Jackson Reef is the first reef one encounters coming in from the north into the Strait of Tiran. A narrow passage blocked by four reefs. Noticeable on the reef in the wreck Lara. The Lara was a 4752 grt general cargo vessel built by Howaldtswerke AG in Kiel, Germany in 1956.  She started out her live as the MV Nopal Trader (1956 to 1974) and MV Krohn Trader (1974-1978) sailing under Norwegian flag   - she was sold to the Ester Shipping Co and changed her name every two years under her Cypriot flag. There is not much information available about the Ester Shipping company, but due to the flag of convenience, there has been always a lot of speculation that her wrecking was an insurance fraud. The Lara ran aground at full speed (16 knots) on the 4/12/1981 onto the reef (and she actually mounted the reef) with just enough fuel in her tanks (and no cargo) to make it to the reef.

Over the years she was stripped and her steel plates dropped over the side into the deeper reef (approx. 50 metres). However, it is virtually impossible to dive close to her (apart there is nothing much too see), as the north side of the reef is generally battered by strong waves. Technical divers can make it down to the various wreck pieces, but beware of strong currents and strong surges. The better and sheltered dive is on the south side of the reef, which has a huge variety of corals and a beautiful eel garden at 45m.

Jackson Reef has two wonderful sandy ledges at around 20 metres, allowing anyone to dive it. The two ledges are connected with three sandy gullies, which extend down to 45 metres. At the bottom of the gully is an eel garden and a sandy depression allowing you dive to about 50 metres, but be careful there can be a strong current pulling you away from the sandy depression as you try to leave it.