South & St Johns
All Year | Port Ghalib to Port Ghalib
St Johns & Fury Shoals Reef Systems
Itinerary Highlights
- Spoilt for choice with 21+ DIVES at the most remote and rewarding reef systems of the south
- A less arduous itinerary for a more relaxed diving pace
- Stunning typography with coral gardens, walls, overhangs and swim-throughs
- Expect to see turtles, sharks, grey reef sharks, reef fishes, macro, shoals of glass fish, snappers, butterfly fish and barracuda
This trip takes you to some of the best diving the Red Sea has to offer. Here the diving is less arduous so it’s a trip for those who want to see the best but have a more relaxed time while doing so. As a 21+ DIVES cruise, there’s a good chance to enjoy 21 or more dives on a 7-day safari if you choose to.
Sailing to the southernmost reefs, you’ll depart from Port Ghalib and dive some sites to the South before sailing overnight to your southernmost point in the St. John’s area. Depending on weather, government approval and marine life sightings in recent weeks, we may sail to the southernmost islands of Rocky and Zabargad, or we’ll moor instead in the vast reef system of St John’s to begin the adventure in the South.
When leaving Port Ghalib the route can sometimes take in a dive at Abu Dabab on the first or last day. Often spoilt for choice, your guides will pick sites that they know to be the best for the time of year and can find excellent alternatives should the weather affect the normal route. Although the distances are long, where possible we travel overnight so, as a 21 plus route, our aim is to get as many dives in as possible at some of the most impressive reefs. Below are some of the highlights.
On the way to Fury Shoals, we’ll dive Sha’ab Sharm with its wall dives and white tip reef sharks. At Fury Shoals, dive Sha’ab Claude with its famous swim-throughs and huge porite corals. White tip reef sharks and an anemone and clownfish settlement can be seen a little off the reef to the South. Abu Galawa Soraya has a fantastic coral garden and a wreck of a private sailing boat populated with glass fish.
St Johns is a vast collection of small reefs offering some of the most remote and rewarding diving in the Red Sea. This incredibly beautiful reef lies a short distance north of the Sudanese border. The reef covers a huge area and many dives would be needed to explore the numerous coral heads and islands. Habili Ali offers giant gorgonians and black corals whilst grey reef, silvertip and schools of hammerhead sharks might be found on the west side. Habili Gafaar is a mass of soft corals teaming with shoals of snappers, butterfly fish and barracudas. Mantas, grey reef and silvertip sharks can often be seen in the blue.
Gota Kebir is a massive reef, famous for its tunnels and south plateau, where jacks and barracudas can be seen and the occasional manta. The tunnels are ideal for novice cave divers.
Gota Soraya is rated as possibly one of the best wall dives in the Red Sea, with overhangs and cracks in the reef wall full of glass fish and sweepers and an abundance of corals, Grey Reef, Silvertips and Hammerhead sharks.
On the last day as we head back to port, we will try to take in a dive or two on the world famous Elphinstone Reef if weather and diver experience permits us, or we will finish in the Abu Dabab area perhaps with another dive or two closer to Port Ghalib to relax and unwind before your final night in port.
*Please be aware the dive sites and areas mentioned in our itineraries are not guaranteed. They are subject to change based on weather conditions and are at the discretion of our cruise director/captain. This is to ensure we provide the best sightings and activities possible during your dive experience while also prioritising your safety.
Dive Sites
Click dive site markers for detailed descriptions.
Dive sites & areas that we may visit are subject to weather conditions.
Fury Shoals
A network of hard coral formations make up the complex reef system of the Fury Shoals. Inhabited by a variety of pelagic fish, dolphins and several species of shark, Fury Shoals is a diverse coral garden and a spectacular dive site. Aside from the endless colourful sea life, the lagoon also contains the wrecks of a tugboat and a sailing ship for your exploration.
For an easy introduction to cavern diving, there is probably no finer setting than the reefs of the Fury Shoals (and the nearby St Johns). At a few special places, divers can explore capacious swim-throughs, gulleys and canyons, at the same time enjoying some of the most impressive hard coral scenery anywhere in the world.
