Daedalus Reef (also known as Abu Kizan) is a 400-meter-long and 100-meter-wide (1,310–330 ft) standalone reef in the Egyptian Red Sea situated about 90 kilometers from Marsa Alam.[2][3] There is a small artificial island in the center of the reef, which hosts a lighthouse constructed in 1863 and rebuilt in 1931.[4] Daedalus reef is a well-known place for diving because of good chances to see pelagic fish, such as hammerhead sharks, and an abundance of corals. In the high season one can find many dive safari boats staying overnight, anchored to the reef.
 Daedalus Reef Lighthouse in 2009 | |
 | |
| Location | Marsa Alam, Red Sea, Egypt |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 24°55′24″N 35°51′30″E / 24.9233°N 35.8583°E |
| Tower | |
| Constructed | 1863 |
| Construction | Stone tower |
| Height | 30 feet (9.1 m) |
| Shape | Cylindrical tower with balcony and lantern rising from a 2-story building[1] |
| Markings | Tower painted in white and black horizontal bands |
| Light | |
| First lit | 1931 |
| Focal height | 30 feet (9.1 m) |
| Range | 15 nautical miles (28 km; 17 mi) |
| Characteristic | Three white flashes every 12 s. |
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.
Climate
edit| Climate data for Daedalus Reef | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 24.0 (75.2) |
23.7 (74.7) |
25.0 (77.0) |
27.0 (80.6) |
29.4 (84.9) |
30.6 (87.1) |
32.4 (90.3) |
33.1 (91.6) |
31.3 (88.3) |
30.2 (86.4) |
28.3 (82.9) |
25.4 (77.7) |
28.4 (83.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 22.2 (72.0) |
21.7 (71.1) |
22.8 (73.0) |
24.4 (75.9) |
27.2 (81.0) |
28.3 (82.9) |
30.0 (86.0) |
30.0 (86.0) |
28.8 (83.8) |
27.8 (82.0) |
26.1 (79.0) |
23.3 (73.9) |
26.1 (78.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 20.2 (68.4) |
19.9 (67.8) |
20.9 (69.6) |
22.6 (72.7) |
25.2 (77.4) |
26.1 (79.0) |
27.3 (81.1) |
28.0 (82.4) |
27.1 (80.8) |
26.0 (78.8) |
24.1 (75.4) |
21.7 (71.1) |
24.1 (75.4) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 1 (0.0) |
1 (0.0) |
1 (0.0) |
1 (0.0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
5 (0.2) |
2 (0.1) |
11 (0.3) |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 68 | 70 | 74 | 70 | 77 | 78 | 77 | 76 | 78 | 79 | 73 | 68 | 74 |
| Source: Arab Meteorology Book[5] | |||||||||||||
References
edit- ^ Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Egypt: Red Sea". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved November 20, 2015.
- ^ "Welcome to Daedalus Reef". redsea-diving.info. Archived from the original on 2013-07-13. Retrieved 2013-04-07.
- ^ "Dive the Red Sea - Egypt - Daedalus Reef". dive-the-world.com. Retrieved 2013-04-07.
- ^ "www.emdb.gov.eg - Lighthouses". 2012-11-22. Archived from the original on November 22, 2012. Retrieved 2013-04-07.
- ^ "Appendix I: Meteorological Data" (PDF). Springer. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 4, 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2024.