Hamata & Wadi Lahami · Egypt · Reef · Coral garden
Shaab Sakara
A large coral garden on the west side, 17 m at its deepest
Area photo: Derek Keats · CC BY 2.0
Shaab Sakara is a small reef reachable on a short-navigation day trip from Hamata, with a sandy bottom at a maximum of 17 m. The south part carries a lot of coral and the west side opens into a large coral garden. Blue-spotted stingrays, parrotfish, pufferfish, lionfish and moray eels are on the reef.
Where it is and how deep
24.2425° N, 35.4149° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The reef is small enough to be covered properly in a single dive, and shallow with it - the sand bottoms out at 17 m - so the profile is generous from the start. The south part is the coral-rich end and a reasonable place to begin, working round the reef afterwards with the sand on one shoulder and the coral on the other.
The west side is the reason to come: a large coral garden that will take up most of the dive if you let it. Blue-spotted stingrays sit on the sand between the coral heads, and the reef itself holds parrotfish, pufferfish, surgeonfish, lionfish, moray eels, scorpionfish and clownfish. With the bottom at 17 m there is time to go slowly and look properly.
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
- Shaab Sakara - Scubago — Scubago
More dive sites in Hamata & Wadi Lahami
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Swim-throughs and pinnacles from 10 metres, diveable year-round.
Similar dives elsewhere
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Shallow coral gardens and deeper drop-offs, 30 to 45 minutes from the city