Red Sea

Region: Egypt (primarily), Israel (Eilat), Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Eritrea
Type: Tropical sea; coral reefs, wrecks, pelagics, muck diving
Significance: The most frequently referenced diving destination in the Wetpixel archive; Alex Mustard’s primary camera review location; the most accessible warm-water destination for European underwater photographers
First Wetpixel coverage: 2003

Overview

The Red Sea is one of the most frequently referenced destinations in the entire Wetpixel archive, appearing in 165+ articles and 1,000+ forum threads. Its importance for underwater photography stems from exceptional water clarity, warm year-round temperatures, diverse subjects — coral reefs, large pelagics, world-class WWII wrecks — and accessibility from Europe. As Adam Hanlon noted: “We are lucky in the UK that the Red Sea is so close,” describing the five-hour flight from Manchester to Hurghada ([1]).

The Red Sea’s coral reefs live in hyper-warm, saline waters that may provide critical insights for global coral survival. An OceanX documentary shown at the 2020 G20 Summit in Riyadh, shot with a RED Digital Cinema Komodo in a Gates housing, highlighted this resilience: “After 400 million years and several mass extinctions, coral reefs around the world are set to disappear in a matter of decades. But the coral reefs in the Red Sea live in hyper-warm and saline waters that are similar to what the rest of our oceans could look like in just a few decades” ([2]).

Joe Daniels, writing in 2019, summarized the region’s photographic appeal: “From pristine coral gardens, electric dolphin encounters, ethereal caverns, and incredible shark encounters, the Red Sea has it all for any diver or photographer” ([3]).

Key Dive Sites

Northern Red Sea (Sinai Peninsula)

Southern Red Sea (Egypt Mainland)

Israel

SS Thistlegorm

The WWII British military transport ship SS Thistlegorm is “probably the most dived and photographed wreck in the Red Sea, if not the world.” Sunk by German bombers, discovered by Jacques-Yves Cousteau in the early 1950s (who reputedly salvaged her bell), then lost again until rediscovery in the early 1990s. Her holds contain BSA M20 motorbikes, Bedford trucks, Foden trucks, and other WWII military cargo, now colonized by bigeyes (Priancanthus blochii) and Red Sea soldierfish (Myripristis murdjan) ([17]).

Nadya Kulagina produced a celebrated portfolio of Thistlegorm interiors using off-camera strobes to backlight motorbikes and reveal truck cabin details ([18]). Alex Mustard published a Thistlegorm guidebook with cutting-edge 3D and photogrammetry imagery to document the location of historical artifacts, discussed on Wetpixel Live ([19]). Mustard’s Thistlegorm BSA motorbike image, shot with backlit off-camera flash, became one of the signature images in his Underwater Photography Masterclass book ([20]).

Camera & Gear Reviews Shot in the Red Sea

Alex Mustard established a pattern of using the Red Sea as his primary camera and gear review location, returning to familiar subjects and conditions for consistent comparisons. In his D750 review: “There was a definite sense of deja-vu as I plunged into the warm November waters of the Red Sea for this camera review. It is not the first time Nikon’s autumnal camera releases have been met by a swift response from housing manufacturers and I’ve come here to be the first to put them through their paces underwater” ([21]).

YearReviewReviewerSource
2005Nikon D2X + Subal ND2 — “a week later the three of us were in the Red Sea getting better acquainted” (16 dives, Sharm el-Sheikh)Mustard[22]
2008Nikon D700 + Subal ND700 — FX vs DX comparisonMustard[23]
2010Nikon D7000 + Nauticam NA-D7000 — world’s first underwater testMustard[24]
2014Nauticam 140mm dome port — mini dome on full frame testingMustard[25]
2014Nikon D750 + Nauticam NA-D750 — marquee reviewMustard[26]
2017Nikon 8-15mm f/3.5-4.5 fisheye lens — zoom fisheye for FX and DXHanlon[27]
2017Retra Flash — pre-production units, Caribbean and Red Sea testingMustard[28]
2017Nauticam WACP — tested with Nikon D5; “Red Sea scenery, June 2017”Mustard[29]
2018Strobe comparison: Inon Z-330, Retra Flash, Symbiosis SS2, Seacam Seaflash 150 (benchmark)Hanlon[30]
2019ONEUW 160X strobe — 40+ dives, wide-angle wrecks, reefs, macro; “a destination and list of subjects that I have shot many times”Mustard[31]

