Is a seawater inlet of the Indian Ocean; it lies between Africa and Asia. It is one of the warmest, saltiest, and possibly the reddest sea around the world. It contains alga called ‘Trichodesmium Erythraeum’ which turns the original blue-green colour of the sea water, reddish-brown. Hence the sea’s name as the “Red” Sea.
The sea is underlain by the Red Sea Rift, which is part of the Great Rift Valley and it’s home to over one thousand invertebrate species, and two hundred soft and hard corals.
It is the world’s northernmost tropical sea. The Red Sea is one of four seas named after common colours — the others being the Black Sea, the White Sea, and the Yellow Sea.
Due to its high rate of evaporation, very little precipitation in its area, lack of significant rivers or streams draining into the sea and limited connection with the Indian Ocean (which has lower water salinity), the Red Sea is one of the most saline bodies of water in the world. The water from the Red Sea is also utilized by oil refineries and cement factories for cooling purposes. The sea is known for its spectacular recreational diving sites. It became a sought-after diving destination after the expeditions of Hans Hass in the 1950s, and later by Jacques-Yves Cousteau.
This was the same Red Sea that was crossed by the Israelites, who were led by Moses from Egypt, after God had “…swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided” (Exodus 14:21 NASB). It’s an amazing landmark to remember.