El Gouna is the ideal destination for a diving trip with friends or family. This small lakeside city, created in 1990 by an Egyptian billionaire, is located 20km north of Hurghada. They dot the various hotels around canals and lagoons, which gives it an air of Little Venice. Besides diving, many activities are possible: golf, thalassotherapy, fitness center, excursions in the desert, and nightlife in the marina.
A diving stay in El Gouna will allow you to discover superb diving sites nearby, but also beautiful wrecks like those which rest on the reef of Abu Nuhas.
Between wrecks and superb coral gardens, a lagoon, and a friendly atmosphere, your diving holiday in El Gouna promises total relaxation and wonderful discovery of the Red Sea.
Diving in El Gouna
The dives are very varied with drop-offs, wrecks, and coral potatoes resting on the immaculate white sand. They are accessible to all levels and much less crowded than from Hurghada.
To the south and in front of El Gouna, there are many reefs, such as Sha’ab El Erg, Abu Galawa, or Careless Reef. In the north, the sites around Ras Siyul are superb.
The Abu Nuhas reef, a real underwater cemetery, will delight wreck enthusiasts.
Sha’ab El Erg sites
Sha’ab El Erg is a horseshoe-shaped reef that lies east of El Gouna. The place is famous for the colony of dolphins which evolves in the lagoon. It is a spot extremely popular with snorkeling enthusiasts too.
Dolphin House. Located to the north of the reef, it is a channel used by dolphins to enter and exit the lagoon, there are also turtles, moray eels, wrasse, and superb reef fauna. The top of this dive remains the encounter with a tursiop dolphin or bottlenose dolphin.
Poseidon Garden. It is a superb coral garden with large tables. There are large schools of coach fish and butterflyfish.
Manta Point. This site is outside the reef. It is a real aquarium where many species from the Red Sea evolve. There are also reef sharks and manta rays (in February and March).
Abu Galawa sites
The Abu Galawa reef offers beautiful dives with little current and shallow depths. It lies between El Gouna and Hurghada.
Marsa Abu Galawa. It is a protected, shallow lagoon. We can observe groupers, stonefish, scorpionfish. It is also a cleaning station where a multitude of shrimps are active in all directions. The site is ideal for beginners.
Shaabaha. This word means ghost woman. It is a large plateau that can be seen from the surface. The site is shallow; the diving comprises going around it. The place is extraordinarily rich, with a lot of hard corals, soft corals, moray eels, scorpionfish, crocodile fish, turtles, and dolphins.
Gota Abu Galawa. There is beautiful underwater architecture on this site. Small canyons and a large plateau.
Anchor. This beautiful coral garden is inhabited by beautiful reef fauna.
Careless reef
It is the deepest site in the region. It is only accessed if time permits. These are 2 large pinnacles placed on a large platform with drop-offs on all sides. The place is fabulous and extraordinarily rich. The number of corals is comparable to Elphinstone or the Brothers. Strong currents attract white tip sharks, groupers, turtles, moray eels, tuna, barracudas, and sometimes sailfish.
Syul sites
These are two small islands surrounded by a reef, Siyul, and Sman Siyul. The two major sites are Siyul Kebira and El Gilwa.
Siyul Kebira. It is an incredibly beautiful dive where we frequently observe leopard sharks, turtles, or moray eels. We end in an aquarium where fauna abounds. They sometimes do this dive in the current.
El Gilwa. To the south of the big island, there is beautiful underwater architecture. These are large blocks of coral placed on the sand. Stonefish, leopard sharks, and stingrays are common on the site.
Abu Nuhas wrecks
On a diving trip from El Gouna or on a diving cruise, wreck enthusiasts will feast on the site of Sha’ab Abu Nuhas. This dangerous reef which runs along the route of the boats going up towards the Suez Canal trapped four ships: the Giannis D, the Carnatic, the Chrisoula K, and the Kimon… Read more.
The Thistlegorm
The Thistlegorm is one of the most beautiful wrecks in the world. It is located southwest of Sinai on a vast set of reefs: Sha’ab Ali, in the Strait of Gubal. You can dive the Thistlegorm wreck, either from Sharm El Sheikh or on a diving cruise.
Le Thistlegorm … Read more.
The Rosalie Moller
The Rosalie Moller is a British ship. First christened Francis, they launched it in 1910 by the Booth Steamship Company. Then it was sold to the Moller company and renamed Rosalie Moller. It sank the same week as the Thistlegorm. On October 6, 1941, the German air force sank the Thistlegorm then returned the next day to destroy the other ship seen nearby with the help of the illuminations of the explosion. On the night of October 7-8, 1941, the ship sank in the Strait of Gubal. The wreck was not discovered until 1999.
The Rosalie Moller is placed 50m deep, the top of the mast is 17 m.
The wreck is covered with coral and is in relatively excellent condition. This dive is only possible in calm seas, the launch is sporty given the currents, and the depth is limited.