Teritory of Shaab Mahmoud, Shaab Ali, Abu Nuhas/ Gubal area
Shaab Mahmoud
Most of the following dive sites are possible to reach on a boat only or as a overnight trips.
There are incleded following dive sites:
Alternatives, Stingray station, Lonely mushroom, Dunraven, Small passage
– they can be dive sites for less experienced divers when diving close to the reef or dive sites for more experienced divers when diving a bit deeper and further away from the main pinnacles. Also, take into account that the currents here are getting stronger the further you go. If it is windy the visibility can get quite bad (5- 10meters) because of the shallow sandy bottom. Make sure your surface support is well aware of your dive plan and you don’t change the direction underwater or if you do so, deploy the SMB.
If you are lucky you can find Feathertail stingray, Blackspotted stingray, Nurse shark here. Pinnacles are completely covered with many coral fish, among them /e.g. Red stripe fairy basslet, Three-spot damsel, Humbug damsel, Sergeant major, juvenile Cornet fish towards the surface/.
– a shallow easy dive site good for the third dive of a day. The only risk here is getting lost. This place is interesting because one half of the pinnacle here is always clouded with the sand and the second is perfectly visible. Among the fish here you can see /Blackspotted grunt, Masked butterflyfish, Yellowstripe goatfish etc/. If you look carefully, the remains of an old amphora can be found nearby in the sand.
– a nice dive site with a historical wreck from the end of 19th century. There are often strong currents in the corner so make sure you stay close to the reef.
If entering the wreck, you should have the proper training and a good torch light. Inside the wreck there is enough space to swim through, just make sure you are well buoyant and all equipment is properly attached to you. Ascend close to the reef, watch out for the zodiacs!!! You can see here /Stonefish, scorpion fish sp., lionfish sp., Blackspotted sweetlips, Napoleonfish, Giant moray etc/.
– a new wreck sunk at the beginning of 2010, lying at 23- 28 meter depth. It is a safari boat without a roof so you can easily enter the saloon. Don’t swim inside the cabins or the corridor, as this is a very narrow area and without a proper equipment and training it this quite dangerous. The engine room is open, so you can go in and play. Be careful not to cut yourself on sharp edges or to get entangled.
As the place of this new wreck is not far from the Dunraven, the fauna and flora is quite similar.
-A dive site which requires experienced divers with a good air consumption. Sometimes there are big waves so make sure you are far from the reef and quick in entering the zodiac. Do not let NOBODY ascent in the passage itself as it is very difficult to be picked up by zodiac or boat. Inside the lagoon make sure there is no zodiacs above you when ascending. Make sure you will not miss the passing area inside the lagoon (passage itself) as further down the current can get stronger.
Shaab Ali area
Here are included:
Thistlegorm, Shag Rock, Shaab Danab.
– a dive site for experienced divers only with often strong currents and bad visibility. You should watch out for places to get stuck, get entangled or cut.
Be careful with your air consumption, as the dive site is quite deep. Also check your NDL. Holding onto the line on descends and ascends is MANDATORY!!! Make sure that you are aware of which line is leading to the right boat. Huge amount of Moray eels, scorpionfish sp., nudibranches sp., can be spotted on wreck as well as Red sea fusilier, Giant trevally, Yellowfin tuna, turtle sp.
- these dive sites are the most remote ones from Sharm el Sheikh area on east site of Suez channel. The current is the most possible source of risk for the divers. Currents here are not strong if you stay close to the reef, but if you get further away they slightly change direction and strength too. Watch out for the an air consumption and NEVER let go the wall from your eye sight. Green sea turtle, Doublebar bream, Blackspotted sweetlips toegheter with big amount of table corals/ Acropora sp./ makes this place a unique dive site.
Teritory Gubal, Abu Nuhas
Abu Nuhas area
In this area there are 4 wrecks lying on north site in depth from 25- to 30 meters; namely: Kimon M., Marcus, Carnatic, Giannis D.
Kimon M., Marcus, Carnatic, Giannis D.
You need to at least diver with AOWD certificate.
-All these wrecks are only for experienced divers with Advanced diver certifications. Kimon M. is not suited for dive as this wreck is not stable and is quite dangerous to dive here.
Important is to be aware of the air consumption, places to get stuck (without a proper training and equipment). It is not recommended to get inside the wrecks. Also, in case of stronger wind, it is very important to ascend on the no exposed sides of the reef and close to the reef. These places are often visited by dolphins.
Gubal area(Small Gubal)
– a difficult dive site with strong currents especially on the corners. Don’t get far from the reef and watch out for the wind pushing you on the reef.
