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Coral reefs| fishing| diving in the Red Sea |
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| 20 million years ago, as the Arabian peninsula turn away from Africa, the Red Sea was formed. In 1869 with the opening of the Suez Canal The Red Sea becomes a route for commercial shipping. To the south, the Red Sea is connected to the Gulf of Aden, which is a part of the Arabian Sea. The Red Sea is part of the Rift Valley, that cuts through most of eastern Africa. Its ports are Jeddah of Saudi Arabia and Macula of Yemen. Suez, located at the Gulf of Suez, is equally important as these two for the traffic of The Red Sea. Port Sudan - Sudan has today only minor importance beyond the domestic needs of Sudan. Any attempt to describe the marine life of the Red Sea risks drowning in superlatives--it is extraordinary, unparalleled, marvelous, incredible and truly wondrous. It was not by chance that Jacques Cousteau chose this region to introduce at the 1st time to the world the undersea life. And by the same token it is not by chance that so many people become diving fanatics during their visit of Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada, Safaga, Dahab, Marsa Alam and Ras Mohamed. The exceptional richness of marine life in the Red Sea, and in the Gulf of Aqaba in particular, is due to an unusual combination of environmental factors. First, the Red Sea is comparatively sheltered and calm: its currents are gentle and regular, its tides almost non-existent, and its temperature warm and steady. While its waters run quite deep, they are warmed by volcanic heat emanating from the sea bed. The result of all these factors is an environment ideally suited to the complex and delicate ecosystem of coral reefs. Even among the world's most celebrated reef systems, that of the Sinai stands out for its unusual wealth of certain kinds of marine life--most notably, coral itself. The sheer abundance of corals, many of exceptional size and color, makes diving in Sinai an experience of almost magical intensity. But beyond the corals is a nearly infinite variety of marine species, including such notable creatures as Napoleon wrasse, brilliant orange coral groupers, enormous gorgonian fans, moray eels and hammerhead sharks, elaborate lionfish and majestic, swooping giant manta rays. |
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