Dive Sites

Discover the Best Dive Sites in the Red Sea!

Selection of the region’s most renowned dive sites, each offering unique marine ecosystems and thrilling encounters. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or simply looking to expand your diving horizons, this comprehensive overview will equip you with the knowledge to plan unforgettable underwater adventures.

ABU HASHISH

Abu Hashish is the island at the center of a wide bay 90 minutes south of Hurghada. The island was once used as a drop-off point for smugglers bringing hash into the country. A tongue of reef extends about 1km south of the island. The dive site is at its southernmost tip. There is a shelf between 15 and 22m outside, and beyond that a steep, but fairly bare, drop-off, usually with superb visibility. Inside the tongue of the reef is a scattering of long ergs

Sea Conditions – Much of the time, this site is too rough to dive as it is very exposed. Spared the ravages of divers, it has retained its untouched beauty. All previous adjectives to describe current fail here. To say it rips is an understatement most of the time. And yet occasionally it is as calm and placid a place as you could ever want to dive.
Dive Plan – Don’t waste your time going to the drop-off (30m to the east). There are better places for that. Your air is more wisely used circling the three ergs at ascending depths. Visit the small eaves on the east side of the largest erg and north side of the middle one. The north sides have a particularly healthy growth of purple soft corals (due to the prevailing current) and the shallows are also very prolific. This is amust for photographers.
Marine Life – It would be easier to list what you don’t see than what you do, but the most obvious are morays, napoleons, tuna, barracuda, unicorn schools, groupers, and a cloud of millions of tiny anthias.
Max Depth: 18 meters

GPS – POSITION 27° 00.74′ N 33° 55.44′ E

ERG ABU RAMADA

On the southeast side of Abu Ramada (80 minutes out of Hurghada) is a wide sandy shelf stretching eastwards. Just before it drops off, three large ergs rise up from the seabed (18m) to just beneath the surface. They lie in a line, the biggest to the south and the smallest to the north.

Sea Conditions – Rough seas often make this site inaccessible from Hurghada, although it is well-protected. The current is mainly north to south and is strongest along the drop-off.
Dive Plan – Leave the lagoon through an obvious channel filled with table corals, cross the shelf to the drop-off, and follow it north. There are some beautiful caves in the 30m region. Return along the inside of the shelf and finish the dive back in the lagoon amongst the ergs.
Marine Life – Along the drop-off pelagics such as jacks, barracuda, Spanish mackerel, whitetips, and now and then, hammerheads and feathertail rays. Turtles, blue-spotted rays, Spanish dancers, morays, lunar tail, and leopard groupers are on the shelf. In the lagoon, squid and baby barracuda schools.
Max Depth: 30 meters

GPS – POSITION 27° 10.00′ N 33°57

GOTA ABU RAMADA

This reef, also known as the aquarium, lies between 50 and 90 minutes from Hurghada depending on where you depart from. It is an elliptical reef surrounded by a sandy seabed at 12-15m. To the west are two large ergs and to the east are three pinnacles and a coral garden.

Sea Conditions – The sea is usually calm. At its worst, a little swell can be felt curling around the east and west corners of the reef. The current splits on the northern reef and, like the sea, can only really be felt at either end of the reef.
Dive Plan – a) The east side is ideal for photographers. The area is teeming with yellow fish amongst the gullies and grottoes that characterize this end of the reef. About 15-20m off to the southeast are three small pinnacles with abundant fish life. b) Two larger ergs stand 20m off the west end of the reef. They are typified by soft corals, gorgonians, and stacks of fish.
Marine Life – All over the reef, but especially at the west end, there are yellow fish, bannerfish, bluecheek butterflies, masked butterflies, yellow snapper, goatfish, and sweetlips. Big morays, jacks, turtles, crocodile fish, and more infrequently, eagle rays and leopard sharks visit the reef. Titan triggerfish are guarding their nests in September. Watch out.
Max Depth: 15 meters

GPS – POSITION 27° 11.93′ N 33° 58.97′ E

RAS DISHA

About 90 minutes south of Hurghada, on the coast, is a wide bay with an island at its center (Abu Hashish). It is defined to the north by a headland called Ras Disha. There is a plateau of shallow sand and past the beacon, to the north is a drop-off. Three ergs lie to the south. They are probably the nicest diving.

