10 Best Dive Sites in Hurghada
Where to Go in Hurghada to Dive and Snorkel?
Crystal-clear waters, vibrant coral reefs and a plethora of marine life make the best dive sites in Hurghada top destinations for diving. The city’s year-round warm weather and calm sea conditions make it an ideal spot for both novice and experienced divers.
From exploring shipwrecks to swimming alongside dolphins, there’s a wealth of underwater adventure waiting for you. The dive sites in Hurghada are renowned for their colourful coral gardens, schools of tropical fish and even the occasional shark. Whether you’re looking for a relaxing snorkelling session or an adrenaline-fuelled dive, Hurghada’s underwater world will not disappoint.
1. Sha’ab El Erg
Dolphin encounters and vibrant coral gardens
Ideal para: Aventura, Foto, Vida noturna
Famous for sightings of bottlenose dolphins, Sha’ab El Erg, also known as Dolphin House, is a must-visit dive site in Hurghada. At this site you have the opportunity to swim alongside these magnificent creatures as well as the other diverse marine life the reef is teeming with. This includes Napoleon wrasse, blue-spotted rays and scorpionfish, making every dive an adventure.
Explore the stunning coral formations in Poseidon’s Garden, where large brain corals and table corals create an enchanting underwater world. Night diving here is particularly magical, with nocturnal creatures like nudibranchs and feather stars coming to life. Don’t miss Manta Point on the outer reef, where manta rays are often spotted during the summer months.
Sha'ab El Erg
2. Giannis D wreck
Historical shipwreck with diverse depths
Ideal para: Foto, História
Sunk in 1983, the Giannis D wreck makes for a fascinating dive site. The wreck lies in 3 distinct parts, offering a unique exploration experience for divers of all skill levels. The shallow sections are good for beginners, while the deeper parts and interior provide challenges for more experienced divers seeking to discover more of the ship’s submerged secrets.
The stern of the Giannis D is particularly photogenic, resembling the tiers of a wedding cake, making it a favourite among underwater photographers. The wreck is also home to a variety of marine species, including large schools of fish and moray eels.
Giannis D wreck
3. Ras Disha
A sheltered bay with pinnacles and plateaus
Ideal para: Aventura, Foto
Ras Disha, also known as Torfa Ras Disha, is a fringing reef that offers a ‘fish tank’ feel with large groupers, tuna and barracuda. Located in a natural bay sheltered from the wind, this site is suitable for divers of all levels and ideal for drift dives. The shallow plateau with its sandy bottoms and pinnacles creates a picturesque underwater landscape.
Divers can explore a steep wall that is home to butterflyfish, bannerfish and parrotfish while elsewhere you could spot rays, octopuses and shrimp, or even the odd turtle. The underwater landscape provides an enchanting backdrop to photo scorpionfish and lionfish as they hunt glassfish through the water.
Ras Disha
4. Small Giftun Island
A nature reserve with diverse coral formations
Ideal para: Aventura, Foto
As Small Giftun Island is part of a protected national park, diving conditions are pristine and marine life abundant. The island features both hard and soft corals, with dramatic drop-offs and coral gardens teeming with life. Drift diving here is ideal, with currents that vary from mild to strong allowing divers to explore the wall and coral formations while being carried by the current.
A sandy plateau between 15 and 25 metres hosts a rich coral garden with blue-spotted stingrays, turtles and giant morays. Forty metres down there is a small cave filled with lionfish and anthias, offering an exciting exploration opportunity for experienced divers. Above the waves, the island’s pristine beaches are a great spot for sunbathing and relaxation.
Small Giftun Island
5. Abu Nuhas wrecks
A diving paradise with historical wrecks
Ideal para: Foto, História
On the sea floor of the Abu Nuhas wrecks ‘graveyard’, you’ll find not one, but many poor vessels that have sunk beneath the waves. This means Abu Nuhas offers divers a unique opportunity for exploration, including famous wrecks like the Carnatic, Chrisoula K, Kimon M and Giannis D. Each wreck has its own fascinating history and structure, making it an adventure not to be missed.
