Sanganeb Marine National Park, Marine national park in Red Sea, Sudan

Sanganeb Marine National Park is a coral atoll in the Red Sea about 30 km northeast of Port Sudan. It is the only coral atoll in the Red Sea, with a reef flat and slopes on all sides, three inner lagoons, and a total protected area of about 260,700 hectares. The reef drops steeply, and the atoll's flat southern reef holds man-made structures.

The area was established in 1990 as Sudan's first marine protected zone. A 50-meter lighthouse built between 1958 and 1964 marks the site and historically guided maritime navigation in the Red Sea.

The name Sanganeb is said to come from "sanqaniy", a local term for a tree growing in the Gebeit and Sinkat valleys of eastern Sudan whose shape resembles the island's coral. The island is nicknamed the bride of Red Sea tourism. Green, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles occur in the reserve.

The park is accessible only by boat from Port Sudan, with specialized vessels providing accommodation and transportation to different dive sites. Conditions change with seasons, so planning ahead and checking local weather patterns helps ensure a smooth visit.

Sanganeb is the only coral atoll in the Red Sea, and its name comes from "sanqaniy", a tree of the Gebeit and Sinkat wadis whose branching shape locals compared to the reef. The island has no dry land apart from man-made structures on the southern flat reef, and it encloses three inner lagoons.