Sea Conditions – The dive site is well sheltered from waves and currents which come predominantly from the north.
Dive Plan – Forget the main reef. It is largely dead. The best route to take is around the ergs. They rise from a sandy seabed at l0-12m. The most northerly has a large cavern thick with glassfish.
Marine Life – On the ergs, the usual hunters of glassfish – jacks, lionfish, and redmouth groupers. This place also has the richest sand-dwelling fauna around-crocodile fish, flatfish, stonefish, spiny devilfish, blue-spotted rays, and sea moths come as standard. On the wall to the north, a grey reef shark is rumored to hang out, and on the sandy plateau and between the ergs schools of juvenile barracuda.
Max Depth: 18 meters

GPS – POSITION 27° 11.93′ N 33° 58.97′ E

SMALL GIFTUN

A round 80 minutes from central Hurghada, opposite the small Giftun police station there is one dive that invokes more enthusiasm than any other. It is a drift along a gorgonian-clad wall that merges with an extensive plateau and drop-off. The plateau lies between 15 and 25m and the wall has no bottom.

Sea Conditions – Sometimes choppy near the drop-in point but your boat will wait in the calm water of the moorings, close to the blue lagoon. Current is always from the north, but is unpredictable – sometimes mild, sometimes howling.
Dive Plan – Where you drop in depends on how good you are on air and how deep you intend to go. Opposite the two beaches is a safe bet. Opposite the tower is also possible. Put your right shoulder to the reef and head south. There are caves at 35m and a tunnel leading from 40 to 45 (out of bounds for most dive centers). Where the plateau starts, you can continue following the drop-off but take care not to go too far or you’ll lose the main reef.
Marine Life – On the plateau, napoleons and morays are guaranteed. This is because they have been fed in the past. Feeding marine life disrupts the natural ecosystem, please don’t do it. There are also many blue-spotted rays, painted triggerfish, and crocodile fish. On the drop-off are turtles and jackfish, and early in the morning, a very good chance of sharks. In September, beware of Titan triggerfish.
Max Depth: 25 meters

GPS – POSITION 27° 11.17′ N 33° 58.94′ E

SOUTH ABU RAMADA

60-90 minutes away. On the southern end of Abu Ramada, a small islet, and 3 large boulders are separated from the main island. The dive site is on the reef south of here. To the east of the mooring points a sloping wall tumbles away to 35m. A long swim away is a bubble-like grotto with several entry points. It is filled with many varieties of soft coral, sweepers, cardinalfish, and soldierfish. To the southwest are numerous shallow pinnacles with abundant fish life. The seabed here is a bare, lunar-looking concretion of compacted sand.

Sea Conditions – Always calm except on a southerly wind (rare). The current is mild (if at all) at the east and west corners.
Dive Plan – Head west from the moorings at about 25m. The deepest of the pinnacles is at about this depth. It has a split running through the middle that looks like the mouth of a clam shell. It provides sanctuary to soldierfish, glasseyes, hatchetfish, and also sweetlips. From here, head onto a shallower shelf behind, this is where the remainder of the pinnacles are. Spend your time here, returning shallow along the main reef.
Marine Life – Numerous free swimming morays, bannerfish, napoleons, emperor fish, sweetlips, unicorn fish, goatfish, and squid.
Max Depth: 30 meters

GPS – POSITION 27° 9.51′ N 33° 58.74′ E

EL MINA

Just east of Hurghada harbor, El Mina is an Egyptian minesweeper sunk around 1969 by Israeli fighter planes. She rests on a rocky seabed sloping from 25m under the bow to 32m at the stern. The wreck lies on a northwest-southeast axis on her port side. There has been an attempt in the past to rename her “The Israeli Torpedo Boat” but it should be obvious that her starboard anchor and a hundred meters of the chain are paid out, hardly a fighting maneuver. There’s also no hardware for the firing of the alleged torpedoes.

Sea Conditions – It is always calm here, in fact, the wreck is a bad weather alternative for those turning back from a blown-out trip to the wrecks at Abu Nuhas. Current can scream through here from the north, but there is always shelter behind the decks of the ship. Visibility is usually somewhere between poor and disastrous.
Dive Plan – The wreck is only 60-70m long, so no need to rush. The aft section is bristling with winches and anti-aircraft guns whilst the fore-deck guns have been sheared off. The blast-hole area is suitable for penetration, though elsewhere it is inadvisable. All around, on the seabed are live shells – look but don’t touch.
Marine Life – The wreck is generally fish-free and surprisingly encrusted by coral except for a few notable exceptions. The blast hole allows vast hoards of glassfish to shelter from groups of marauding jackfish. In this area is also a lone anemone. Leave the clownfish alone, it is already exhausted from defending its turf against dozens of divers every day. Instead, go and have a look under the flukes of the anchor (not the paid-out one). It harbors a thicket of black urchins amongst whose spines lurk several cleaner shrimps.
Max Depth: 32 meters

GPS – POSITION 27° 13.92′ N 33° 51.57′ E

RAS ABU SOMA

Abu Soma is the headland that defines the northern limit of the Bay of Safaga. There are two dive sites here, Abu Soma Gardens on the inside and the “Ras” itself (illustrated). Both take about 45 minutes to reach by boat. The “Ras” has a steep outer wall that merges with a 25m plateau to the south. The place is virtually a carbon copy of Small Giftun in Hurghada, except the gorgonians are replaced with large table corals.

