90 minutes to two hours outside Safaga, Middle Reef is a very large circular reef with dozens of small, shallow ergs on its southeast corner. On the north and west sides are coral gardens that drop off at approximately 30m. To the south is a lone erg standing in 20m of water. On the east side, a wide plateau stretches out as far as Hal-Hal, nearly 500m away. It is covered by one of the most scenic hard-coral gardens in the Red Sea. It too has a drop-off, but a long way to the northeast of the main reef.
Middle Reef lies about 90 minutes to 2 hours by boat southeast of Safaga and is a large, almost circular off‑shore reef exposed to wind and current. Typical current ranges from light to moderate (about 0–3 knots), but can accelerate in channels and along the outer edges, which is why it is often dived as a one‑way drift. Visibility is usually excellent, commonly around 20–25 m, with water temperatures roughly 23–30 °C over the year, and the site is diveable most of the year when sea state allows safe mooring or live‑drift procedures.
Middle Reef supports multiple profiles (beginner to expert) thanks to depth ranges from roughly 5 m in the shallows down to 30–40+ m along the outer slopes and drop‑offs. A common plan is a drift dive starting up‑current on the outer wall, then following the reef with the current while gradually shallowing up across the ledges and coral gardens.For a standard day dive, many boats drop divers on the up‑current side (north or east depending on wind), descend to about 18–22 m on the outer slope, then meander through the hard‑coral buttresses and pinnacles that form a labyrinth of canyons and swim‑throughs before finishing in the 5–10 m coral garden near the moorings.The eastern side is known for a particularly beautiful hard‑coral garden and scattered blocks, ideal for relaxed multilevel profiles and photography.The south‑west flank offers a slightly deeper drop‑off, large gorgonian fans, and mixed hard and soft coral, often used for more advanced multilevel or drift profiles.For night dives, boats usually moor in a sheltered area on the inside of the reef; the route stays in the 5–15 m zone, weaving between coral heads and small sandy patches close to the boat.The shallow inner wall and sandy channels provide several small caverns and short caves or channels that penetrate into the reef; these are explored only with good buoyancy, proper lighting, and always exiting the same way you entered because they do not interconnect.Because of its size and circular shape, Middle Reef is often dived more than once on the same day, using different entries and routes (outer wall drift, inner labyrinth, coral gardens).
Middle Reef is primarily a reef / ambiance site with very healthy hard‑coral formations, brain corals, cabbage and table corals, plus large gorgonian sea fans and patches of soft coral along the slopes. The coral labyrinth shelters many reef residents: common sightings include clownfish, butterflyfish, angelfish, parrotfish, surgeonfish, bannerfish, triggerfish, pufferfish, lionfish, shrimps, sea cucumbers, and several species of moray eel, particularly in the inner reef and among the blocks.Schools of young barracuda are frequently reported around the outer coral garden and pinnacles, and jacks or other fusiliers may appear out in the blue during drifts. At night, the site comes alive with hunting lionfish and morays, crustaceans, and other invertebrates emerging from the reef, making Middle Reef a very rewarding night‑dive location for macro and behavior‑focused photography
Shallow reef top around 5–10 m, outer slopes and walls commonly dived to 25–30 m, with some areas dropping beyond 40 m
Inner gardens and shallows for less-experienced divers, outer walls, deeper drifts, and caverns for experienced divers.
Roughly midway between Panorama Reef and Abu Kafan, around 75–90 minutes by boat from Safaga/Soma Bay
Approx. 22–24 °C in winter, 23–25 °C in spring, 27–29 °C in summer, 26–28 °C in autumn (Safaga averages)
About 75–90 minutes by boat, depending on wind conditions and boat speed, not 20 minutes.
