Tobia Arbaa (“Four Tobia” but widely known as the Seven Pillars) is one of the signature dive sites of Soma Bay and Safaga. Instead of a continuous reef, the site consists of seven tall, narrow coral towers standing on a flat sandy bottom at about 10–12 m, arranged in a compact cluster. Each pillar is richly covered in hard and soft corals and surrounded by bright white sand, giving divers unobstructed 360‑degree views and a sense of moving through an underwater “forest” of coral columns. Thanks to its shallow depth, sheltered position, and spectacular scenery, Tobia Arbaa is a favourite for first Red Sea dives, courses, and underwater photography.
Tobia Arbaa lies inside the protected inner‑reef system at Ras Abu Soma, so it is much more sheltered than the offshore reefs like Panorama or Middle Reef. Moorings near the pillars provide relatively calm surface conditions most days, and the site remains accessible even when sea state is too rough for outer‑reef trips. Currents are usually light to moderate, occasionally running along the outside of the pillar cluster, but they are rarely strong enough to make the dive challenging, which is why most operators rate the site as suitable for beginners. Visibility is commonly 15–25 m, with the shallow sandy bottom reflecting sunlight and giving very bright, colourful dives.
Boats typically moor near the group of pillars, so you can start and end the dive right at the main structures. A standard route begins on the sand at around 10–12 m between two of the pillars, then circles each tower in turn, moving from one to the next across short sandy stretches. You spend most of the dive between 10–15 m, examining both the bases (for sand‑dwelling and cryptic species) and the mid/upper sections (for schooling reef fish and soft corals), then gradually come up to 5–8 m to finish around the tops of the pillars for your safety stop. Because the site is compact and navigation is straightforward, it is perfect for long multilevel profiles, skills practice, and slow, methodical exploration rather than long drifts.
The Seven Pillars concentrate a lot of life in a small area, with dense soft corals, sponges, and hard‑coral heads providing habitat for many classic Red Sea reef fish. Divers regularly see clouds of anthias and damselfish around the towers, plus butterflyfish, angelfish, wrasses, parrotfish, goatfish, and surgeonfish grazing over the coral. Pufferfish, lionfish, coral groupers, scorpionfish, and moray eels are common around ledges and crevices, while blue‑spotted stingrays and other sand‑dwelling species patrol the bright sandy bottom between the pillars. The combination of colourful coral, high fish density, and excellent light makes Tobia Arbaa particularly attractive for wide‑angle images and relaxed marine‑life observation without depth or current stress.
Sandy bottom and base of the pillars around 10–15 m, perfect for training dives and newbies
Beginner to all levels, calm, shallow, and compact, ideal for relaxed & fun dives
Inner‑reef site just inside Ras Abu Soma headland off Soma Bay
Warmest in August. We recommend a 5mm suit for winter dives.
10–15 minutes from Soma Bay marinas, 20–30 minutes from Safaga