Sea Conditions – You are well sheltered here from the weather, but if you make an adrift dive you’ll notice the sea pick up dramatically as the boat rounds the corner to drop you off. Current always comes from the north and can get quite strong on the outer wall. The mooring area is currently free.
Dive Plan – The best tactic here is to make a drift dive. Jump in about 400m past the “Ras” but well before the beacon. You’ll find superb visibility and a steep wall dropping into the deep blue. As you head south, you’ll notice a ledge start to develop, which leads into the plateau. Before long you’ll notice a faint bay in the reef wall and on the far (south) side of this is a superb cave at 35 m. It is fringed with soft corals, seething with glassfish, and is guarded by a large grouper. The plateau above is scattered with some venerable old table corals up to 4m across. Front here head up to the shallow reef and follow it at 4-5m, where it is nicest, until you come to your boat waiting at the moorings.
Marine Life – This dive is a bit of a gamble. At some times you’ll find the place loaded with big fish. At others, it’ll be completely, empty and devoid of all life. If luck is on your side you’ll see barracuda, jackfish, snapper, tuna and schooling batfish and surgeonfish. The big fish seen here include grey reefs, whitetips. guitar shark, leopard sharks, stingrays, eagle rays. hammerheads and, in March/April, mantas. If you’re unlucky you’ll just see boxfish.
Max Depth: 12 meters

GPS – POSITION 26° 50.35′ N 34° 00.12′ E

SALEM EXPRESS

Salem Express is a wrecked ship, It is about 90 minutes from Safaga, south of Shaab Shehr. This wreck sank on December 15th, 1991, she hit the Hyndeman Reef ripping a massive hole in the hull. The Salem Express is 110m long and 18m wide. She lies at a depth of 12-33m.

Sea Conditions – This site offers no protection from the weather and the current can be very strong.
Dive Plan – Resting on her starboard side in 30m of water, the Salem Express is an eerie dive. Begin your dive at the deepest point, the stern, where you find the two intact large screws and the rudders, Swimming along the bottom you pass lifeboats still at the davits. Next, you see the huge funnels with the haunting emblem “S”. Coming up towards the bow, you will find the bow door wide open and the damage from the collision with the reef is daunting. Many dive guides refuse to dive the Salem Express altogether and penetration is most definitely frowned upon. This is a maritime grave and should be treated as such. Dive her with respect.
Marine Life – Even the marine life seems to have left Salem Express alone. Some groupers, lionfish, crocodile fish, and surgeonfish swim around. A small amount of hard coral growth has begun here.
Max Depth: 30 meters

GPS – POSITION 26° 38.38′ N 34° 03.67′ E

PANORAMA

Panorama is also known as ‘Abu Alama” meaning ”Father of the Mast.” This is a reference to the concrete pillar that once marked its northern shores but has now been replaced by a hi-tech automated beacon. It lies 60-90 minutes (weather dependent) outside Safaga. It is an elliptical-shaped reef on a northwest-southeast axis. A dramatic plateau (15-25m) and drop-off is on the north end. Down the east and west sides runs a narrow sloping ledge at the same depth.

Sea Conditions – The Journey across can get very rough, especially since your boat will be taking it on the beam and will, therefore, roll a lot. Once you get there, however, the reef gives ample protection for several boats. The current conies (95% of the time) from the north. It can get very strong, howling across the north plateau (beware of currents and down currents) and ripping down either side of the reef. The south plateau is usually calm.
Dive Plan – A drift dive of the north plateau offers some of the best diving in this book. However, to get there you’ll need very calm weather or a zodiac. After investigating the plateau, you can head down either wall to your boat, now moored in the lee of the reef (south). This is a long swim if unaided by the current. The western wall of the reef is best. The south end of the reef can also be dived from the moorings. The southeast corner boasts many gorgonians.
Marine Life – North plateau – if it’s big and lives in the sea, you can see it here. Surgeonfish schools, unicornfish schools, barracuda schools, giant trevallies, whitetips (especially on the west side), grey reefs (especially in the afternoon), eagle rays, dolphins, silvertips, and even longimanus, the oceanic whitetip. Everywhere are turtles. South plateau – there is a family of three napoleons, they live alongside morays, crocodile fish, scorpionfish, and a turtle with a deformed shell. Also, there is a large colony (50-60) of anemones.
Max Depth: 26 meters

GPS – POSITION 26° 44.94′ N 34° 4.9′ E