The wrecks are teeming with marine life, including schools of glassfish, groupers, lionfish and moray eels. Experienced divers can delve inside the ships’ remains to view the engine rooms and cargo holds. There’s often more than 30 metres visibility, so you can fully appreciate the wrecks and the marine life that dwells within them.
Abu Nuhas wrecks
6. Carless Reef
Pinnacles and coral gardens with rich marine life
Ideal para: Aventura, Foto
Two large pinnacles burst from a vibrant coral garden plateau at Carless Reef, sometimes spelled Careless Reef. In this breathtaking underwater landscape, a diverse array of marine species go about their lives. Spy moray eels, nudibranchs, tuna and sharks amongst others. Such an abundance of marine life makes it a popular dive site, so you’ll be in good company.
The site is famous for its large population of moray eels, which are accustomed to divers and often pose for photographs. The open sea location and potential for strong currents make Carless Reef a challenging and exciting dive for experienced divers, while the journey there offers scenic views of the Red Sea, adding to the overall experience.
Carless Reef
7. El Fanadir
A long reef structure with diverse marine life
Ideal para: Aventura, Foto, Vida noturna
El Fanadir is a long, narrow reef stretching over 3 km, offering 2 distinct diving locations: El Fanadir North and El Fanadir South. The reef features a sandy plateau that runs along its wall, gradually expanding towards the south, culminating in a dramatic drop-off. Divers can encounter a variety of marine species, including lionfish, scorpionfish, stonefish and moray eels.
El Fanadir is a hotspot for macro photography, with numerous opportunities to capture nudibranch and other macro species in their natural habitat. The gentle currents at El Fanadir make it suitable for divers of all levels, providing a relaxed and effortless diving experience. Try night diving at El Fanadir North for a different perspective of the reef and its nocturnal inhabitants.
El Fanadir
8. Turtle Bay
Home to sea turtles in their natural habitat
Ideal para: Aventura, Foto
Just off Abu Dabbab Beach is a lush coral garden known as Turtle Bay, so named for its abundance of friendly sea turtles. Whether you decide to leap from your boat into the sea and cross the wall or take a drift dive and start your exploration from the smaller lagoon, you’re sure to be amazed at the variety of marine life that can be found at this wonderful Hurghada dive site.
Dive the canyons and within the narrow nooks and crannies you’ll see incredibly bright red sea anemones, as well as the rich, hard and soft coral formations that have made this site so popular. If you’re really lucky, you might spot an octopus or even a dugong.
Turtle Bay
9. The Ulysses wreck
A historical wreck with intact structure
Ideal para: Viagens alternativas, História
The Ulysses wreck has rested on the sea floor since 1887 but is remarkably well preserved. Divers can explore the ship’s hull, engine room and cargo holds on an aquatic trip back in time. In its new life beneath the waves, the ship is home to diverse marine species, including barracuda, moray eels and reef sharks.
One of the highlights of diving here is the opportunity to see the ship’s impressive cargo of coal, which has remained largely intact over the years. The wreck itself is covered in coral and marine life, and has excellent visibility, providing stunning photo ops for underwater photographers.
The Ulysses wreck
10. Umm Gamar
A dramatic deep wall and vibrant coral gardens
Ideal para: Aventura, Foto
Umm Gamar, meaning ‘Mother of the Moon’, is formed by an underwater mountain located 90 minutes from Hurghada. This site features a dramatic deep wall that plunges vertically into the deep blue, making it a thrilling dive for experienced divers. The vibrant coral gardens are home to a variety of marine life, including batfish, angelfish, moray eels and turtles.
Divers can explore caves and crevices filled with glassfish and red tooth groupers, adding an element of adventure to the dive. The reef is frequented by white-tip reef sharks, manta rays and Napoleon wrasse. The coral formations and diverse marine life offer excellent photographic opportunities, especially for capturing the interactions between predators and prey.
Umm Gamar
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