Elba Reef Expedition!

Marsa Shouna is a vibrant lagoon in the Marsa Alam region, famous for its rich marine biodiversity. The seagrass-covered sandy bottom attracts turtles, rays, and dugongs, while divers often spot barracudas, moray eels, octopuses, and crocodile fish. The coral formations are home to schools of fish and colorful anemones.
The site is ideal for both beginners and experienced divers, offering both drifts by zodiac and boat-to-boat dives. With calm waters and a sheltered location, Marsa Shouna is perfect for relaxed dives and underwater photography.

Abu Dabbab is a chain of six reefs located near the coast in the Marsa Alam region. Each offers a unique underwater landscape, diverse marine life, and excellent conditions for both day and night dives. This is a common choice for a check-dive on our deep south itineraries across our fleet.

Abu Dabbab 1 & 2 – the most popular and scenic reefs, featuring coral gardens, canyons, and large coral bommies that provide shelter for moray eels, lionfish, frogfish, and octopuses.
Abu Dabbab 3 & 4 – known for their deep walls and steep drop-offs, often patrolled by whitetip reef sharks, barracudas, and tunas.
Abu Dabbab 5 & 6 – more remote sites with strong currents, making them perfect for drift dives. Divers here may encounter eagle rays, sea turtles, and even whale sharks in the right season.

With stable diving conditions, incredible visibility, and abundant marine life, Abu Dabbab is an ideal destination for both beginner and advanced divers looking to explore the rich underwater ecosystems of the Red Sea.

Malahi is a spectacular dive site in the Fury Shoals region, famous for its maze-like coral formations, swim-throughs, and caverns. This site is often described as an underwater playground, offering an exciting and dynamic dive experience. The towering coral pinnacles create a labyrinth filled with narrow passages, overhangs, and tunnels, perfect for exploration.

Sunlight filtering through the reef structures enhances the magical atmosphere, making it a fantastic location for underwater photography. The shallow depth (mostly 5-18 meters) allows for long, relaxing dives, ideal for both beginners and experienced divers. The area is teeming with marine life, including giant moray eels, lionfish, blue-spotted stingrays, nudibranchs, and schools of snappers and fusiliers. Lucky divers might even spot turtles or dolphins passing by.

Due to its sheltered nature, Malahi is a great spot for second or third dives of the day, offering a completely different experience from deep walls and drift dives. The beauty and adventure of navigating through its canyons make it one of the most memorable sites in Fury Shoals.

Shaab Claudia is one of the most famous dive sites in the Fury Shoals region, known for its breathtaking swim-throughs and cavern-like formations. This site offers an exciting combination of wide coral canyons, tunnels, and large chambers, where sunlight creates a mesmerizing play of light and shadow.

With a depth range of 5 to 20 meters, Shaab Claudia is accessible for divers of all levels, however it requires good buoyancy skills. The reef is home to giant moray eels, lionfish, blue-spotted stingrays, and schooling fusiliers, while the sandy bottom often hides stingrays and garden eels. The impressive topography, combined with the abundance of marine life, makes every dive here an unforgettable experience.

The cave-like structures are wide and safe, making them enjoyable even for divers who are new to overhead environments. Exploring these tunnels is a unique adventure that sets Shaab Claudia apart from other Fury Shoals dive sites.

Abu Galawa is a stunning reef system in the Fury Shoals region, famous for its vibrant coral formations and historic wrecks. This site offers an exciting mix of shallow coral gardens, dramatic drop-offs, and fascinating shipwrecks, making it a favorite among divers of all levels.

One of the highlights of Abu Galawa is the wreck of an old tugboat, now fully encrusted with corals and home to a variety of marine life. Divers can explore the well-preserved structure, which attracts schools of glassfish, lionfish, and moray eels. Additionally, a sunken sailing yacht rests nearby, adding another intriguing wreck to explore. The yacht's structure provides shelter for colorful reef fish, nudibranchs, and octopuses, making it a great site for macro photography.

