Nuweiba - Dive Sites

Abou Lou Lou House Reef

The house reef lies just to the left of the jetty, off the hotels private beach. The main reef lies between 5 and 20 metres of depth, ideal for beginners and experienced divers alike, because of the concentration and diversity of the fish life present. Puffers, Morays, Groupers, Surgeonfish, Shrimps and crabs just to mention a few. A more appropriate name would be "Lion Fish City" as you spot easily more than 20 Lion Fish on any given dive! As darkness descends on Abou Lou Lou it becomes a "must" dive site.

Outside Hilton

Only 5 minutes by jeep from the hotel you will find one of the most beautiful reefs around. 40 metres from the beach the reef starts at a depth of 4 metres and descends slowly down to a depth of 28 metres. This area is blessed with large table corals and abundant fish life including Big-Eye, Angel Fish and Jacks. If you are very lucky, at certain times of the year it is possible to sight Frogfish here. The last minutes of the dive are at a depth of 4 to 5 metres enjoying the beautiful coral pinnacles whilst doing your safety stop.

Sinkers

During the seventies the Israeli Navy decided to place a large mooring buoy just off the beach, but unfortunately the water was deeper than expected and they dropped the 25 meter chain in 35 metres of water. The buoy disappeared under the surface and since then it hangs suspended at a depth of 8 - 12 metres. Slowly circling the big chains, you can admire the wonderful coloured soft corals that cover the whole length up to the buoy. Continuously schools of blue fusilier fishes shoot up and down full speed as they are chased by jackfish. As you reach the buoy itself it's hard to focus on one thing because of the profusion of fish life including Glass Fish, Damsels and Banded Boxer Shrimps.

M.F.O. Pipeline

M.F.O. is an abbreviation for "Multi-National Force and Observers".
The dive starts along two desalination pipes that were put there by the Israeli Army in the late seventies. Both pipes start at 5 metres and stretch out horizontally, sloping gradually down to 12 metres and 20 metres respectively. The pipes are around 5 metres apart and over the years have become overgrown with soft corals and small table corals. This has attracted an abundance of fish to shelter around the pipes.
A short swim north from the pipes we find the reef at a depth between 14 and 20 metres with a collection of small pinnacles, coral heads and masses of soft corals blanketing the bottom. The fish life is abundant with Jackfish, Grouper, Parrotfish and sometimes Leopard rays.

El Mazeriq

The site is about 7 km south of Nuweiba. After a gentle shore entry through a break in the coral plate one sees rolling coral "hills" bottoming out in sandy bottomed "valleys". Beautiful hard corals form the hills, which you will swim over and around exploring the valleys at between 20 - 25 metres. At the end of the dive is a spectacular five meter high brain coral, affectionately named Brian's Brain.

Ras El Shetan - Devils Head

North of Nuweiba, about 30 minutes drive, is one of the best known dive sites. This is a Bedouin Camp and we usually come here for a 2 tank dive outing. The southern side of the reef starts at 12 metres where we hit the reef plateau covered by an incredible variety of hard corals and drops down sharply to a depth of 40 metres in the canyon; it is the home of octopus, puffer fish and moon groupers. This scenery leaves fantastic memories.
After the surface interval we start the second dive on the northern side of the reef which reveals a completely different structure. Swimming straight out from where we set up the equipment we descend over a patch of sea grass and a beautiful coral garden looms in front of us. It is a coral garden full with colourful and healthy coral blocks. The table corals are impressive ranging in size from a few centimetres to 3 metres in diameter. Along with various other hard and soft corals it has often been likened to a "Japanese garden", home to many fish including the very brightly coloured Lemon Goby and the Blue Green Puller.

El Magana

25 minutes by car towards Taba is El Magana, a site next to a very basic beach camp with 2 dive sites. The reef starts just 20 metres from the beach at a depth of 5 metres. Our first dive takes us to the left side along a wall where the reef drops to 35 metres. A break in the coral plate forms a canyon which we fin through at a depth of around 20-25m from where we head back through a coral garden to the exit. After a surface interval we commence the second dive heading right this time along the coral reef plate. This is a very similar site to the first with some large fish and plenty of healthy corals. Both reefs are mainly hard corals and with a little bit of luck you can spot Napoleons, Barracudas and Seahorses.

Rock Sea

Rock Sea is accessed by a short snorkel over the reef table, where you descend to 6-7 meters. Following the sandy slope and coral garden down to 20 meters, you find a beautiful drop off, allowing you to dive to over 30 meters. Here, you can find schools of Basslets, Angelfish and numerous groupers. Most spectacular are the caverns and fissures in the reef wall, and the covering of soft and hard corals.

Special Trip

Gabr El Bint

Gabr El Bint means the "Tomb of the girl" and it is the southern dive site of Dahab. Part of the attraction of this site is the novelty of the commute- by camel loaded down with high-tech diving gear along the inaccessible coastline between Dahab and Nabeq.
The first dive is done to the north of a hard coral buttress that you can see from the shore. The underwater landscape is fantastic with a wall running around the north point of a curving bay and descending to more than 50 meters depth decorated with table corals, black coral. Within the bay, the wall begins at around depth of 8 to 20 meters and give life to shelters and small caves, it is of outstanding beauty.
The second dive is done south of the hard coral buttress. In shore, a large sandy lagoon dotted with coral heads lies just next to a hard coral buttress. It is an excellent place to spot Rays and numerous Crocodile fishes. The upper reef slope widens with a true forest of soft corals. It is exceptional and teeming of life. Beautiful Gorgonians and impressive Cabbage corals lie down between 12 and 30 meters.
This is one of the most unusual sites along the Sinai coast and well worth the journey.

