Hamata & Wadi Lahami · Egypt · Reef · Lagoon · Sand slope
Abu Galawa Soraya
Four small reefs around a lagoon, canyon terrain, mild current
Area photo: Derek Keats · CC BY 2.0
Abu Galawa Soraya - the name means small lagoon - is a group of four small coral reefs with a lagoon between them, dived from 8 m to 30 m. The terrain is gentle slopes, sandy areas and a canyon, the current is mild and visibility is described as very good, which is why it is filed as a calm leisure dive. A small sailing wreck lies off the west reef.
Also known as Abu Galawa Small, Galwa Sorayer.
Where it is and how deep
24.2507° N, 35.5431° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The site is four small coral reefs set close enough together to enclose a lagoon, and the dive is the unhurried tour that suggests. Depths run from 8 m on the reef tops to 30 m on the sand, with gentle slopes joining the two and a canyon cutting through the structure - enough shape to keep a route interesting without any part of it being demanding.
The current is mild and the site is filed as a calm leisure dive, so depth is the only thing to plan around: the 30 m end puts it beyond Open Water limits even though nothing about the reef feels deep. Reef fish are the constant, with rays a possibility over the sand. On the outside of the west reef there is a small sailing wreck, unnamed and undated in the published descriptions - a feature to swim past, not a wreck dive.
Marine life and season
- Stingrays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows Hamata & Wadi Lahami: May to October is the calm window, with much less wind; diving runs all year, but sea state is wind-driven and can reroute a day.
Sources
- Abu Galawa Soraya - Scubago — Scubago
- Abu Galawa Small - Scubago — Scubago
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