Overview
The human eye can see anywhere from 200 to 300 shades of colour. Whoever wants to see them all at once, simply needs to take a dive in the Woodhouse Reef! The reef has no mooring points and is situated in the Straits of Tiran north of the Thomas Reef and south of the Jackson Reef. Woodhouse Reef and Jackson Reef, however, are connected by a shallow bridge.
Description
The Woodhouse Reef is the longest of the four reefs in the Straits of Tiran. The reef top is approx. 1.2 kilometres long. In the saddle region, extreme precaution is to be taken as divers can be confronted by harsh currents pulling them down. The locals call this place the 'washing machine'.
Diving is mainly done on the eastern side where a plateau and canyon are located as well as ... interesting wreckage remains which aren't exactly a sunken wooden house! If we avert our gaze from this site, we might just get the chance to catch hammerhead sharks, grey reef sharks, whitetip reef sharks, leopard sharks or eagle rays.
The canyon is too narrow to dive in with air; it's best to stay at the top. In the past, the curiosity of some divers has also been their undoing. But of course a snapshot for the kids can be taken – now where did Nemo live? That's right, in a sea anemone! They are located here too!
Hotspots
- Canyon and plateau: The canyon area (please do not dive in here!) and the plateau itself offer the most to discover. The Woodhouse Reef is well-known for offering encounters with large fish – so keep your eyes peeled!