Supplement: 65 Euro

Special Trip

Ras Mamlach

Situated in the Abu Galum National Park, this is the highlight of a week's diving. It's a 1½ hour drive along the desert road by Jeep to get there but it's a worthwhile trip. The reef starts at about 12 m, with a beautiful coral garden and on to a steep wall that bottoms out at 70 m plus. Beautiful fan and table corals covered with soft corals and the intensive blue of the Gulf of Aqaba create a fantastic picture. The variety of the underwater life opens a new world; Barracudas, Jackfish, Groupers and much, much more. Two dives are not enough to see everything!

Supplement: 45 Euro (full day)

Special Trip

Ras Abu Galum

Different and important ecosystems are present in the protected area of Ras Abu Galum such as well developed coral, beautiful coastline bordered by high mountains. Ras Abu Galum can be reached by camels. The one day camel dive safari is the most popular and the best way to enjoy this famous dive location where two or even three dives can be done in summer. After reaching the Blue Hole by jeep, and loading the camels with the diving equipment, the camel ride will take you on a path along the fascinating rocky coast for an hour and a half. The dives will give you the opportunity to see a fantastic underwater landscape. On the North part of the coast after entering in a pool with sandy bottom, swim over the small ridge of coral and at about 6 meters a huge Madrepore tower with plenty of glassfish will be in front of you. Then a hard coral plateau with massive pore coral, beautiful table coral, Broccoli coral start will where Breams and Parrots and Angelfishes make their home.
On the south part of the dive site, the plateau gives place to a fantastic drop off with beautiful tower of coral on the top. Huge pufferfishes, school of Trevallies, Emperorfishes and Snappers are living here.

Supplement: 45 Euro (full day)

Special Trip

Blue Hole / The Bells

One of the most famous dive sites in the Red Sea situated 12 km north of Dahab. The Blue Hole has an almost circular shape 150 meters wide and 110 meters deep and connects with the sea through a tunnel 26 meters long at a depth of 52 meters (for technical divers only). The best way to enjoy this dive site is by doing a drift dive starting at El Bells (situated 250 meters north) and finishing the dive in the Blue Hole. El Bells is a half open chimney that reaches a depth of 30 meters and have an arch at 26 meters. The wall is there magnificent. It is vertical and in part overhanging with a rich growth of black corals and elephant ear sponges and sea fans. In the deep blue, chance is to spot Yellowfin Tunas, Orangespotted Trevallies, school of Red Sea Fusiliers, and the resident Napoleon Wrasses.
By getting shallower and closer to the lip of the Blue Hole the attraction is also lying on the rich sloping reef. The saddle which allows the entrance to the inside of the Blue Hole is 7 meters deep only. Here is a beautiful coral garden teeming of life. The end of the dive will enable you to skirt around the inner walls of the Blue Hole where you could observe Octopus, many Starfishes and Scorpionfishes.

Supplement: 45 Euro (full day)

Special Trip

The Canyon

This site takes its name from a long, narrow and very beautiful canyon created by an ancient volcanic activity. The huge fissure now overgrown with hard and soft corals runs north to south from the shallow reef just off shore to a depth of around 54 meters on the reef slope further out (ideal for technical divers).
Access to the site is through a shallow and sandy lagoon laying a few steps form the shore line. It is inhabited by a rich fauna comprising Butterflyfishes, Bluespine Unicornfishes, Cornetfishes and even juvenile Barracudas. On the most western point there is a saddle serving as an entry (and exit) point to the open sea and a coral garden. Among the large range of reef fish here, some notable residents include the Pufferfish, Snappers, Lyretail and Coral Grouper, Basslets and Red Sea Anthias.
The entry to the Canyon is done through it largest point at 22 meters. The progression through the Canyon is easy and the light effect caused by the sun rays is surreal.
The exit of the Canyon is done through a huge hard coral block with a man-sized opening in this coral hummock. The numerous small cracks of this coral block allow the air bubbles emitted by scuba divers to escape giving a fantastic touch to the scenery.

Supplement: 45 Euro (full day)

Special Trip

Eel Garden

This dive site is named after the huge population of Garden Eels. These small creatures swaying in the gentle current stretch for food particles passing by and disappear gently when divers are coming close by. After swimming over the reef platform the entry of the dive site is through a small channel that leads to the main reef. The sandy bottom is home for the garden eels that come out and wave with the water and friendly Batfishes. The reef slope has got an excellent selection of coral growth with both stony and soft species and this colorful and shallow reef boasts large numbers of Lionfishes, Damsels, Parrots, Groupers, Scorpionfishes and plenty of Sand Gobies. The whole area is great for photography.

Supplement: 45 Euro (full day)

Special Trip

The Islands

The Islands dive site is a remarkable site for the richness and development of its hard coral reef which creates a real labyrinth to dive through. The landscape offers the opportunity to observe a large variety of Porites and Brain corals within the Island and Acropora table corals over the sandy plateau. Box fish and Crododile fish are part of the common representatives of reef fauna that can be seen through the three pools and the sand road that lead to the small immerged hard coral island that gave the site its name. A resident school of juvenile Barracudas and blue fin Trevallies are frequently spotted.

Supplement: 45 Euro (full day)