Aqaba, Jordan beautiful sea and coral life

Lauren had a great time in Aqaba, even though she ended up getting a double ear infection both inner and outer! We visited the American Hospital in Istanbul and saw  the ENT to confirm and get meds. Lauren dove twice each day, which included  a reef, wreck, drop off, and I cannot remember the name of the other dive. I was able to snorkel while she dove and was amazed at all the sea life. I thought I would include some photos of where we went for a swim, which is pretty incredible when you think about it, since next to Aqaba is Elat, Israel, Egypt and on the other side of Aqaba is Saudi a Arabia. Aqaba is Jordan's only sea port, the life line aside from the airport for imports and exports. They used to truck but now with Syria and their war, has blocked the passage to other countries.  If you look at the second photo you will see in the distance the women in their black clothing at the beach and in the water.
Here is a little more information on Aqaba: Aqaba is well known for its beach resorts and luxury hotels, which service those who come for diving, fun in the sand as well as watersports like windsurfing and Scuba diving. It also offers activities which take advantage of its desert location. Its many coffee shops offer mansaf and knafeh, and baqlawa desserts. Another very popular venue is the Turkish Bath (Hamam) built in 306AD, in which locals and visitors alike come to relax after a hot day. Aqaba and Wadi Rum are the sites of the annual Jordan – Middle East Distant Heat Festival, an annual electronic dance festival. It takes place on 31 July and 1 August. DJs from Jordan, the Middle East and around the world participate in this unique dance festival. Some famous artists who participate in the festival are Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Above & Beyond, and Josh Gabriel.

A beach in Aqaba.

In 2006, the Tourism Division of the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) reported that the number of tourists visiting the Zone in 2006 rose to about 432,000, an increase of 5% over previous year. Approximately 65%, or 293,000 were Jordanians. Of foreign tourists, Europeans visited the Zone in the largest numbers, with about 98,000 visiting during the year. The division has financed tourism advertising and media campaigns with the assistance of the European Union.^[6]

During national holidays, Jordanians from the north, particularly Amman and Irbid, flock to Aqaba's luxury resorts and sandy beaches. During these holiday weekends, hotel occupancy reaches 100%.

Aqaba has been chosen for the site of a new waterfront building project that would rebuild Aqaba with new man-made water structures, new high-rise residential and office buildings, and more tourist services to place Aqaba on the investment map and challenge other centers of waterfront development throughout the region.

The Distant Festival held at Aqaba on the last Thursday of July and the following day at Aqaba and Wadi Rum which features the world's most famous trance and electronica dancers.

Aqaba has been chosen as the Arab Tourism City of 2011.^{[7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14]}