Competitions

Eilat Red Sea Shoot-Out (2005–2020)

The underwater photography competition in Eilat ran under various sponsors for over a decade, evolving through several eras:

Red Sea Diving Festival (2020)

By 2020, the competition evolved into the “Red Sea Diving Festival,” organized by photographers Boaz Samorai and Noam Kortler with sponsorship from the Israeli Ministry of Tourism. Held March 11-14, it featured an underwater photography gallery — images printed on slightly buoyant acrylic, suspended from monofilament fishing lines on weights, creating the appearance of hovering in mid-water on a shallow coral bommie. Events included diving workshops (freediving, technical diving, underwater photography), film screenings, a beach cleanup, and an underwater cleaning dive. Adam Hanlon attended and presented. An underwater artist, Geir Borresen, even painted in oils during the event. It was one of the last in-person dive events before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down international travel ([43], [44]).

Early Red Sea Competitions

The first Wetpixel-covered Red Sea competition was Digideep’s 2003 “Digital Shoot-Out,” a liveaboard photo safari departing Sharm el-Sheikh for Abu Nuhas wrecks, Thistlegorm, and Ras Mohammed, priced at 735 EUR with unlimited diving and tutorials on digital underwater photography — organized by Lars Kirchhoff and Andreas Voeltz ([45]).

Wetpixel Expeditions

Wetpixel organized Red Sea photography trips on the VIP ONE liveaboard, timed for the May-June Ras Mohammed fish aggregations:

Workshops and Photography Trips

The Red Sea became a hub for underwater photography education:

Notable Firsts

Political & Safety Events

Conservation

Publications

Key Dive Operators

Timeline

References

Wetpixel Live


Sources

  1. Wetpixel article, Feb 8, 2018: Behind The Scenes Strobe Testing In The Red Sea
  2. Wetpixel article, Nov 25, 2020: Video Red Sea Reefs From 2020 G20 Summit
  3. Wetpixel article, Nov 12, 2019: Joe Daniels Egypts Red Sea
  4. Wetpixel article, Sep 19, 2021: Wetpixel Red Sea Odyssey 2022
  5. Wetpixel article, May 22, 2011: Trip Report Nuweiba Egyptian Red Sea
  6. Wetpixel article, Jul 21, 2003: Digideeps Red Sea Digital Shoot Out
  7. Forum thread: Red Sea Rhinoceros Blenny
  8. Wetpixel article, Aug 16, 2012: 3d Underwater Video On Blu Ray From The Red Sea
  9. Wetpixel article, Feb 8, 2018: Behind The Scenes Strobe Testing In The Red Sea
  10. Forum thread: Red Sea Rhinoceros Blenny
  11. Wetpixel article, Sep 25, 2020: Wetpixel Live Photographing Whitetip Sharks
  12. Wetpixel article, Nov 12, 2019: Joe Daniels Egypts Red Sea
  13. Wetpixel article, Nov 12, 2019: Joe Daniels Egypts Red Sea
  14. Wetpixel article, Nov 12, 2019: Joe Daniels Egypts Red Sea
  15. Forum thread: Anemone Bleaching In The Red Sea Ecological Disaster Or Seasonal Cycle Of Life
  16. Wetpixel article, Mar 11, 2020: Live Reports Red Sea Diving Festival
  17. Wetpixel article, Dec 3, 2013: Thistlegorm By Nadya Kulagina
  18. Wetpixel article, Dec 3, 2013: Thistlegorm By Nadya Kulagina
  19. Wetpixel article, Dec 9, 2020: Wetpixel Live Guide To The Thistlegorm
  20. Wetpixel article, Mar 29, 2016: Review Underwater Photography Masterclass By Alex Mustard
  21. Wetpixel article, Nov 18, 2014: Field Review Nikon D750 And Nauticam Na D750
  22. Wetpixel article, Mar 15, 2005: Nikon D2x And Subal Nd2 Review
  23. Wetpixel article, Nov 17, 2008: Review Nikon D700 In Subal Nd700
  24. Wetpixel article, Dec 2, 2010: Field Review Nikon D7000 And Nauticam Na D7000
  25. Wetpixel article, Nov 15, 2014: Review Nauticam 140mm Dome Port By Alex Mustard
  26. Wetpixel article, Nov 18, 2014: Field Review Nikon D750 And Nauticam Na D750
  27. Wetpixel article, Jul 11, 2017: Review Nikon 8 15 Mm F 3.5 4.5 Fisheye Lens
  28. Wetpixel article, Sep 20, 2017: Field Review Retra Flash By Alex Mustard And Friends
  29. Wetpixel article, Sep 28, 2017: Review Nauticam Wide Angle Corrector Port
  30. Wetpixel article, Feb 8, 2018: Behind The Scenes Strobe Testing In The Red Sea
  31. Wetpixel article, Jul 10, 2019: Field Review Oneuw 160x Strobe By Alex Mustard
  32. Wetpixel article, Mar 7, 2006: Sandisk Red Sea 2006 Underwater Photo Competition
  33. Wetpixel article, May 10, 2006: Digideep Covers Sandisk Redsea Photo Competition
  34. Wetpixel article, Sep 18, 2010: Call For Entries Epson Red Sea Images Of The World
  35. Wetpixel article, Jan 5, 2011: Epson Red Sea World Shoot Out
  36. Wetpixel article, Feb 15, 2011: Epson Red Sea Releases 2010 Competition Album
  37. Wetpixel article, Mar 30, 2011: Call For Entries Epson Red Sea 2011 Online
  38. Wetpixel article, Oct 24, 2012: Final Call Hp Red Sea Shoot Out
  39. Wetpixel article, Nov 19, 2012: Results Of Hp Red Sea Shoot Out Announced
  40. Wetpixel article, Oct 10, 2012: Underwater Photography Olympics To Be Held In Eilat
  41. Wetpixel article, Apr 14, 2013: Hp Red Sea National Team Category At Marseille 2013
  42. Wetpixel article, Sep 17, 2014: Results Eilat Red Sea And World Shoot Out 2014
  43. Wetpixel article, Feb 5, 2020: Wetpixel To Attend The Red Sea Diving Festival
  44. Wetpixel article, Mar 11, 2020: Live Reports Red Sea Diving Festival
  45. Wetpixel article, Jul 21, 2003: Digideeps Red Sea Digital Shoot Out
