Hawakil Bay Wall

Hawakil Bay is a deep sheltered inlet in the southern Dahlak Archipelago where a dramatic underwater wall plunges from 8 m to well below recreational diving limits in conditions of remarkable clarity. The wall face is encrusted with massive sponge colonies and sea fans that have grown to extraordinary size in the absence of human interference, and the nutrient-rich upwellings that flow into the bay sustain a density of reef fish that covers every surface. Schooling snappers fill the water column in glittering curtains, and large barracuda prowl the upper reaches of the wall in compact hunting formations. The bay itself protects the dive from the swell and chop of the outer Red Sea, and the calm entry makes it accessible even when conditions outside are challenging.