A strange cracking sound. Like chips. Under water<\/p>\n\n
You look around. Nothing. Then again: Crunch \u2013 crack \u2013 crunch<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n And then you see it. In the middle of a coral block, in all its colourful splendour: a parrotfish<\/strong>. Large. Colourful. And completely in its element.<\/p>\n\n He bites off pieces of coral, crushes them with his powerful beak \u2013 and seems completely absorbed in his own world<\/p>\n\n Welcome to breakfast in the canyon.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n Parrotfish look as if someone has treated them to the entire palette of a paint box. Neon colours, shine, stripes, spots \u2013 each one looks a little different<\/p>\n\n But the most exciting thing is: they have teeth.<\/strong> Not just any teeth, but a hard beak that looks like a parrot’s. And it’s powerful.<\/p>\n\n They chew on hard coral rock \u2013 not out of malice, but because they love the algae that grow on it<\/strong>. The coral is like the bread roll, and the algae are the filling.<\/p>\n\n What they don’t need is excreted \u2013 as fine, white sand<\/strong>. Yes, that’s right: a large part of the tropical beach comes from parrotfish.<\/p>\n\n The Canyon<\/strong> is located north of Dahab \u2013 one of the most famous formations in the region.<\/p>\n\n With its columns, caves and play of light<\/strong>, it is spectacular in itself. But what many people don’t know is that you can often find real characterful creatures on the reef roof. Like our chewing friend here.<\/p>\n\n As you slowly emerge across the flat plateau, you can almost always hear it \u2013 even before you see it<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n Parrotfish are solitary creatures<\/strong>. They swim around leisurely, appear deeply relaxed and are hardly impressed by us divers.<\/p>\n\n But that’s exactly what makes them so likeable<\/p>\n\n You can get really close to them<\/strong> \u2013 if you stay calm and just let yourself drift.<\/p>\n\n Sometimes they swim right past your mask, almost as if they want to show you their latest colour combination<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n The canyon is more than just crevices and depths. It is also a place of little stories. Of colourful encounters.<\/p>\n\n And the next time you hear that crunching sound \u2013 be quiet, stand still and look closely<\/p>\n\n Perhaps someone is having breakfast there for your next day at the beach.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n \ud83d\udcec Want more exciting diving stories, tips and current offers delivered straight to your inbox?<\/strong>When rainbows have teeth<\/h3>\n\n
Why the canyon near Dahab is the perfect spot for thi<\/h3>\n\n
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