Diving Fury Shoals and Elphinstone Reef

Fury Shoals
diving features

Hard coral mazes

Small shipwrecks

Caverns

Abu Dabab
diving features

Elphinstone Reef

Turtles

Dugong

Shore diving

DESTINATION OVERVIEW
For a long time, diving the far south of Egypt meant having to get on a liveaboard boat however, flights to Marsa Alam have made the region far more accessible.

The Fury Shoals start near the developing resort area around Hamata town about two hours drive south. You can dive right off the shore where the shallow fringing reefs are home to huge grouper, tame gangs of batfish and friendly octopus. The best sites are further offshore along a string of fringing reefs that parallel the coast. There are some amazing hard corals and a charming sailing boat wreck on Abu Galawa Soraya. At Sha'ab Sataya the reef has deep walls while an inner lagoon has a resident pod of spinner dolphins. Other dives have fascinating swim-throughs and tunnels that lead beneath the reef, making them feel like some sort of crazy maze.

Back towards Marsa Alam, is Abu Dabab. This bay is famous for resident green turtles and a lone dugong. You could hardly miss the gigantic turtles – there are 10 in the bay, nine ladies and a male who feed on the seagrass beds. While the turtles are easy to find, the dugong, is far more elusive and easily disturbed especially if there are a lot of snorkellers and boats about.

Nearby Elphinstone Reef is an absolute gem. In the winter months access from the coast is limited but the reef is well known for attracting chevron barracuda and Oceanic white tips. This has to be the most colourful reef we have ever seen in the Red Sea, plastered from top to toe in hard corals, soft corals, and every Red Sea reef fish that exists.

Seasons
Year round
Visibility:
10 – 40 metres
Water temperature:
20 – 28º C.
Deco chambers:
Sharm el Sheik, Hurghada, El Gouna

Charter flights from across Europe are cheap and frequent
Dive operators and accommodation options Orca Dive Clubs

PROS AND CONS
This area is still 'undiscovered' in Red Sea terms. The reefs are not crowded with day boats or divers, which is reminiscent of a very different Red Sea. This won't last long as the area is scheduled for more development. Land based facilities are limited but what is there is very good.

SCUBA DIVING
Blistering summers mean that the water temperatures are high, the water is clear and the seas are crowded, mostly with boats and divers. In the winter months, the conditions can be difficult due to the winds and rough seas. However, the reefs are much quieter both above and below the waterline.

OPINION
If we were to head to the Red Sea for a quick break, then we would choose this area simply to avoid the crowds found elsewhere. The diving was impressive and it is far more enjoyable to see any reef with only a handful of divers. We dived with Orca from both Hamata and Abu Dabab were very happy with the operations. Both run with German efficiency despite the Egyptian day boats being, well, typically Egyptian.