Why is the Dahlak Archipelago Famous?
The Red Sea, Dahlak Archipelago is one of the richest, cleanest, and most beautiful oceans and the real wealth of Eritrea. The waters of the Red Sea are very narrow and cover a wide range, and it has almost no contact with other oceans, so it is very characteristic and salty. The water is the natural habitat of many endemic fish and corals, making them attractive to divers and anglers. However, research is still ongoing on the most popular species: barracudas, manta rays, and sharks.
The incomplete Red Sea is considered home to 1000 species of fish and many corals, clams or shellfish, sea turtles, and the famous dugong.
The Dahlak Islands, or the Dahlak Archipelago, is a series of approximately miles long islands situated 12-18 degrees North within the Red Sea.
The nearest islands are not distant from Massawa, from where they can be accessed easily. The temperature of the islands differs from as low as 25 degrees Celsius between Nov and April to as high as 45 degrees Celsius between Jun and Sep.
Dahlak Archipelago
The Dahlak Islands, once famous for their pearl divers, are scattered over 15,000 square kilometers of the Red Sea. Many are within easy reach of Massawa, which has excellent waters for snorkeling. There are more than 350 islands in Eritrean waters, but many are small, and a complete study is still awaited on many islands.
Only 15 islands have land areas greater than square kilometers, and these are the easiest to visit. In addition to a roaming resting place, feeding swarms of sardines and anchovies in the Red Sea is a great attraction for ornithologists. More than 109 species have been recorded, including pelicans, herons, storks, flamingos, orioles, dragons, and vultures, although the research is still ongoing.
The Temperature of the Area
According to the Great Barrier Reef, it is assumed that the water temperature in the Red Sea is always more than the algae living in the corals. While the reefs are not immune to bleaching completely, they have gone a little of that of the other main beaches, leaving them unharmed.
The Red Sea has included a time of geographic isolation from the enormous bodies of the ocean; there is an increased rate of endemism, with approximately 17% of fish and 6% of corals being prevalent.
Marine Life
A few islands have shores that are lined with saltbush or mangrove trees. The submerged coral reefs or shoals, incredible marine life (sharks, dolphins, turtle species, dugongs, fish, hermit crabs, shellfish, or mollusks), pumice stones, and shipwrecks made from the volcanoes make the Red Sea a memorable experience for diving Dahlak Archipelago.
Bird Species in the Dahlak Archipelago
The bird species are about 109 in number. The regions across the archipelago are the comfort zone for the endangered dolphins, and dugongs are pretty common. The most significant island, Dahlak Kebir, is the home to the stunted form of the gazelle of Soemmerring.
How to Go and What to Do in Dahlak Island?
From Massawa city, it is easy to hire a boat for traveling around or visiting the Dahlak Archipelago (such as the traditional boat for fishing). Out of 209 islands, which have a population of 2,500, only ten are populated, which set the current lifestyle of camels, herding goats, and fishing. With the fantastic culture of the people living there and the striking perfect beaches, the islands are the best places for diving underwater, apart from the Semite ruins, notably on Isratu, Nora, and Shumma for Dettei, Madote, and bottle divers for the others.
