Taking the good weather window, we were heading to Sanganeb reef. The reef with it’s 50 meter lighthouse lies just around the corner of Port Sudan and is something of a divers Mecca. Apart from the lighthouse there is no land, just a huge area with coral reef and a central lagoon.

Slowly, we have been sailing the just 40 miles from Suakin through the night to avoid arriving early before sunrise. It was freezing, aerial greetings from the mediterranean, finally the time came for sorting out our blankets. In the dark entering to the lagoon is not possible and also tying up at the pier in front of the lighthouse would definitely be a bold move. We arrived at the lighthouse at dawn with each minute of the rising sun, the reefs were better to make out. Initially, we planned to attach ourselves with a long line on the jetty, but experiencing the winds and waves against us and seeing the sheer height of the peer, we changed plans entering the lagoon. Finding a suitable anchorage was taking time. The bottom of the lagoon is uneven and mostly covered by coral. Just before giving up, we found a large enough sand patch free of bommies (19°44.0' N, 37°26.9' E) and the hook instantly was holding well.

Straight after breakfast we took the dingy motoring to the lighthouse to meet it’s watchkeepers. What in Europe and most parts of the world is done fully automatically, is here still being monitored by humans. Six men at a time are living out for two weeks at the lighthouse before returning to Port Sudan and working for one month at the port. Osman, their charismatic boss, was spreading his wings over us and invited us to have breakfast together with his team. They served some kind of thick pancakes with a brown, slimy paste in a big bowl. Everybody was eating with the right hand from that bowl. The men have just been smiling when Joni ripped his first piece with his left. We were having breakfast in the forecourt of the lighthouse sitting in the shade, surrounded by the beautiful colours of the sea. It has been an amazing experience not at last because of the once again great hospitality the people. Osmans is fluent speaking English and practicing almost every day, when one of the diving boats with their international guests are visiting. He explained us the technical installations of the lighthouse while the boys have been playing with a transport lore on rails, which the men are are using for transporting their supplies from the biweekly supply ship over the jetty to the lighthouse. A little later we stood at the top of the tower, next to the huge bulb, inhaling the breathtaking scenery. The captain took pleasure in investigating the original african technical installations and was utterly surprised that they are indeed working.

At the front end of the jetty, the reef dropped more than 30 meters into the sea. Standing aloft it being like looking into an aquarium. Colourful reef fish were abundantly living at the coral wall. Apparently, it’s known as a divers paradise, but also for snorkelling it has been awesome. We have been watching not only the little reef fish such as clownfish, doctorfish, butterfly fish and many more, but also their predators looking for lunch. I found it remarkable, that the fish not seemed to be shy, I was able approaching them surprisingly close. On the wall also giant clams are living and many kind of coral. According to Murphy, I must have forgotten the camera on board - and I did.

Osman wasn’t letting us leave without having coffee and a Fanta, thus we returned to Moya in the late afternoon after an absolutely intriguing day at the reef. Great people, great hospitality, great nature.