Its name in Arabic is al-Bahr al-Ahmar, the ancient Egyptians called it the Great Green, and today everyone knows it as the Red Sea. But it was Captain Jacques Cousteau, a renowned explorer of these depths, who gave the most evocative image of this sea, calling it “the corridor of wonders“.
With its unparalleled biodiversity, the Red Sea stands as one of the world’s most remarkable ecosystems—a haven for avid scuba divers. Originating 25 million years ago, the Red Sea emerged through tectonic upheavals as the African plate began to detach from the Eurasian one, forming a rift that the waters of the Indian Ocean eventually flooded.
The ongoing separation movement, which persists even today, will transform this basin into a real ocean over millions of years. The Red Sea possesses distinctive characteristics that have profoundly shaped the development of its renowned reefs and diverse marine. Firstly, the limited freshwater supply, resulting from the absence of rivers flowing into the sea and the scarcity of rainfall. Secondly, the intense volcanic activity within its depths.
From the deep trench that extends along the floor of the Red Sea, magma emerges from the Earth’s mantle. Upon contact with the water, this magma heats it from beneath, resulting in a stable and uniform temperature throughout the sea’s depths. This unique phenomenon eliminates the presence of the well-known thermocline in the Red Sea, ensuring a more even distribution of nutrients.
Additionally, in the southern region of the Red Sea, the monsoons blowing from the southeast during the summer season cause a significant input of plankton-rich water from the Indian Ocean. This abundance of plankton serves as nourishment for corals and various marine organisms. The disparity in seabed between the shallow Indian Ocean and the Red Sea forms a sort of barrier that “traps” the nutrients, preventing their scape.
The intricate dance of currents subsequently disperses these nutrients, giving rise to a truly unparalleled ecosystem in terms of its astonishing variety and vibrant colors.