The surrounding reef is teeming with hard and soft corals, clownfish, and blue-spotted stingrays, offering spectacular underwater scenery. With its easy conditions, rich marine life, and multiple wrecks, Abu Galawa is a must-visit site in Fury Shoals, combining wreck diving and stunning coral exploration in one unforgettable dive.

Elba Reef is one of the southernmost reefs of Egypt, with part of it extending into Sudanese waters. This remote and pristine location offers untouched coral formations, dramatic drop-offs, and thriving marine life, making it a dream for adventurous divers. Due to its isolation, the reef sees minimal diver traffic, allowing for truly wild encounters with grey reef sharks, hammerheads, barracudas, and large schools of pelagic fish.

A unique highlight of Elba Reef is the wreck of the Italian cargo ship Levanzo, now home to a diverse array of marine life. The wreck has transformed into a spectacular artificial reef, attracting moray eels, groupers, and colorful reef fish.

Elba Reef remains one of the least-explored dive sites in the Red Sea, offering a rare chance to experience virgin dive spots, thriving marine ecosystems, and fascinating wrecks in an untouched underwater paradise.

Abu Kabrit Reef is one of the most remote and lesser-known dive sites in Egypt, located in the Elba region near the Sudanese border. This reef features a diverse underwater landscape, including steep drop-offs, coral gardens, and sandy slopes, creating ideal conditions for encounters with pelagic species.
Divers can expect to see large schools of barracuda, tuna, and occasionally hammerhead sharks. Hidden among the coral formations are octopuses, moray eels, and shrimp, while vibrant soft corals add a splash of color to the reef.
Due to its remoteness, diving here is an exclusive experience, free from crowds. The crystal-clear waters and strong currents attract an abundance of marine life, making every dive exciting and unpredictable.
During one of our first visits to Abu Kabrit, we witnessed an unforgettable spectacle—at night, illuminated by the yacht's floodlights, three majestic manta rays danced around us in a mesmerizing underwater ballet. Moments like these remind us that even in the most uncharted corners of the Red Sea, incredible surprises await.

The Levanzo Wreck is a sunken Italian cargo ship resting near Elba Reef, one of the most remote diving destinations in Egypt, close to the Sudanese border. This wreck, little-known even among experienced wreck divers, offers a rare glimpse into maritime history in a location untouched by mass tourism.
The Levanzo lies at a moderate depth, allowing divers to explore its well-preserved structure, including sections of the hull and remnants of cargo. Over time, the ship has become a thriving artificial reef, attracting an abundance of marine life. Schools of jackfish and barracuda patrol the wreck, while colorful corals and sponges cover its surfaces.

Due to its remote location, diving at Levanzo is an exclusive experience, with pristine visibility and no crowds. Combined with the untouched reefs of Elba, this wreck makes for a unique addition to any expedition exploring the farthest reaches of Egypt’s Red Sea.

Habili Gaffar is one of the most breathtaking reefs, part of St John's reef system. This underwater pinnacle does not break the surface, making it a natural magnet for marine life.
Due to its open nature, divers can encounter large pelagic fish, tunas, barracudas, and even different shark species. The slopes of the reef are covered in lush coral gardens, creating stunning underwater landscapes.

Because of its remote location, Habili Gaffar is rarely visited by divers, allowing for pristine coral formations and exceptional visibility. This site is best suited for experienced divers ready for open-sea dives surrounded by vibrant marine life.

Habili Ali is one of the most stunning reefs of St. John’s, featuring an underwater pinnacle that doesn’t break the surface. Known for strong currents, lush coral gardens, and frequent pelagic encounters, this site is a favorite among experienced divers.

The reef is covered in dense soft and hard corals, attracting huge schools of barracuda, tuna, and trevallies. Thanks to the steady currents, divers can often spot grey reef sharks, silky sharks, and even oceanic whitetip sharks. In certain seasons, hammerhead sharks also make an appearance, adding to the thrill of diving here.

