Dive Site: Big Brother

About Big Brother

Big Brother Island, a prominent pinnacle in the southern Red Sea, rises from significant depths approximately 60 miles off the Egyptian coast near El-Quseir. This remote location, accessible solely via liveaboard, is renowned for its vibrant marine life and two iconic shipwrecks. The island itself is relatively small, stretching about 400 meters in length, and is home to a Victorian lighthouse staffed by Egyptian soldiers. Big Brother's topography features sheer vertical walls that plunge into hundreds of meters of water, offering a dramatic underwater landscape. The island hosts two significant wreck sites: the Numidia, a British cargo ship that sank in 1901, with its bow starting at 8 meters and extending down to 80-85 meters; and the Aida II, a supply ship lost in 1957, resting between 25 and 60 meters. These wrecks are extensively encrusted with corals, providing both historical exploration and thriving artificial reefs. This site is celebrated for its abundant pelagic life, including frequent sightings of oceanic whitetip sharks, often cruising close to divers. Hammerheads, thresher, and grey reef sharks are also regularly spotted in the area, alongside schools of tuna and barracuda. The reefs and wrecks teem with anthias, moray eels, and Napoleon wrasse, with turtles making occasional appearances. The nutrient-rich currents foster a healthy array of hard and soft corals, sponges, and gorgonians, creating spectacular visual displays. Diving here typically involves drift dives along the walls or plateaus due to the currents. Divers can expect up to four day-time dives, as night diving is prohibited within this protected national park. Given its exposed location and potentially strong currents, Big Brother is best suited for advanced divers with solid buoyancy control and an understanding of liveaboard diving techniques.