The Brothers & Daedalus Reef

Egypt

The Brothers (El Akhawein) and Daedalus Reef are two isolated offshore reef formations in Egypt's southern Red Sea, reachable only by liveaboard, forming part of the 'Golden Triangle' liveaboard circuit known for hammerhead and oceanic whitetip shark encounters.

The Brothers Islands are two small islands in Egypt's Red Sea Governorate, Big Brother and Little Brother, 67 km offshore from El Qoseir, topped by an 1883 lighthouse and holding the wrecks of the Numidia and the Aida. Daedalus Reef, about 90 km east of Marsa Alam (approx. 24.92N, 35.86E), is an isolated platform reef rising from roughly 550 m depth. Both fall under Egypt's Red Sea marine protectorate law (1983, reinforced 2025); Daedalus was recognised as a Mission Blue Hope Spot in 2022. Reachable only by multi-day liveaboard from Hurghada, Port Ghalib or Marsa Alam. Coordinates given are for the Brothers Islands. Source: Wikipedia (Daedalus Reef, El Ikhwa Islands), Mission Blue.