Marine life in Saudi Arabia’s waters is incredibly varied and bountiful. The warm, shallow waters of the Arabian Gulf have nurtured extremely tolerant coral species, which have adapted to high salinity and abrupt temperature changes. Sea cows, or dugong, graze on seagrass beds and sea turtles come ashore to lay their eggs.
The deeper and cooler waters of the Red Sea are home to an enormous variety of species, including whales, dolphins, hammerhead sharks and sea snakes, and boast a diversity of fish unmatched anywhere in the world. Here, desert smoothly transitions into coastal beaches littered with shells and crab mounds.
The best way to discover Saudi Arabia’s rich marine life is to see it for yourself! The country has a fantastic range of dive and snorkelling sites along each of its coastlines. There are plenty of wrecks to explore and while Tiran Island offers many diving and snorkelling locations in the north, the abundant Farasan Islands harbour bird and wildlife habitats in addition to underwater wonders. There's a huge diversity of larger fish and sharks around many of the offshore islands including Jebel al Lith and beautiful sandy beaches in Jeddah, Yanbu and Umluj. The country houses some of the most pristine, unspoilt marine environments in the world, with coral gardens of more than 360 species extending along almost the entire Red Sea coast - some of which are found nowhere else on Earth.
Saudi Arabia has a number of marine protected areas, where fishing and collecting corals or shells is prohibited. In line with a growing environmental awareness in the country, these protected areas are increasing every year.
See the 'Activities' section for more information about diving in Saudi Arabia.
ANEMONEFISH
Amphiprion bicinctus
Anemonefish, or clownfish, are common residents of coral reefs, where they live among the arms of the sea anemone. While the sea anemone’s sting kills other fish, anemonefish are immune to the toxin. In return for protection amid the anemone's tentacles, they feed their host with the remains of their dinner. Several species of this patterned fish can be found across the east and west coasts, more commonly in the waters of the Red Sea.
BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN
Tursiops truncatus
Bottlenose dolphins have been recorded in Saudi Arabia's waters and the common dolphin, spinner dolphin and humpback dolphin also live here. Whales are rare, but four species of toothed whales, including the enormous sperm whale may be sighted.
RED LIONFISH
Pterois volitans
With their remarkable feather-like anatomy, brilliant colours and languid motion, lionfish are a beautiful sight. They are venomous, however, and can deliver a sting that causes extreme pain, sweating, respiratory distress and even paralysis. Lionfish are nocturnal hunters but can also be seen in the open on an overcast day and in greater depths along the reef wall. During the day, lionfish retreat to wall ledges and crevices among the rocks and corals.
COMMON STONE FISH
Synanceia verrucosa
Common stone fish are considered the most dangerous fish in the region – their venom is more potent than a scorpion’s. They're well camouflaged, blending in with the rocks and corals in shallow waters where they wait in ambush. Stone fish venom contains powerful neurotoxins secreted from glands at the base of their needle-like dorsal fin spines, which stick up when disturbed or threatened. They're prevalent in the region, so it's a good precaution always to wear protective shoes in the Red Sea.
CORALS
More than 400 species of coral can be found in the Red Sea, many of them endemic. Types of this marine invertebrate you may see include a number of important reef builders. Found in tropical oceans, reef builders secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton. Most corals secrete substances that can be irritating or toxic, so avoid touching them and enjoy the spectacle of colours at arm's length.
CORNETFISH
Fistularia commersonii
This fragile-looking fish is an efficient predator and can easily swallow blennies and gobies it seeks out along the reef wall. Cornetfish can adapt their colour to match their environment, and they can be almost invisible unless they're moving. They move rapidly but pose no danger.
DUGONG OR SEA COW
Dugong dugon
Dugongs, hawksbill and green turtles are some of Saudi Arabia’s most ecologically-important marine animals and are endangered. The Arabian Gulf and Red Sea are said to be home to more than 5,000 dugongs, the largest population of the species outside Australia. It is unlikely, however, that you will ever see one of these enigmatic mammals, as they are listed as 'vulnerable' to extinction.