- Abu Galawa Soraya -
The northern edge of the Fury Shoal group, this reef has a fantastic hard coral garden and the wreck of a private sailing boat on the western side, which is packed with glass fish.
- Shaab Claude -
In the centre of Fury Shoal, famous for its large labyrinths of swim throughs. Huge porite corals and a resident Napoleon. Often white tip reef sharks can be spotted as well as an anemone and clownfish settlement on a small pinnacle a little off the reef to the south.
Abu Dabab
Elphinstone
A world famous offshore reef, Elphinstone is the jewel in our crown. Sheer walls and sometimes currents at exhilarating speeds make this one for advanced divers only but it will be one you remember. Dive the east wall in the morning and the west in the afternoon to make the most of the sun, and light up the abundant soft corals. Anthias smother the walls and large gorgonian fans and black corals hide critters such as the infamous longnose hawkfish. Keep an eye out in the blue for resident schools of snapper, large barracuda and enormous Napoleon wrasse.
The north and south plateaus drop to over 40mt in depth but can be a place for very special encounters - manta rays, silvertip, tiger, grey reef and hammerhead sharks have all been seen here and cruising the shallows at the right time of year can be curious silky and oceanic whitetip sharks.
Shaab Sharm
Also named "Gota Sharm". Often used as a stopping point on the trips down/back from St John's to Marsa Ghalib Port, Shaab Sharm is a large oval reef with walls - both a good day or night dive.
St Johns
St. Johns Reef is a chain of reefs with a wealth of dive sites close by; renowned for being as far South as you will get. Because all its dive sites are close to each other, you can easily travel from one place to the next, adding variety and diversity to your dives with drop-offs, tunnels and dramatic hard-coral formations.
The reef formation at St Johns is not the only thing that will leave a lasting impression on you; the marine life and colours of the soft corals are amongst the best in the Red Sea. There's a strong chance that dolphins and pelagics will join your dives, placing St Johns firmly in your treasure trove of memories.
Sites include:
- Gota Kebir -
This is a massive reef, famous for its tunnels and south plateau, where jacks and barracudas can be seen and the occasional manta. The tunnels are ideal for novice cave divers.
- Gota Soraya -
One of the best wall dives in the Red Sea, with overhangs and cracks in the reef wall full of glass fish and sweepers and an abundance of corals, grey reef, silvertips and hammerhead sharks.
- Habili Ali -
This dive offers giant gorgonians and black corals whilst grey reef, silvertip and schools of hammerhead sharks might be found on the west side.
- Habili Gafaar -
A mass of soft corals teeming with shoals of snappers, butterfly fish and barracudas. Mantas, grey reef and silvertip sharks can be seen in the blue.
- St Johns Caves -
St Johns Caves, or Umm Kharalim, makes for a memorable dive. Here shallow cracks in the reef plate open into caverns and overhangs. It's truly unique and a photographer's paradise with silvery slivers of sunlight filtering through into the tunnels.
Marsa Alam Airport
Port Ghalib
Also Important
Check Dive & Depart Port Ghalib
Once onboard there will be a safety briefing, crew introduction, complete and check dive paperwork, cabin allocation and boat orientation. Our boats moor in port on arrival day departing early next morning. The first dive is a check dive near port.
Return to Port Ghalib
On the last diving day, 2 dives are available in the morning whilst observing the rule of no diving within 24 hours of reaching altitude. We return to port at approximately 1pm and moor here overnight. Evening-time pack up diving equipment, visit the marina and settle any outstanding bills ready to depart for the airport or hotel the following morning.
Itinerary Experience
All experience levels including snorkellers and non-divers
This is a great itinerary for everyone regardless of your experience level. You don’t need a minimum number of dives to join this trip, but you should be comfortable diving in current as they can be unpredictable and strong. Many dives are below 18m therefore we recommend having advanced experience or taking your PADI Advanced Open Water course on board to maximise your enjoyment from the trip. Divers may find some dives challenging and may be asked by the Cruise Director to skip dives that are not suitable for their diving experience. Diving is from a zodiac to give precise entry and exit points.