Daedalus Reef (also known as Abu Kizan) is a 400-meter-long and 100-meter-wide () standalone reef in the
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
ian
Red Sea
The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; ...
situated about 90 kilometers from
Marsa Alam
Marsa Alam ( ar, مرسى علم ' , Classical Arabic ) is a town in south-eastern Egypt, located on the western shore of the Red Sea. It is currently seeing fast increasing popularity as a tourist destination and development following the openi ...
. There is a small artificial island in the center of the reef, which hosts a lighthouse constructed in 1863 and rebuilt in 1931.
Daedalus reef is a well-known place for diving because of good chances to see
pelagic fish
Pelagic fish live in the pelagic zone of ocean or lake waters—being neither close to the bottom nor near the shore—in contrast with demersal fish that do live on or near the bottom, and reef fish that are associated with coral re ...
, such as
hammerhead shark
The hammerhead sharks are a group of sharks that form the family Sphyrnidae, so named for the unusual and distinctive structure of their heads, which are flattened and laterally extended into a "hammer" shape called a cephalofoil. Most hammerhe ...
s, and an abundance of corals. In the high season one can find many dive safari boats staying overnight, anchored to the reef.
The 30 m (98 ft) lighthouse and the station is still active with 3 white flashes in a 2+1 pattern flashes every 30 seconds and only accessible by boats.
The lighthouse consists of a 30 m stone tower painted in black and white horizontal bands, and a 2-story quarter building for the Egyptian coast guard and Navy.
References
External links
wannadive.net* http://www.redseariviera.info/en/To-Know/Deadalus-Reef-Lighthouse--Red-Sea
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Reefs of the Red Sea
Lighthouses of the Red Sea
Underwater diving sites in Egypt
Lighthouses in Egypt
Lighthouses completed in 1863
Lighthouses completed in 1931
1863 establishments in Egypt