Due to its exposed location, Habili Ali offers dynamic and action-packed dives, while its remoteness ensures pristine coral formations and abundant marine life. It’s one of the top sites in St. John’s for those seeking exhilarating pelagic encounters.

St. John’s Caves is one of the most fascinating dive sites in the St. John’s reef system, offering an intricate labyrinth of caves, tunnels, and arches that create breathtaking light effects underwater.

The cave entrances are adorned with vibrant soft corals and colorful sponges, while inside, divers can encounter glassfish schools, lionfish, and other unique marine creatures. On sunny days, beams of light penetrate through cracks in the rock, forming a magical, dreamlike atmosphere.

This site is suitable for divers of all levels, featuring both shallow swim-throughs and deeper passages. However, proper buoyancy control is essential to navigate the caves safely. St. John’s Caves is a must-visit for those who love exploring hidden underwater landscapes.

One of the most remote dive sites in southern Egypt, Ohrob Reef, hides a rare and fascinating wreck – a sunken Grumman HU-16 Albatross seaplane. Our team studied this aircraft during one of our first expeditions to the Elba region.

Resting at a depth of 5-15 meters, the wreck is easily accessible for both divers and snorkelers. Over time, the aircraft has become part of the reef, attracting a variety of marine life while still retaining much of its original structure. Divers can explore its remains, uncovering details of its design and imagining the story behind its final flight.

The exact circumstances of the crash remain a mystery, adding to the intrigue of this unique site. Exploring the Albatross wreck offers an extraordinary diving experience, combining history, adventure, and the untouched beauty of one of Egypt’s least-visited regions.

Shaab Sharm is a stunning offshore reef located southeast of Marsa Alam, at Wadi Gimal national protectorate, known for its steep drop-offs, vibrant coral formations, and rich marine life. The site features impressive vertical walls covered in soft corals, gorgonians, and black corals, attracting large schools of barracudas, trevallies, and tunas. Due to strong currents, Shaab Sharm is an excellent spot for drift diving and often offers encounters with reef sharks, eagle rays, and occasionally hammerheads. The reef also has a plateau at around 20-25 meters, where divers can explore coral bommies teeming with life.

Sataya is a vast horseshoe-shaped reef, renowned as one of the best places to encounter dolphins. The eastern side of the reef offers an exciting dive with vibrant coral gardens, steep walls, and a rich variety of marine life. Divers can spot barracudas, turtles, and even large pelagic fish. Ocasionally, even hammerheads can pass by. The western side is famous for its massive pods of spinner dolphins. During snorkeling, you may find yourself surrounded by dozens or even hundreds of wild dolphins, observing their playful behavior in their natural habitat.

Zabargad is one of the most beautiful and mysterious islands in southern Egypt, located very close to Rocky Island. Known for its unique landscape of sandy beaches, lagoons, and rugged hills, it also has a rich history—ancient Egyptians once mined the semi-precious gemstone peridot here.
The underwater world of Zabargad is diverse and stunning. Surrounding reefs feature calm coral gardens teeming with marine life, while deeper drop-offs attract tuna, barracuda, hammerheads, reef sharks, and silky sharks. On the island’s southern side, an unidentified shipwreck lies partially encrusted by coral, adding to the site’s allure.

Zabargad offers a mix of relaxed reef dives and thrilling drift dives, making it a perfect destination for divers seeking both beauty and adventure in a pristine natural setting.

Rocky Island is one of Egypt’s southernmost dive sites, located very close to Zabargad Island. Despite its small size, this remote and dramatic island boasts sheer drop-offs, powerful currents, and extraordinary marine life.
The reef walls are adorned with vibrant soft corals, black coral trees, and massive sea fans, while cracks and ledges hide moray eels, scorpionfish, stonefish, and rare nudibranches. In the blue, divers frequently encounter schools of barracuda, tuna, grey reef sharks, hammerheads, and silky sharks.

Due to its strong currents and exposed location, this site is best suited for advanced divers. However, the thrill of drift diving and the opportunity to see large pelagic species make Rocky Island an unforgettable dive destination.