  46. Wetpixel article, Sep 19, 2021: Wetpixel Red Sea Odyssey 2022
  47. Wetpixel article, Apr 5, 2022: Last Spaces Wetpixel Red Sea 2022
  48. Wetpixel article, Sep 4, 2022: Wetpixel Red Sea Imaging Safari 2023
  49. Forum thread: Wetpixel Red Sea Imaging Safari 2023 Has Been Cancelled From My Vip One Sailing Departures List
  50. Wetpixel article, Jul 14, 2014: Video Behind The Scenes Fashion With Alex Mustard
  51. Wetpixel article, Nov 12, 2019: Joe Daniels Egypts Red Sea
  52. Wetpixel article, Jul 21, 2003: Digideeps Red Sea Digital Shoot Out
  53. Wetpixel article, May 10, 2006: Digideep Covers Sandisk Redsea Photo Competition
  54. Wetpixel article, Feb 8, 2018: Behind The Scenes Strobe Testing In The Red Sea
  55. Wetpixel article, May 22, 2011: Trip Report Nuweiba Egyptian Red Sea
  56. Wetpixel article, May 13, 2009: Underwater Video Taken With The Canon 5d Mk Ii
  57. Wetpixel article, Aug 19, 2011: Underwater Fashion Shoot In The Red Sea
  58. Wetpixel article, Aug 16, 2012: 3d Underwater Video On Blu Ray From The Red Sea
  59. Forum thread: Red Sea Rhinoceros Blenny
  60. Wetpixel article, Feb 2, 2010: Dry Dock Fire Destroys Several Red Sea Dive Boats
  61. Wetpixel article, Dec 1, 2010: Diving Ban For Sharm El Sheikh
  62. Wetpixel article, Jan 31, 2011: Egpyt Unrest Reaches Red Sea Resorts
  63. Wetpixel article, Jul 2, 2013: Egypt Travel Warnings Issued
  64. Wetpixel article, Dec 21, 2017: Uk Government Relaxes Cabin Baggage Restrictions For Egypt Flights
  65. Wetpixel article, Dec 21, 2015: Report Silence Of The Sharks
  66. Wetpixel article, Nov 12, 2019: Joe Daniels Egypts Red Sea
  67. Forum thread: Anemone Bleaching In The Red Sea Ecological Disaster Or Seasonal Cycle Of Life
  68. Wetpixel article, Mar 29, 2016: Review Underwater Photography Masterclass By Alex Mustard
  69. Wetpixel article, Dec 9, 2020: Wetpixel Live Guide To The Thistlegorm
  70. Wetpixel article, Sep 22, 2022: Red Sea Marine Life Book Released
  71. Wetpixel article, Feb 8, 2018: Behind The Scenes Strobe Testing In The Red Sea
  72. Wetpixel article, Aug 3, 2007: Ocean Odyssey Digital Photo Shootout 2007
  73. Wetpixel article, Feb 2, 2010: Dry Dock Fire Destroys Several Red Sea Dive Boats
  74. Wetpixel article, Sep 19, 2021: Wetpixel Red Sea Odyssey 2022
  75. Wetpixel article, Jul 21, 2003: Digideeps Red Sea Digital Shoot Out
  76. Wetpixel article, Mar 15, 2005: Nikon D2x And Subal Nd2 Review
  77. Wetpixel article, Mar 7, 2006: Sandisk Red Sea 2006 Underwater Photo Competition
  78. Wetpixel article, Nov 17, 2008: Review Nikon D700 In Subal Nd700
  79. Wetpixel article, May 13, 2009: Underwater Video Taken With The Canon 5d Mk Ii
  80. Wetpixel article, Feb 2, 2010: Dry Dock Fire Destroys Several Red Sea Dive Boats
  81. Wetpixel article, Dec 1, 2010: Diving Ban For Sharm El Sheikh
  82. Wetpixel article, Dec 2, 2010: Field Review Nikon D7000 And Nauticam Na D7000
  83. Wetpixel article, Jan 31, 2011: Egpyt Unrest Reaches Red Sea Resorts
  84. Wetpixel article, May 22, 2011: Trip Report Nuweiba Egyptian Red Sea
  85. Wetpixel article, Oct 24, 2012: Final Call Hp Red Sea Shoot Out
  86. Forum thread: Red Sea Rhinoceros Blenny
  87. Wetpixel article, Jul 2, 2013: Egypt Travel Warnings Issued
  88. Wetpixel article, Sep 17, 2014: Results Eilat Red Sea And World Shoot Out 2014
  89. Wetpixel article, Nov 18, 2014: Field Review Nikon D750 And Nauticam Na D750
  90. Wetpixel article, Dec 21, 2015: Report Silence Of The Sharks
  91. Wetpixel article, Sep 28, 2017: Review Nauticam Wide Angle Corrector Port
  92. Wetpixel article, Dec 21, 2017: Uk Government Relaxes Cabin Baggage Restrictions For Egypt Flights
