take vehicles to go near the water and then slip into the water for snorkeling and for other purposes.

Tourists from Sharm el Sheikh on a tourist bus near the water surface

If you are staying in Sharm el Sheikh, there are a number of excursions that are possible from there. You can get into a cruise ship that goes from Sharm el Sheikh to the Ras Muhammed marine park which is a short distance away, and then enjoy either snorkeling or scuba diving (after having got the necessary equipment before you get onto the ship), you can go to the monastery of St. Catherine (where Moses is supposed to have received the 10 commandments from God), or you can go for a land tour that also offers you the chance of doing snorkeling (while getting into the water from the coastline rather than from a ship). The photo shows a bus full of tourists who have decided to take the option of going by the land option to do snorkeling near the coral reefs.

An obervatory kind of structure on the coast near the coral reefs near Sharm el Sheikh

When you get to the coral reefs of the Ras Mohammed marine park near the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh (located near the tip of the Sinai peninsula in Egypt), you can see a coastline that seems barren. However, there are plenty of signs that show that the coastline is not barren; there was this strange structure just off the coastline that seemed like an observatory. And soon we could see buses and other vehicles that came close to the water line, with tourists either donning snorkels and getting into the water, or donning suntan lotion and deciding to get some tanning on the beach near the water.

The fin of a dolphin that was diving into the waters as we were leaving

As we were heading to the Ras Mohammed marine park located at some distance off the coast of Sharm el Sheikh, we came across these small number of dolphins that were there at the water surface. Since the presence of dolphins was so interesting, all the tourist ships spent some time in the vicinity before deciding to proceed to our destination. This was the scene as we were leaving the area and the dolphins were going under the water.

Dolphins in the water of the Red Sea near Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt

Shadow of a Bottle Nose dolphin below the waters of the Red Sea in Egypt

We were on our way to some of the coral reefs located at the Ras Mohammed protected marine park near the tourist town of Sharm el Sheikh. The protected park has a number of coral formations, and these are the ones that draws tourists over here. The coral formations attracts a variety of colorful marine animals, and these in turn bring in tourists for snorkeling and scuba diving. We were her for the snorkeling, and on the way, we came across around 3-4 dolphins in the water. The presence of dolphins in the water was an attraction for all the tourists who were nearby and we watched these intelligent mammals, sometimes on the surface and sometimes just under the surface of the water. This is a photo of one of the dolphins just under the surface of the water.

Dolphin emerging from the water of the Red Sea near Sharm el Sheikh in the Red Sea in Egypt

The dolphins spent around 10-15 minutes, watching these large white animals (that meant, all the tourists in the ships) circle around them, and hopefully they did not feel threatened. We got to see some antics (but not the type you get to see in a dolphin show in a water park), such as when they suddenly went below the water surface, or came out of the water with some force, such as in this photo, where you suddenly saw the dolphin emerging quickly out of the water.

From a distance, you would not know whether this was a shark or a dolphin

If you have seen an overdose of shark films and dread the prospect of that shark (with just the fin showing above the surface of the water) salivating at the prospect of wanting to bite you, you might even get scared of these dolphins. The fin on the dolphin looks pretty similar to the sharks of the movies, unless you are more informed or an expert.

Light shining around the body of this dolphin in the Red Sea, near Sharm el Sheikh

It is incredible to see these large intelligent animals in the water, especially when the impression that most people have of the dolphin is of a friendly creature (unlike the sharks which have a horrid reputation). The water looks great, and when you see these large animals gliding through the water, you can only admire.