Beyond Egypt: Sudan and Djibouti, the Wild Red Sea (2026 status)

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I have to start with an honesty that few travel articles will give you. As I write these lines, in 2026, Sudan, the wild jewel of the Red Sea everyone dreams about, is effectively out of reach. The conflict has closed flights to Port Sudan and hit the infrastructure. I would rather tell you straight away than sell you a trip you cannot take.

That does not make the subject pointless, quite the opposite. Because the real question, once you have done Egypt two or three times and you want something wilder, becomes this: what is still accessible today, and what is waiting for better days? The answer holds in two names, Djibouti and southern Egypt, plus a dream on hold, Sudan.

Open-water megafauna I learned in the Maldives, swimming with whale sharks and manta rays. It is that approach, made of patience and distance, that I carry over when I talk about these southern waters.

Let us keep it simple. Sha'ab Rumi, Sanganeb, those names light up any diver's eyes, and rightly so. Reefs that stayed close to what they were before mass tourism, schools of hammerhead sharks, dense life, almost no traffic. On paper, it is the open-water photographer's paradise.

In reality, in 2026, that paradise is closed. Regular airlines no longer serve Port Sudan, the infrastructure has been struck, and no photo, however beautiful, is worth taking that risk. I note it because many pages online keep selling Sudan as an open destination, which is no longer honest.

So keep it in mind as a project for later. The day the situation stabilises, Sudan will again be one of the finest photo dives on the planet. Until then, better to put your energy elsewhere.

Djibouti is the alternative still standing, and it is worth the trip for one reason that is more than enough. From November to February, the Gulf of Tadjoura sees juvenile whale sharks flock in to feed on plankton right by the coast. It is one of the most reliable windows in the world to swim with the largest fish on the planet.

The encounter happens at the surface, snorkelling or freediving, never on scuba. And that is good news for the photographer, because everything plays out in natural light, in the first few metres, where the blue is brightest. You look for the massive silhouette against the sun, you position yourself, and you let the animal do the rest.

On ethics I do not compromise, and I ask you not to compromise either. The whale shark is a vulnerable species, and poorly regulated tourism stresses it. You keep your distance, you never touch, you do not cross its path, you do not chase it. The rule is simple: the good image is the one where it came toward you. That is exactly the restraint I describe for photographing manta rays and whale sharks in the Maldives.

If Djibouti feels far and Sudan is closed, there is a route many forget: head down into southern Egypt. Marsa Alam, the Brothers, Daedalus, St John's. You find a Red Sea far wilder than the overcrowded northern sites, with sharks, drop-offs and healthy reefs, all in a country that stays accessible and organised for diving.

It is, in 2026, the best compromise for anyone who wants big animals and empty water without going to the ends of the earth or taking a risk. Logistics often run through a liveaboard, and the same preparation rigour applies. I explain it in detail in the article comparing the liveaboard and the resort stay in Egypt.

Wherever you go, these destinations share one demand: they are open-water megafauna dives. No reef to stabilise the frame, no bottom to anchor the composition, just an animal, the blue and the light. It is exhilarating and merciless for anyone without the basics.

The rule I repeat in every course holds in two points. First, position yourself relative to the sun, consciously: light behind you to reveal the patterns on a whale shark's flank, or full backlight to turn a school into silhouettes. Second, patience, because megafauna cannot be summoned and you do many dives for a few strong images.

This careful, slow approach to big animals is also the one I detail for photographing sharks safely. It is learned, and it is learned better before departure than at the moment the giant arrives beneath your fins.

If you are new to the Red Sea, do Egypt, the north, calmly, and work on your technique. Read first the mistakes to avoid for a first destination, they will save you years. If you already have the technique and want wild water this year, look at Djibouti in winter for the whale shark, or southern Egypt for the reefs.

And Sudan, keep it carefully in a corner of your mind. Not for this year. For the day it reopens.

For Djibouti's whale shark, I prefer small units to snorkeller factories. Deli, the country's oldest operator, sails with a maximum of twelve guests, in the spirit I stand for, real diving without mass tourism. It is a formula better suited to families with teens or confident swimmers than to young children, but to meet the giant in natural light while respecting its distance, it is the right instinct.

Before heading toward megafauna, the most useful thing is to work on your approach and your reading of light, so you do not spoil the encounter when it comes. That is the whole purpose of the AquaExposure underwater photography course. Because the day a whale shark glides slowly beside you in the blue of Tadjoura, you will not want to discover your settings then. You will want to be present, simply, and let the moment enter the frame.