  93. Wetpixel article, Feb 8, 2018: Behind The Scenes Strobe Testing In The Red Sea
  94. Wetpixel article, Jul 10, 2019: Field Review Oneuw 160x Strobe By Alex Mustard
  95. Wetpixel article, Nov 12, 2019: Joe Daniels Egypts Red Sea
  96. Wetpixel article, Mar 11, 2020: Live Reports Red Sea Diving Festival
  97. Wetpixel article, Nov 25, 2020: Video Red Sea Reefs From 2020 G20 Summit
  98. Wetpixel article, Sep 19, 2021: Wetpixel Red Sea Odyssey 2022
  99. Wetpixel article, Sep 22, 2022: Red Sea Marine Life Book Released
  100. Forum thread: Wetpixel Red Sea Imaging Safari 2023 Has Been Cancelled From My Vip One Sailing Departures List
  101. Forum thread: Anemone Bleaching In The Red Sea Ecological Disaster Or Seasonal Cycle Of Life
  102. Digideep’s Red Sea Digital Shoot-Out (2003) (article)
  103. Nikon D2X review — Alex Mustard (2005) (article)
  104. SanDisk Red Sea 2006 Underwater Photo Competition (article)
  105. Digideep covers SanDisk RedSea Photo Competition (2006) (article)
  106. Nikon D700 review — Alex Mustard (2008) (article)
  107. First Canon 5D Mark II underwater video — Fergus Kennedy (2009) (article)
  108. Dry dock fire destroys Red Sea dive boats (2010) (article)
  109. Epson Red Sea competition entries (2010) (article)
  110. Diving ban for Sharm el-Sheikh (2010) (article)
  111. Nikon D7000 review — Alex Mustard (2010) (article)
  112. Epson Red Sea World Shoot-Out (2011) (article)
  113. Egypt unrest reaches Red Sea resorts (2011) (article)
  114. Epson Red Sea 2010 competition album (2011) (article)
  115. Trip report: Nuweiba, Egyptian Red Sea (2011) (article)
  116. Underwater fashion shoot in the Red Sea (2011) (article)
  117. 3D underwater video from Red Sea (2012) (article)
  118. Underwater Photography Olympics in Eilat (2012) (article)
  119. HP Red Sea shoot-out (2012) (article)
  120. HP Red Sea shoot-out results (2012) (article)
  121. HP Red Sea National Team at Marseille (2013) (article)
  122. Egypt travel warnings issued (2013) (article)
  123. Thistlegorm by Nadya Kulagina (2013) (article)
  124. Nauticam 140mm dome port review (2014) (article)
  125. Nikon D750 review — Alex Mustard (2014) (article)
  126. Eilat Red Sea and World Shoot Out 2014 results (article)
  127. Behind the scenes fashion with Alex Mustard (2014) (article)
  128. Report: Silence of the Sharks (2015) (article)
  129. Underwater Photography Masterclass review (2016) (article)
  130. Nikon 8-15mm fisheye review (2017) (article)
  131. Retra Flash review — Alex Mustard (2017) (article)
  132. Nauticam WACP review — Alex Mustard (2017) (article)
  133. UK cabin baggage restrictions for Egypt (2017) (article)
  134. Strobe testing — Adam Hanlon (2018) (article)
  135. ONEUW 160X strobe review — Alex Mustard (2019) (article)
  136. Joe Daniels — Egypt’s Red Sea (2019) (article)
  137. Wetpixel Live: Photographing Whitetip Sharks (2020) (article)
  138. Wetpixel to attend Red Sea Diving Festival (2020) (article)
  139. Red Sea Diving Festival live reports (2020) (article)
  140. G20 Red Sea reef documentary (2020) (article)
  141. Wetpixel Live — Thistlegorm guide (2020) (article)
  142. Wetpixel Red Sea Odyssey 2022 (article)
  143. Last Spaces: Wetpixel Red Sea 2022 (article)
  144. Wetpixel Red Sea Imaging Safari 2023 (article)
  145. Red Sea Marine Life Book — Ryanskiy (2022) (article)
  146. Rhinoceros blenny discovery thread (2013-2015) (forum)
  147. 2023 Red Sea trip cancellation thread (forum)
  148. Anemone bleaching in the Red Sea (2023) (forum)
  149. Wetpixel Live Ep. 114: Guide for Underwater Photographers — SS Thistlegorm (unknown)
  150. Wetpixel Live Extra: Mustard Red Sea Workshop 2016 (unknown)