The Gorgonia coral reef offers one of the most fantastic spectacles on the entire southern coast of Egypt.
Plateaus and coral gardens alternate in an explosion of colours, fish of all sizes and breeds can be found. From trevally to barracuda, from moray eels to turtles, the sly coral groupers resting under the table coral, eagle rays, anemones with clown fish. Dive available with guide (first x check mandatory) or in couple system, minimum certification for this OWD solution with 20 recorded dives. With different entrances more dives are possible both to the North and to the South. The entry pontoon allows for diving at all hours of the day.
Diving from the beach | All levels | Suitable for snorkeller companions
The only admirable wreck in this area of Southern Egypt is a merchant ship now well colonized by coral fauna, the maximum depth of 18 meters makes it a spectacle suitable for all levels, the day will continue with the Bedouin lunch in the wonderful mangrove lagoon of El Qulaan which will delight with its white sand and its unspoiled nature. Full day from the ground.
Diving from the beach | All levels | Ideal for snorkeler companions
This bay with a sandy entrance will offer on the north side a wall that descends to 25 meters before rising up and allowing us to encounter a “carpet” of garden eels at around 17 metres. The north side rich in acropora where crocodile fish, shrimp and nudibranchs are often found will fascinate you with pinnacles full of glass fish and lion fish on the hunt.
Special trip | Wall/Drift Dive | Advanced Open Water Diver | Minimum 50 dives in logbook
The dive begins approximately halfway along the western side, recommended during the afternoon hours. The wall immediately appears very rich in alcyonaria and gorgonians, encounters with large pelagics and sharks are common.
Toll fee (SMB) Mandatory, Minimum number of participants. required.
Diving from the beach | Experienced divers
Ras in Egyptian means “head” and it is precisely this area adjacent to Marsa Samaday that characterizes this particular site rich in coral which rises from pinnacles and sandy plateaus almost to form a theatrical scenography. You can discover the deepest plateau which exceeds 30 meters and meet some reef sharks or the wonderful anemone city. Dive characterized by current.
Diving from the beach | All levels | Also ideal for snorkeller companions
This protected and particularly quiet Marsa will offer us two slopes that go from 5 meters up to 25 to allow us to admire the most particular coral fauna such as seahorses or the encounter with Napoleon fish and crocodile fish.
Diving from the beach | All levels.
This bay located north of Gorgonia offers us the opportunity to admire soft coral and alcyonaria in a reef that gradually arises from a very light sandy plateau that characterizes this Marsa. Moray eels, Napoleons and stonefish to find and admire!
Full day – 2 boat dives | All levels | Diving and/or snorkeling
Embarking early in the morning in Hamata we will reach, after about two hours of navigation southwards, the area of atolls preceding Berenice, a famous stop during the diving cruise route, we will be able to carry out 2 dives in the famous Sataya reef and meet the dolphins that live and breed here admired by both divers and snorkelers.
Fee (SMB) mandatory, Minimum number of participants. required, ideal for groups.
Coral Garden | All levels
An hour’s sail from the port of Hamata, Shaab Bohar Kebir is a large garden that includes two dives. In the eastern part you can appreciate several pinnacles, starting from a depth of about 20 meters up to the surface. Between the main reef and the pinnacles there is a large coral garden, where you can see many hard and soft corals, furthermore the pinnacles are home to large schools of glassfish. In the northern part, there are several blocks of coral on a sandy seabed and on the western side you can easily encounter barracudas hidden among the inlets of the reef.
Easy encounters with white tip reef sharks and eagle rays!
Coral Garden / Scrub Coral Blocks | All levels
This small reef in front of Shaab Bohar Kebir is made up of blocks of scrub coral, which takes about 50 minutes to explore. There is a plateau around 24m and all around the reef there are lots of small cracks and crevices, which create perfect hiding places for the different fish that live there. There are also several pinnacles just outside the main reef.
This is a relaxing dive, full of clownfish, nudibranchs and white tip sharks.
Canyon – Wall | Advanced level
The main reef of Shaab Said is divided between a canyon and a coral garden. The east side drops up to +40 meters and the coral reef is full of life; on the north side there is the wall where you can meet large schools of fish and sometimes even turtles and sharks, especially white tip and gray reef sharks. This dive requires good weather and sea conditions.
The name Abu Galawa is inspired by the shape of the reef, since the word Galawa in Arabic means “pool or lagoon formed by the coral reef”.
You can encounter a large number of different types of fish here, but the real highlight of the dive is the hard corals, which are in excellent condition, a whole spectrum of colour. In addition to the splendid coral reef there is also a small wreck, an 18 meter long American sailboat, which sank in the 1980s. This wreck is now home to a variety of fish. Abu Galawa Soraya is 16 km east of Hamata, about 80 minutes by boat.
