Quick Facts:

Location:	Central: Southern most point of the Sinai, directly southwest of Shark Reef
Depth:	Max: 700m+ (2200ft+)
Access:	Boat
Level:	ADVANCED-DIVEMASTER

This site is named after a freighter that was wrecked here on the reef in 1980, the Yolanda. Together with Shark Reef this site comprises what is known by most people as the Ras Mohamed Diving Site. Simply put, it is the best diving site in the whole world.

The location is the southwestern twin peak of the Shark Reef-Yolanda Reef under water mount. This mount extends for hundreds of meters below the surface but there is a relatively shallow plateau surrounding Yolanda Reef. To the north east lies the Saddle, which is a shallow lagoon (18m)that extends to Shark Reef. To the south lies a flat reef where the remnants of the freighter Yolanda are interestingly scattered. Although the ship sank in 1981, it had remained on this shallow southern reef until a storm five years later plunged it towards the almost infinite deep further south. Some souvenirs have been left scattered on the reef and include some toilet bowls and a BMW, out of all things. There are plenty of eels here as they seem to to have taken a liking to the toilet bowls. Eels are not the only see creatures that seem to have developed an affinity for the bowls. Fire corals have as well. They are found on the rims of some of the bowls and a great number of divers have found out the hard way about their presence as they felt that sting while they were taking an amusing shot with loo.

All kinds of fish congregate around this site, especially in the summer months when the currents bring the richest nutrients. Here you will no doubt see many barracuda, the largest Napoleons, trunk fish, and snappers. On the reef itself there are thousands of different reef fish of which the gigantic moray eels, blue spotted and black spotted sting rays are the more significant. Sharks of all the typical species are quite frequently seen here as well, although not as much as was a few years ago. Large schools of jackfish and the occasional gang of dolphins are also often present here.

Corals on the reef and the plateau are abundant with many large gorgonians and plenty of anemones.

Currents are very strong here and can be potentially very dangerous if you are not with an experienced guide that knows them well. They are strongest east of the site where the vertical ones can really cause havoc. There are some ropes at a depth of 15 meters for this purpose.Visibility is good and averages at 20m for the whole site.