Best Dive Sites Hurghada, Egypt | Top 20 Diving Reefs, Dolphins Places, diver reefs for professional divers, Discover Where is the best spot to dive in Hurghada?
Hurghada Egypt, once a sleepy village, is now a booming diving destination. It is considered one of the diving spots in the world. With its long diving history, good diving conditions and a wide range of dive centers/liveaboards, Hurghada should be on your bucket list. Besides the diving industry, Hurghada is also a great destination if you are looking for a relaxing (sunny) holiday in one of the many resorts.
If you are planning to visit this diving destination, this article is perfect for you. In this article we have put together the best dive sites, dive centers and liveaboards for you.
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Best Dive Sites Hurghada
Rosalie Moller
Giannis D
Carnatic Wreck
Chrisoula K. Wreck
Kimon M. Wreck
Salem Express wreck
dolphin reef
Dive sites Hurghada map
Hurghada can be visited at any time of the year. However, the best time for diving is during the summer months (May – September). The most convenient way to reach this wonderful place is to fly direct to Hurghada Airport.
The sea temperature ranges from 21 oC in February to around 28 oC in August. The weather gets very warm between June and August, with temperatures exceeding 35oC. A good time to go is October or November when the water is warm. May is also a good option but the water is slightly cooler at 24oC.
It is an ideal gateway for diving in the Red Sea and is actually the main departure point for liveaboards in the southern part of the Red Sea. It’s also a popular place to learn to dive.
Hurghada offers very interesting diving opportunities with many reefs to enjoy and wrecks to explore. The main diving areas are:
There are beautiful reefs around Hurghada and especially around the nearby Giftun Islands. There are also some local wrecks like the El Mina or the Salem Express a little further afield. These dive sites are shallow and easy with good visibility and interesting reef life. This is the perfect place to learn to dive and many Europeans come here to get their Padi Open Water certification or CMAS 1 Star. However, for experienced divers the most interesting dive sites are north around Abu Nuhas for excellent wreck diving!
Marsa Abu Galawa (Carless Reef)
Carless Reef is located about 14 km northeast of Hurghada between Shaab Umm Qamar and Giftun Island. It is 200m long with the reef top only a few meters away. Expect to see giant moray eels and white tip reef sharks. The reef has two pinnacles at 12 m.
Fanadir (El Fanadeer) – Dive Sites Hurghada Map
A ledge at 12 m drops to a chasm from 22 m. One of Hurghada’s largest coral reefs. It has been a marine reserve since 2006. A place for everyone, shallow or deeper dives are possible. Lots of things to see and some happy dolphins.
El Fanus (Dolphin Reef)
You can dive on the east or west side of El Fanus. It is also known as the Dolphin Reef as bottlenose dolphins are often seen here.
Also called Fanous Reef – there are two small pinnacles on the east side, the furthest away is the most beautiful. Schools of glassfish and you may see the very interesting spotted snake eel, Mytiuhthys nawlosus. Many divers mistake this fish for a sea snake – but there are no sea snakes in the Red Sea.
If you dive on the west side, navigate directly to the outside of the reef. Sometimes dolphins and sometimes sharks stay here.
El Giftun
The Giftun Islands lie across from Hurghada. They’ve been a marine reserve since 1986, and divers have to pay to get there. This money goes to the maintenance of the national parks. There are restrictions on how many boats are allowed. It’s a nice and easy drift dive with lots to see along the way.
Turtle Bay
Off the north end of Giftun Island. It is a fabulous dive site with lagoons and a great mix of life. You can also experience real entertainment through its golf courses.
Oberoi House Reef
“You will see turtles, eagle rays, octopuses, lionfish, trumpet fish, rays… you see it all here; and also just offshore! ”
El Aruk – Hurghada dive sites map
El Aruk is a collective term for various dive sites. Chamsa, El Aruk, El Aruk Giftun and El Aruk Gigi are the most popular.
Aruk is the Arabic word for erg and as this site is covered with many ergs we can conclude that this is the most appropriate name for the various dive sites in the area.
Because it’s made up of different ergs, it looks like a colony of mushrooms.
This dive site is located near Giftun Island in the open sea and is around 45 to 75 minutes from Hurghada
away, depending on where you start your boat trip.
“Plateau at 10-12m depth. Many pinnacles full of coral and colorful fish. ”
Gota Abu Ramada (The Aquarium)
Coral gardens on the western and eastern tip of this reef. It has been a marine reserve since 1986. The east side is very impressive. A real coral garden with mounds of columnar coral. Very nice Porites mountain coral. However, it can get very crowded with divers.
Abu Ramada
Abu Ramada is an island south of Giftun National Park and is around 60 to 90 minutes by boat from Hurghada. Abu Ramada is an island south of Giftun National Park and is around 60 to 90 minutes by boat from Hurghada.
The dive site Abu Ramada offers 3 beautiful dives:
Erg Abu Ramada
It is located on the southeast side of Abu Ramada Island. At this dive site you will find many pinnacles close together forming a line on a sandy plateau at a depth of 18 meters.
The largest peak is entirely inhabited by glassfish and lionfish. All the pinnacles are covered with pretty gorgonians.
