Brothers Islands

The Brothers — known locally as El Akhawein — are two remote limestone pinnacles rising from the deep Red Sea roughly 60 kilometres offshore from Hurghada. You don't day-trip here; it's liveaboard territory, full stop. Most itineraries run five to seven nights from Hurghada or El Quseir, and decent operators depart regularly between October and May.

Budget for a mid-range to premium vessel — the crossing can be rough and a comfortable boat makes a real difference.

What you're diving here is wall diving of a serious order. Big Brother drops to beyond 60 metres on its eastern face, with the shallower plateau sitting around 8–18 metres.

Visibility regularly stretches to 30 metres or more, and the walls are draped in soft coral and sea fans that have largely escaped the worst bleaching events hammering shallower Indo-Pacific reefs — though warmer Red Sea summers are beginning to leave their mark in places. Little Brother's currents can be punishing, particularly on the northern tip, which is exactly where the action concentrates.

Oceanic whitetip sharks patrol here with genuine confidence, often approaching divers directly — unsettling the first time, extraordinary once you settle into it. Hammerheads school at depth on the eastern walls, typically below 25 metres, and thresher sightings occur, though less reliably. Mantas pass through seasonally, and the reef fish life — surgeonfish, grouper, trevally — is dense.

Snorkelling is not what this destination is built for. The walls are sheer, currents unpredictable, and the marine life concentrates at depth. This one belongs to divers.

Advanced Open Water certification is the realistic minimum, and genuine comfort with current and blue-water conditions matters more than any card — go between October and April for the best visibility and shark activity.