The Strait of Tiran is the narrow sea passage, about 5 kilometers (3 miles) wide, that lies at the mouth of the Gulf of Aqaba and is delimited to the west by the coast of Sinai and to the east by the island of Tiran. In the middle of this canal there are four coral reefs that were named after the 19^th century English cartographers who drew the first nautical map of this region. Their names are Jackson Reef, Woodhouse Reef, Thomas Reef, and Gordon Reef. Beside those four main reefs, there's yet another reef bordering the western side of the island of Tiran called the Laguna Reef. Also there's a wreck in the area and it has a very interesting story!

On the same level with the Strait of Tiran, the Gulf of Aqaba passes from an average width of 20 to 4 kilometers (12 to 2.5 miles), while the floor ranges from a depth of 1,270 meters (4,166 feet) to only 71 meters (233 feet). This particular configuration of the strait reduces deep water exchange between the Gulf of Aqaba and the rest of the Red Sea, causing an increase of salinity and temperature. On the other hand it gives rise to an increase in the speed of the tidal currents and the average height of the waves. The peculiar topographical arrangement of these reefs and the presence of prevailing winds coming from the north, which are stronger in the morning and calmer in the afternoon, means their western and northern sides (or outside) are much more exposed to the action of the waves than the eastern and southern ones, which are inside and sheltered.

The strong currents characterizing the Strait of Tiran transport great quantities of plankton and other nutrient material every day, thus supplying a great deal of food to the corals and hence to the reef fish, which in turn are eaten by the large pelagic predators such as barracudas, jacks, tunas, and above all sharks, which are always present in this zone. Consequently, SCUBA divers in the waters of Tiran are sure to see not only an infinite number of corals but also rich fish life. The most prominent dive sites in Tiran are:

Jackson Reef:
On the northern edge of the reef, the wreck of a grounded freighter stands as a warning sign. Most of its hull has been salvaged for scrap, leaving only a skeletal hulk. A fixed mooring exists at the southern end of the reef. Dives begin from this point and proceed generally northward along the east side of the reef.

The steep-sided walls of Jackson Reef are among the finest in the Sinai region. The reef is densely grown with a real profusion of hard and soft corals, with special accents provided by luxuriant gorgonian fans and black corals.

Not surprisingly, fish life is excellent. The strong current brings plenty of nutrients for reef and schooling fish. Current and profile combine to tempt pelagics from the open water. Large schools of barracudas and jacks are common here, as are larger predators including several species of sharks. The smaller reef species on which these pelagic visitors feed are profuse.

Woodhouse Reef:
Lying between Jackson and Thomas reefs, Woodhouse is a long narrow reef running at an angle from north-east to south-west. From its shallow reef top, the reef drops at a sharp angle on all sides; although it is less than vertical throughout the reef's length, the angle steepens still further beyond 25 meters (82 feet). Woodhouse is generally dived as a drift along the reef's eastern side.

Coral cover is excellent throughout the reef. With dense growth allover, there are a few sandy patches at depths of around 20 meters (66 feet). Pelagic fish like big tunas and schools of jacks visit the reef. Snappers, surgeons and unicorns also school here, along with thousands of other reef fish.

Thomas Reef:
This is a steep sloping reef that includes some plateau sections and a very deep canyon running along the reef's southern section. It is the smallest of the four main Tiran reefs, and its position in the chain leaves it exposed to some vigorous currents.

The reef's upper section is a riot of color, encompassing some of the finest soft coral growth in the Sinai region. Fish life is also rich, with the greatest concentration in the shallows. Groupers grow to great size, and many varieties congregate along the reef face, including boxfish and pufferfish.

After passing a double line of gorgonians, at 35 meters (115 feet) a splendid and extremely deep canyon opens out, running parallel to the reef and crossed by three impressive arches. The western wall of the reef has many crevices and caves, and a wealth of fauna including turtles, reef fish, and pelagics.

Gordon Reef:
Like Jackson to the north, this reef is marked by the wreck of a large commercial freighter at the southern end of the reef. There is also a light beacon to keep other ships off the reef. A permanent mooring point lies just offshore near the light.

Gordon Reef encompasses a wide, oval sloping patchy plateau which extends to the south and east of the shallow circular reeftop. The reef composition is quite varied, with patchy sections, sand beds, and full-fledged coral gardens. At the center of the reef slope, a shark bowl dips to 24 meters (80 feet). A variety of shark species can be seen sleeping on the sandy bottom.

This site boasts a very good range of corals, with lots of branching varieties. All of the corals are well preserved in densely grown patches that often show a remarkable mix of different species.

Fish life is not the most profuse in Tiran, but there are some notable surprises including a huge moray eel with a body as thick as a small diver's waist. Triggerfish abound while surgeons and jacks swim in moderately large schools. Angels, parrotfish, and small wrasse are all present in good numbers. Large napoleon wrasse can often be seen along the reef.

Kormoran (Zingara):
Kormoran was a general cargo vessel built in the Rostock shipyards in 1963 in the former East Germany. She was 82.4 meters (270 feet) length and 12.7 meters (42 feet) width. In 1976 her name was changed to Adamastos, and in 1980, her new owner renamed her Zingara. She was powered by a 6 cylinder diesel engine capable of giving her a top speed of 12 knots. The Zingara was owned and operated by Montemare di Navigazione S.P.A. and registered in Naples at the time of her loss.

The Zingara sailed from the Jordanian port of Aqaba on August 21^st, 1984 with a cargo of phosphate. The following day she hit the northern side of the Laguna Reef bordering the island of Tiran. Either the captain decided to save time and wrongly sought to head south down the eastern channel against any oncoming traffic, and was piling on the speed in order to get through as quickly as possible, or he simply made an error in navigation. The impact was tremendous that she lost almost all of her bow.

A very small part of the top of the stern breaks the surface, thus acting as an ideal marker for the start of the dive. In every direction the diver is treated to a magnificent underwater terrain of hard corals at their finest and many of these are now firmly attached to various features of the wreck. The stern rests over on its port side at an angle of about 45 degrees. Large steel plates lie across the seabed and one pair of deck winches lies upside down with hard coral having already become very firmly established.