Ras Muhammad

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Ras Muhammad (Arabic: رأس محمد‎) is located in Egypt at the southern extreme of the Sinai Peninsula, overlooking the the Gulf of Suez at west and the Gulf of Aqaba at east. Two islands, Tiran and Sanafir are part of the site. It is so named because in side view it shows an outline like a bearded man's face. The National Park is one of Egypt's most spectacular and is situated in the tourist region of the Red Sea Riviera with Sharm-el-Sheikh being the nearest city.

It was established as a marine reserve for the protection of marine and terrestrial wildlife by the Egyptian Environmental Affairs Agency (EEAA) in 1983. It has a surface of 480 km². Its shoreline configurations and coral reef ecosystems are internationally recognized as among the world's best. The inland area includes a diversity of desert habitats such as mountains and wadis, gravel plains and sand dunes.

More than 200 species of corals are found in the Ras Mohammed area. Out of them, 125 species are soft corals, in addition to more than 1000 species of fish, 40 species of star fish, 25 species of sea urchins, more than a 100 species of mollusc and 150 species of crustaceans. Among others, the Sea Turtles (Green Turtle - Chelonia mydas, and the Hawksbill Turtle - Eretmochelys imbricata) are seen in Ras Mohammed regularly.