Finding Nemo in Dahab, Egypt

I couldn't recognise much of Dahab from 10 years ago because it was so developed.

When I came here 10 years ago, it was popular with some western backpackers, and that was about it.
This small town of sleepy bedouin village became well known because of the reefs.

Looking at different kinds of fish and corals, it feels like I'm part of it for the moment.

I felt terrible finding about all the destruction of the reefs for the first few days in Dahab

But after a few more days, i could see why still so many people come and visit Dahab.

If I keep reminding myself of those days when there were full of reefs and fish in shallow water, say about knee depth,
so that it was so awkward to stand on or sit on anything or swim on tummy or float on the back...,
I guess today's Dahab is so sad...


But I guess it's still amazing to be able to see all this beutiful underwater world from the shore.
You can just have swimming suit and a snorkel, and here you go, you can enjoy all this without having to get on the boat to get to the reefs.


We are blessed to have all this right in front of our eyes.

Ruby got so excited to see the fish from the film 'Finding Nemo'.

Tried to take good photos of the Nemo for Ruby's scrap book to take to school.

So elegant looking lion fish was swimming away, so i got this to show the kids that this fish can be poisonous.

Thinking about the kids, I start to wonder what this will look like in 10 years time after further destruction of the reefs.


Corals are really sensitive that they can be easily destroyed by people touching it as well as all the rubbish and sewers coming out of ever fast growing restaurants, hotels and shops.


So thankful that I am so privileged to get to see this not just once but twice already, but at the same time I feel somehow responsible for the destruction a person like me brings to this place.


Looking at the underwater world,

this bedouin guy makes harmony with nature,

But a person like my husband who loves nature and knows how to look after it,
or even innocent Ruby seems like an intruder who only comes here to enjoy.


But even though we are only passers-by,
I so would like my children to come here to enjoy the same things when they are older,
and for their children as well...


Got talking with bedouins about this issue.
I could feel that they are truly sad about
nothing is being done by Egyptian government to prevent futher destruction of the reefs.

I also talked to the Egyptians from cairo and other places than Sinai
who are the majority of the people who do business in Dahab.

They also wanted to protect their livelyhood to some extent but the degree of it was incomparable to that of the bedouins.
I guess Dahab is a bedouin land after all that
other Egyptians can leave for somewhere else for money but the beduins can't...

I was told that plastic bags in Sinai are prohibited but everybody ignores it.

The Egyptian government doesn't seem to do enough to preserve one of the world's most beutiful water.

Some people might ask me why I care about some other countrie's problem and her goverment.

I simply want to enjoy again and again in this blessed part of the world.