Red Sea Dive Sites Around Hurghada — A Full Atlas

Site overview

Quick-reference table: all major sites at a glance

The table below covers the sites we document in full detail further down this page. Use it for a first pass — then read the individual sections for current dive conditions, mooring fees and what to look for on each specific reef or wreck.

Site	Max depth (m)	Experience level	Best for	Distance from Hurghada
Giftun Island — Big Giftun	25	Beginner+	Coral gardens, reef fish	18 km
Giftun Island — Small Giftun	18	All levels	Snorkelling, first dives	20 km
Abu Nuhas — Giannis D	28	Advanced	Cargo wreck, glassfish	75 km (liveaboard)
Abu Nuhas — Carnatic	27	Advanced	Victorian wreck, hard coral	75 km (liveaboard)
Abu Nuhas — Chrisoula K	24	Intermediate+	Wreck penetration, anthias	75 km (liveaboard)
Shaab Abu Ramada	18	All levels	Dolphins, tropical fish	12 km
Safaga — Panorama	40	Advanced	Deep wall, pelagic fish	60 km
Safaga — Abu Kafan	35	Intermediate+	Coral pinnacles, napoleon wrasse	58 km
El Gouna house reefs	12	Beginner	First dives, courses	25 km
Erg Somaya	22	Beginner+	Coral pillars, reef fish	30 km

Giftun Island

Big Giftun and Small Giftun — the classic day-trip destination

Giftun Island is the first stop for almost every diver and snorkeller flying into Hurghada. The national marine-park designation keeps these waters cleaner than many inshore sites, and the range of conditions — calm sheltered bays on the western side, stronger currents along the northern tips — means there is a dive here for every ability level. Most day boats from Hurghada Marina reach Giftun in 35 to 45 minutes.

Big Giftun — Sha'ab Umm Qamar: The northern side of Big Giftun drops to a solid coral wall from around 6 m down to 25 m, where a sandy bottom extends into deeper water. The wall itself is one of the most intact in the Hurghada area, with large table corals (Acropora hyacinthus), sea fans, and resident moray eels in the crevices. Anthias shoals in orange and purple hover over the top of the reef at around 8–12 m — some of the most photogenic fish in the Red Sea. Current dives along the wall are possible when conditions allow, and the occasional Napoleon (humphead) wrasse patrols the deeper section in the mornings. Maximum depth: 25 m. Recommended level: beginner and above with calm conditions; intermediate for the wall drift when current is running. Marine-park entry fee applies: currently USD 5 per diver per day for the Giftun Protected Area.

Small Giftun — Sha'ab Umm Gamar: The shallower site makes this the ideal first open-water experience. Maximum depth rarely exceeds 18 m, and much of the best marine life sits between 4 and 10 m, making it equally valid for snorkellers staying at the surface. Longfin batfish are a reliable sighting here, hovering in small groups near the mooring area. Spotted eagle rays pass by on roughly half the dives we've noted here. The sandy clearings between coral heads shelter garden eels in numbers that surprise first-time visitors. All ability levels welcome. Visibility typically 15–25 m.

Abu Nuhas wreck field

Giannis D, Carnatic and Chrisoula K — the most concentrated wreck diving in Egypt

Abu Nuhas is a shallow reef plateau roughly 75 km north of Hurghada, near the mouth of the Gulf of Suez, that has claimed at least four known vessels. The result is one of the richest wreck diving locations in the world, accessible on a day trip only from liveaboards or fast charter boats. The three most-dived wrecks sit within half a kilometre of each other.

Giannis D (sank 1983): A Greek cargo ship that ran onto the reef at speed, the Giannis D is the most visited wreck at Abu Nuhas. The bow section lies in 28 m of water while the stern is much shallower at around 16–18 m, making the dive accessible to a wide range of certified divers. The holds are open and safely penetrable with a guide, and the holds and superstructure are heavily colonised — glassfish in dense clouds fill the cargo hold and attract hunting trevally and lionfish on most dives. The bridge is intact and clearly recognisable. Recommended level: advanced open water or equivalent with at least 20 logged dives. Currents can be strong; check conditions on descent before committing to the bow section.

Carnatic (sank 1869): This Victorian-era cargo and passenger steamer is one of the oldest accessible wrecks in the Red Sea and arguably the most beautiful, its iron frames now covered almost entirely in hard and soft coral. The wreck sits upright in 27 m, and the hull plating has collapsed in sections, allowing natural light to reach the interior from unexpected angles. Fire coral (Millepora) covers much of the superstructure — divers must maintain good buoyancy to avoid contact. Look for lionfish perched motionless on the stern section and for the small reef community that has established itself on the bow anchor chain. Minimum recommended level: advanced open water, comfortable with depth and moderate currents.

Chrisoula K (sank 1981): A Greek bulk carrier resting between 12 m and 24 m, the Chrisoula K offers good options for divers at the intermediate level who want their first wreck experience in a less-exposed environment than the Giannis D. The cargo hold still contains marble tiles destined for the US market at the time of sinking. The superstructure is intact and not excessively silted, giving reasonable visibility inside the main passages. Dense anthias schools make the exterior photogenic even when conditions are overcast. Note that the stern section is closer to the reef plateau and currents are less predictable there; stay shallower if conditions deteriorate. Recommended level: intermediate with buoyancy control established.