Wreck / Reef | All levels
The “Tienstin,” as it is commonly called, is the phonetic pronunciation of the royal Chinese name of Tien Hsing’s ship. Built at Ta Chung Hua Shipbuilding & Engineering Works, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China in 1935, she was a steam tug of approximately 300 tons and 35 meters in length. The little information available relating to the Tien Hsing indicates that she was transiting from Suez to Massawa, Eritrea, when she ran aground and sank at Abu Galawa Kebir on October 26, 1943.
The Wreck Today:
The Tien Hsing is located in 18 meters of depth, at the base of the southern slope of the reef towards the western end of the reef. Lying parallel to the reef, with part of the bow buried deeply in coral, the wreck is registered to starboard at approximately 40-45 degrees. Only her bow breaks the surface of the water at low tide and the rudder and propeller are partially buried in the sandy bottom at 17-18 metres. All the wooden parts of the boat are now a distant memory, highlighting the steel superstructure, which is encrusted with hard and soft corals, particularly on the port (upper) side. The keel is still intact and it is possible to swim under the ship between the reef and the keel. Penetration of the wreck is achieved through two doors located on the starboard side, which allow access to the pilot’s cabin and the engine room, where the engine and boilers are still in place. Another penetration point is located on the starboard aft side of the wreck, which leads into a small room (bathroom), where the toilet is still in place.
There are often whitetip reef sharks around the wreck, as well as Napoleon wrasse, giant moray eels and many other reef fish.
The wreck is a real top for photographers, thanks to the many opportunities for macro and wide-angle shots.
Abu Galawa is 16 km east of Hamata, around 80 min by boat.
Reef outcropping and caves | All levels
The name of sha’ab Claudio was given in honor of the one who first identified it in 1991. Sha’ab Claudio is characterized by a maze of caves communicating with each other and illuminated by the sun’s rays which insinuate themselves inside it filtering through the cracks present in the superficial part.
Entry into the water takes place directly from the boat a short distance from the southern wall of the reef up to a large opening on the reef which allows access to the heart of the dive site. The show inside is magical and surreal: plays of light from the rays that penetrate from the superficial layer of the reef, walls with black coral bushes and small alcyonaria. A series of communicating tunnels start from the first chamber on a light sand bottom at -10 meters deep, which will allow you to reach other spaces with the same characteristics. During this dive there is no need to rush, because this is a place that will certainly offer extraordinary emotions.
Coral Gardens / Caves / Canyons | All levels
Another one of the most famous spots of Fury Shoals. The most interesting part of the reef is the southern side, where the boat will stop. The coral reef is a paradise for the diver who loves to explore. There are caves, canyons and crevices, all full of life. The north side of the reef can also be visited, and is made up of a beautiful coral garden. On the east and west sides near the reef there are many reef blocks with hard and soft corals and many reef fish.
Another point that is not to be missed.
Wall | Advanced divers
Shaab maksour is located 28km east of Hamata, and is a great wall dive.
Maximum depth 35m.
The meaning of Maksur in Arabic is ‘broken’ coming from the shape of the southern part of the reef.
The reef is similar to Elphinstone, the north side plateau can only be explored when the sea is calm and starts at 22m up to 40m, then drops below 90m.
The west and east sides of the barrier are walls.
The plateau to the south starts at 18 meters and drops to around 40 metres.
There are 2 large pinnacles near the mooring point, rising from the seabed to 20m and approximately 6m, the ideal place for a safety stop.
Due to the walls and strong current, the whole dive site offers ideal conditions for schools of fish and pelagics, passing turtles and dolphins and sharks, which are spotted regularly; including hammerheads and gray sharks. At certain times of the year it is possible to intercept manta rays or even whale sharks.
Wall | Advanced level
One of the furthest dive sites, organized for special excursions, approximately 2 and a half hours by boat. This enormous pinnacle rises from around 100 meters and it is possible to go around the entire pinnacle in around 30 minutes. Due to its deep overhangs, these dives are reserved for experienced divers. It is a site worth visiting, as it is one of the best places to spot sharks: high probability of encountering gray sharks, thresher sharks and whitetip sharks, but the big star is the hammerhead shark. Groups of up to 50 hammerhead sharks can sometimes be spotted!
Even when the sharks don’t make an appearance this remains a spot not to be missed, with breathtaking coral and large schools of fish.
A jewel of the southern Red Sea.
On the border of the National Park. This destination can be reached with a very short navigation and will leave you breathless with its incredibly busy barrier. Sea turtles, moray eels and other wonderful inhabitants of the sea await your visit.
Savor a night on the Red Sea! Two days and one night in the beautiful setting of Wadi El Gimal Park, where you can sleep aboard a luxury cruise boat. Includes 5 dives in five different points of the Sataya Reef area.