Daedalus Reef

About

Daedalus Reef (Abu Kizan) is an isolated oceanic coral reef in the Egyptian Red Sea, located approximately 90 kilometres (56 mi) east of Marsa Alam and about 100 kilometres (62 mi) south-east of Hurghada, at coordinates 24°55′24″N 35°51′30″E. The reef rises from a water depth of approximately 550 metres (1, 800 ft) and its surface platform measures roughly 1,075 metres (3, 527 ft) in length by 300 metres (984 ft) in width, bordered on all sides by near-vertical walls with dense coral growth. At its northern tip stands the operational Daedalus Reef Lighthouse, first constructed in 1863 and rebuilt in 1931. The reef is part of Egypt's Red Sea marine protected area network, governed by a legal framework founded on Law No. 102 of 1983 and most recently reinforced by Prime Minister's Decree No. 4419 of 2025, which designated the entire Great Fringing Reef of the Red Sea as a marine protected area. Daedalus Reef is internationally recognised for its pelagic marine biodiversity and is considered one of the premier shark-observation sites in the Red Sea, with up to eight species documented through systematic underwater surveys.

Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA). Photography via Wikimedia Commons.