Shaab Abu Ramada

The closest offshore reef — dolphins, anthias and strong visibility

Twelve kilometres from Hurghada Marina, Shaab Abu Ramada is the most accessible full reef in the area and one of the most reliably interesting for divers at all levels. A half-day trip from any base in Hurghada reaches the site with an hour still to dive before turning back.

The reef system here consists of two connected coral plateaux divided by a sandy channel at around 14 m. The eastern face drops to 18 m and offers the best coral coverage, with large brain corals (Platygyra lamellosa), table corals and a dense soft-coral fringe along the drop-off edge. Spinecheek anemonefish (Premnas biaculeatus) are common on the eastern slope — the striking red-and-white species rather than the more widely photographed false clownfish. Dolphins are a feature of this site that genuinely surprises visitors: a resident pod of spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) uses the area regularly, and encounters on the surface are common on early-morning trips. Underwater contact is less predictable but happens on roughly one in four dives based on our notes.

The western side is shallower (max 12 m) and suits beginners and snorkellers without the exposure of the eastern wall. Parrotfish, wrasse of several species and large triggerfish (Balistoides viridescens, titan triggerfish) are resident along the western bommies — note that titan triggerfish defend nest sites aggressively during nesting season and should not be approached from above. Maximum depth: 18 m on the east wall. All experience levels with some site guidance. Visibility typically 18–28 m, best in morning hours before boat traffic increases.

Safaga sites

Panorama and Abu Kafan — deeper walls and less boat traffic

Safaga is 60 km south of Hurghada and less commercially developed as a dive destination, which translates to quieter sites with better coral condition on the more exposed sections. Divers driving down from Hurghada add roughly 45 minutes each way but gain access to walls and pinnacles that see a fraction of the boat traffic compared to the Giftun area.

Panorama Reef: A free-standing offshore reef plateau with all-round diving — east, west, north and south faces each with distinct character. The south wall is the showpiece: a near-vertical drop from 3 m down to 40 m (and beyond to a sand slope), with dense sea fans beginning at around 18 m and increasing in size and density deeper. Hammerhead sharks have been recorded here on morning dives in summer months, though the sighting is not reliable enough to plan specifically around. Grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) are more consistent, typically deeper than 25 m. Napoleon wrasse are resident on the northern section. Maximum recreational depth: 40 m. Recommended level: advanced divers comfortable with current and navigation. Nitrox is available from most Safaga-based centres and strongly recommended for deeper profiles here.

Abu Kafan: A compact coral pinnacle rising from 35 m to within 5 m of the surface, Abu Kafan rewards patience on any single dive — there is rarely a visit without a notable animal. Napoleon wrasse use the pinnacle as a reference point and appear reliably on most dives during morning hours. Longfin tuna hunt around the deeper sections and create feeding frenzies that pull other predators in. The shallower crown (5–12 m) has excellent coral coverage and is worth a safety stop that extends to a proper shallow-dive section. Recommended level: intermediate and above. Maximum depth: 35 m.

El Gouna reefs

House reefs and training sites close to the marina

El Gouna, 25 km north of Hurghada, has a series of shallow house reefs accessible from the lagoon entrances — some with shore entry, most via a short boat ride. These sites serve primarily as training grounds and easy-day dives for resort guests, but the coral condition on the less-visited sections is genuinely good.

Maximum depth on any of the accessible El Gouna house reefs is 12 m, and most diving takes place between 4 and 9 m. That makes them ideal for Open Water course dives, Discovery Scuba sessions and for recently certified divers building confidence and buoyancy control before progressing to deeper offshore sites. The coral is dominated by massive and encrusting species rather than the branching table corals of offshore reefs — branching corals suffer in the warmer, less oxygenated lagoon conditions — but the fish life is rich: filefish, pufferfish, octopus and blue-spotted stingrays are common. Night diving here is particularly productive; nudibranchs, cuttlefish hunting over sandy patches, and feeding moray eels are more easily observed after dark. All El Gouna house reef dives are best combined with a certification course or guided night-dive package. Current minimal; visibility 10–18 m depending on weather and season.

Erg Somaya

Coral pillars and dense reef fish — an underrated site

Erg Somaya sits roughly 30 km from Hurghada and receives considerably less boat traffic than Giftun despite similar distances, largely because it lacks the brand recognition and requires a slightly longer transfer. That means better coral condition and notably less diver crowding, which translates to more relaxed marine life and cleaner photographic opportunities.

The site is characterised by coral pillars (ergs) rising from a sandy bottom at 20–22 m to within 4–6 m of the surface. The pillars are encrusted with soft corals in purple and red, and the spaces between them at depth host large grouper (Plectropomus pessuliferus, the roving coral grouper), which are less common this close to the surface in more heavily dived areas. Bannerfish (Heniochus acuminatus) school in large numbers above the pillar tops, sometimes in groups of 30 or more. Titan triggerfish nest on the sandy inter-pillar sections in summer — maintain distance from the bottom in these areas between May and August. Turtles rest on the pillar tops occasionally; green turtles (Chelonia mydas) are the species most frequently noted. Recommended level: beginner and above. Maximum depth: 22 m. Visibility typically 15–22 m.

Erg Somaya pairs well with a half-day at Shaab Abu Ramada for a full day out from Hurghada. Ask the centre about combining both sites on a single boat day. Read the reef guide for full species detail on what you'll encounter across these sites, or visit dive centres to understand what to look for in the operator running your boat.

Planning your diving

Which site is right for your level and base?