As for marine life, you will find schools of grouper, barracuda, tuna and napoleon. Erg Abu Ramada is suitable for all levels of divers.
Abu Ramada South – Dive Sites Hurghada Map
It is located on the south side of Abu Ramada Island. It is a popular dive site and protected.
In this area there is also a cave at about 20 meters depth where you can see a starfish, an octopus or lionfish.
Southwest of the reef you will find a steep crenellated drop where moray eels and sweetlips are permanent residents.
On the west side of Abu Ramada South you can walk through a beautiful coral garden where you can encounter turtles. There is a long coral formation with amazing marine life on the other side such as lionfish and glassfish. There is even an eel garden. Moray eels, blue spotted rays and Napoleon come by regularly. On the way back to the boat you will cruise over beautiful coral blocks where you may find crocodile fish or a school of goatfish.
Abu Ramada North
This is mostly done as a drift dive due to the rough sea conditions. But if the current is good it can be done as a normal dive. It is also called “The Aquarium” due to the enormous marine life that you can encounter on this side of the reef.
It starts on a beautiful plateau and leads to an almost bottomless abyss. The wall is overgrown with gorgonians and soft corals. In the blue you can spot barracuda, tuna, jacks and even the occasional eagle ray and reef shark. Abu Ramada Island is simply a wonderful dive site with many opportunities for diving or even snorkeling.
Susanna Wreck
The average depth is 15 m / 49.2 ft, although the maximum depth that can be reached is 17 m / 55.8 ft. To reach Susana Wreck you have to do it by boat and from shore. This dive site is best suited for all divers
Shabaha – Hurghada dive sites map
It is a shallow reef with a strong current. Nice corals and lots of fish including napoleons.
Umm Gamar South
A bit away from Shabrur. Umm Gamar is a crescent-shaped island with a lighthouse. A reef extends from it and offers a very nice dive reaching a small org at around 22m. The dive takes about 90 minutes from Hughada. The name Umm Gamar means mother of the moon.
Sha’ab Sabina
Reef with coral fingers that stretch out and form canyons in between. Very pretty with lots of hard corals.
“Here you see beautiful coral, lots of fish and a small reef shark sleeping in a cave. ”
Ben El Fork
Look out for the marbled snake eel (Callechelys marmorata) burrowing in the sand. It uses its fins to twirl the sand over it and burrow in, with only its head sticking up to await passing prey. An unusual fish not often seen by divers. The dive features a reef and a large erg (pillar) of coral.
Abu Hashish (island reef)
Abu Hashish means “Father of the Grass” – named after the seagrass meadows in the area. Swim down a sandy slope at the base of which you’ll encounter a wall where you can often do a drift dive. Lots of fire corals – unusual in different orientations, some facing the reef and others perpendicular. Eight feet wide gorgonian. Lots of life to look at. The island at the northeast end of the reef.
Royal Makadi house reef
Just a few steps from PDL’s dive shop is this fantastic dive site. Located in Makadi Bay, near Hughada, this spot offers you wall dives, slopes, patches of sand and seaweed meadows. As in most places in the Red Sea
the abundance and variety of corals amazing! Occasionally big things like eagle rays, with a good eye you can also spot the small ones between the corals. Great place to hang out and enjoy the beauty of the seas.
Soma Bay – Hurghada dive sites map
It is north of Safaga, about 45 km south of Hurghada. It’s on a small peninsula and there’s little else there at the moment. However, given the usual Egyptian approach to these things, I think that in 10 years it will look like Sharm el Sheikh. There are so few divers and the hard corals are still in great condition.
Abu Nuha’s wrecks
There are four (actually 5 but the last one is way too deep!) wrecks at Abu Nuhas Reef! The wrecks (Kimon M, Giannis D, Chrisoula K and the Carnatic) are very close together and what is really interesting is that they are from different eras and are different types of ships. Also, the wrecks are shallow with good conditions and it is possible for inexperienced divers to dive the Abu Nuhas wrecks.
The marine life is great with turtles, barracuda, jacks, blue spotted rays, lionfish and all the usual Red Sea reef fish!
The Abu Nuhas Reef is north of Hurghada. It is possible to dive these spots on a day trip but it takes 2 to 3 hours each way to get there.
Rosalie Möller Wreck – Dive Sites Hurghada Map
The Rosalie Moller Wreck is an excellent wreck dive! However, it is quite deep, with a seabed of 50 meters and reserved for experienced divers. The marine life is amazing with lots of schools of fish and pelagic fish.
The Rosalie Moller is a little further north than the Abu Nuhas wrecks and takes around 3 hours to get there from Hurghada.
There are also other great dive sites such as Dolphin Reef where dolphins can often be spotted diving or snorkeling. A little further south is the magnificent wreck of the Salem Express, but easier to access from Safaga.
Diving in Hurghada is great for underwater photography due to the very good visibility and beautiful wrecks to explore. However, it’s not really the best spot for macro and critter lovers. If you are looking for excellent macro and muck diving try the Lembeh Straits or Wakatobi in Indonesia and Mabul Island in Malaysia!
If you don’t like the crowds and don’t like diving with 20 other boats around you, this might not be the place for you or you should consider going on a liveaboard for a few days.
