Aqaba South Shore tide times

Aqaba South Shore refers to the southernmost section of Jordan's 26-km coastline, from Tala Bay to the Saudi Arabian border — the heart of the Aqaba Marine Park managed by JREDS (Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan). This 7-km stretch contains Jordan's highest-quality coral reef systems and the greatest concentration of active dive sites. The Cedar Pride wreck, the Aquarium, First Bay, and the Power Station reef are clustered along this section; access is exclusively by boat or from beach entry points within the Marine Park boundaries.

The tidal regime is Gulf of Aqaba mixed semidiurnal: spring range 1.0–1.4 m. The reef system along this section is fringing, running 30–80 m from shore at 0.5–3.0 m depth on the reef flat and dropping to 15–40 m on the seaward reef slope. The tidal range is directly relevant to safe reef access: the spring range of 1.0–1.4 m translates to significant variation in clearance over the shallowest reef-top sections. At spring high water, clearance on the reef flat is 1.0–1.5 m. At spring low water, the shallowest sections expose to 0.0–0.3 m — actively drying in some areas. This is one of the highest-quality coral reef systems in the northern Red Sea, and the low-water coral exposure is an ecological concern as well as a practical access constraint.

For the Cedar Pride wreck — the most famous dive site in Jordan — the tidal range determines the snorkel access to the shallow superstructure. The wreck was a Lebanese cargo ship 75 m long, deliberately sunk in 25 m of water on its keel but with the mast and superstructure rising to 3–5 m below the surface. At high spring water, a snorkeller directly above the shallowest superstructure section has 4–5 m of water above them. At spring low water, that margin decreases by 1.0–1.4 m. For divers, the wreck is fully accessible at all tidal states; for snorkellers, the shallow superstructure is best visited at high water.

The Marine Park fee and registration system is administered by JREDS at the park entrance. Day-visitor permits cover snorkelling and glass-bottom boat access; diving requires a separate permit and must be conducted with an ASEZA-registered dive centre. PADI training courses are widely available from the Aqaba dive centres and Tala Bay marina operators.

For underwater photographers, the Red Sea visibility of 15–25 m and the Gulf of Aqaba's moderate tidal current (0.2–0.5 knots at mid-ebb) create excellent wide-angle conditions. The Cedar Pride wreck — encrusted with soft corals and surrounded by schooling fish — is photographed from the keel to the mast at 3–5 m. Natural light photography on the wreck is best between 09:00 and 12:00, when the sun penetrates the water column at an angle that illuminates the wreck faces without the overhead flatness of noon. The mid-ebb current at this time aligns with the optimal light window.

Shamal wind effect on water level is the most critical non-model variable for the South Shore. During sustained November–April northerly events, water level drops 0.2–0.4 m below prediction, compounding the spring low water to produce the lowest clearances on the reef flat. Dive centres in Aqaba monitor conditions and may redirect groups to deeper sites when the compound low makes the reef flat unsafe for snorkellers. Check conditions directly with the dive centre before departure.

The sea temperature at the South Shore runs 20–22 °C in February and peaks at 27–29 °C in August, making this a viable year-round diving destination. The Red Sea's high salinity (40–41 ppt compared to 35 ppt for most open ocean) gives slightly higher buoyancy than divers accustomed to Atlantic or Pacific conditions — a minor adjustment for weighting that new-to-Red-Sea divers should address with the dive centre on arrival. The gentle tidal currents (0.2–0.5 knots on spring cycles) along the reef wall create comfortable drift conditions for guided groups and are the mildest tidal environment of any site described in the Gulf of Aqaba region.

All tide predictions for Aqaba South Shore come from the Open-Meteo Marine gridded model. Timing accuracy is ±45 minutes; height accuracy is ±0.3 m above Chart Datum.