El Quseir · Egypt · Cave & cavern · Reef
Soug Bahar
Rope-marked route through reef canyons and caves to 30 m
Area photo: Michele Gardini · CC BY-SA 3.0
Soug Bahar is a shore dive about 30 minutes away by minibus, entered from a sand bay and then through a series of canyons and caves in the reef to a maximum of 30 m. The main route is marked with a rope, and current runs most of the time from north to south. Barracuda, scorpionfish, snapper, glassfish and lionfish are listed for the site.
Where it is and how deep
25.7175° N, 34.5603° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive begins on the sand of a small bay: you walk in, then head for the reef, where the route leads into a system of canyons and caves rather than along an open wall. The main route through them is marked with a rope, and the sensible way to dive the site is to follow that rope in and to follow it back out; it is there so that divers do not have to navigate the passages from memory. Maximum depth is 30 m.
The residents listed are barracuda, scorpionfish, snapper, glassfish and lionfish, and the listing also notes a cave under the reef, so give the shaded passages and overhangs the same attention as the open reef. Current runs most of the time from north to south, so bear that in mind when you leave the cover of the rock, and turn the dive with enough gas to retrace the rope back to the sand bay where the dive started.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows El Quseir: Sheltered shore dives, so the winter wind that disrupts boat schedules from October to April matters less; water falls to 23 °C by February and peaks near 30 °C in late summer.
Know before you go
- The canyons and caves are navigated on a rope-marked main route; stay on the rope rather than exploring side passages, and keep enough gas to retrace it to the exit.
- Current runs most of the time from north to south; outside the shelter of the canyons, plan the leg back to the sand bay so it is not into the flow.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Soug Bahar?+
The maximum depth is 30 m. The dive runs from a sand-bay entry through canyons and caves in the reef on a route marked with a rope.
Sources
- Soug Bahar dive site — Scubago
More dive sites in El Quseir
Sand slope
Sandy bay sloping to 40 m between coral gardens that reach 30 m
Coral garden
Hole-in-the-roof entry to coral blocks rising from 10 to 40 m to the surface
Jetty-entry wall to 40 m dived for tuna, dolphins and passing whale sharks
Coral garden
Sheltered bay with a coral garden and a wall, listed to 30 m, only light current
Similar dives elsewhere
A reef fissure opening at 18 m onto a chamber floor at 30 m
Sunlight falling through cracks in the cavern roof at 6-10 m
Barracuda at the cave corner and an open chamber to surface in, off-season
Swim-throughs and pinnacles from 10 metres, diveable year-round.