Dugongs feed on seagrass and are therefore restricted to the shallow offshore habitats where it grows. They can live up to 70 years and reach sexual maturity between 8 and 18 years old. Their slow reproduction rate, combined with degradation of habitat and food due to hazardous human waste and activities, make them a very vulnerable species. In the past, they were hunted for meat and oil, evidence of which can be found in many stone age settlements on the Arabian Gulf islands.
These rare mammals are credited with giving rise to the legend of the mermaid. Their Arabic name, arus al bahr, means ‘bride of the sea’.
GREEN TURTLE
Chelonia mydas
A few decades ago, green turtles used to haul themselves up onto beaches by the dozen to lay their eggs. Today, their nesting grounds are covered by harbours, hotels and high rises, and their breeding sites are restricted to some of the offshore islands. The breeding season is in the early summer (May to August). Although five species of sea turtle have been recorded in the region, only the green turtle and the hawksbill turtle breed here. Both are protected species.
MORAY EEL
There are many types of eel in the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf, and Moray eels are actually a family of numerous eel species. They're nocturnal predators and rarely seen in full length during the day as they stay partially-hidden in rock crevices and holes. Sometimes their heads may protrude from the hole, their open mouths showing small, sharp teeth. While not venomous, they are territorial and can be aggressive, so it’s wise to keep some distance.
RAYS
Like sharks, rays are cartilaginous fish, meaning their skeleton is made of a tough, elastic substance rather than bone. In Saudi Arabia, there are many species of ray, including manta, eagle, bull, marble, blue-spotted and the stingray. Rays prefer the sandy sea bottom, where they lay in ambush, partially covered by sand. They eat worms, crabs, clams, oysters, shrimp and other invertebrates.
RUSTY PARROTFISH
Scarus ferrugineus
Rainbow-coloured parrotfish can be seen scraping at algae or crunching coral with their beak-like teeth. They crush the coral into sand, excreting it in a fine stream of dust. A member of the Wrasse family, parrotfish – or 'hareed' in Arabic – can grow up to 60cm in length and change colour with age.
Parrotfish tend to congregate in shallow areas along the coast in spring. Taking advantage of their abundance, locals are able to catch large numbers of them. In the past, this was a way of supplementing diet. Today, the tradition continues with an annual parrotfish fishing festival held on the Farasan Islands. But the practice is likely to decimate the numbers of this species.
SEA URCHIN
Echinoidea
Sea urchins can be found off beaches across both sea coasts, wherever there are rocks or large stones to which they can cling. They have long, needle-like spines protruding from a circular body. The spines are poisonous, and although they’re not life threatening, a sting should be tended to quickly before infection begins or the pain spreads. Black sea and rock-boring urchins are the two most common species found here. Urchins are nocturnal and come out of their hiding places at night to forage for food. A large number of sea urchins in an area is often a sign of a weakening ecosystem.
SHARK
There are numerous species of shark living in the waters of the Arabian Gulf, including reef sharks, bottom-feeding nurse sharks, leopard sharks and blacktip and whitetip reef sharks. An even greater number of species – and those larger in size, like bull sharks, hammerheads and tiger sharks – inhabit the Red Sea. Very few of the potentially dangerous sharks come close enough to the shore to present a problem for swimmers. Divers consider themselves lucky to encounter sharks as they tend to hunt around the maximum depth for recreational diving. By not feeding wild species and simply observing them from a distance, the risk of an attack is minimal.
WHITE-SPOTTED PUFFER FISH
Arothron hispidus
White-spotted puffer fish can grow up to 50cm in length, are light grey in colour and covered with small white spots that form concentric lines radiating around their eyes and pectoral fins. They enjoy a varied diet of algae, molluscs, sea stars, sponges, tunicates, coral, anemones, crabs, tubeworms and also detritus. To evade predators, puffer fish secrete a toxin on their skin and fill up their stomach with water to appear more intimidating and harder to swallow. They're common on the reef and tend to choose a favourite spot and stay there.
YELLOW-BELLIED SEA SNAKE
Pelamis platurus
Of the nine species of sea snake in the Gulf, the yellow-bellied sea snake is the one that's most often found on beaches. All sea snakes carry deadly poisons (20 times more powerful than a cobra’s) but their mouths are not wide enough for them to sink into a human. Sea snakes aren't aggressive, and if you leave them alone they won't attack. Beware that a washed-up sea snake may not be dead.
