Hurghada & El Gouna · Egypt · Pinnacle · Reef · Wall
Careless Reef
Two pinnacles on a 16-metre plateau, with a wall dropping to 60 metres
Area photo: Tanya Dedyukhina · CC BY 3.0
An open-sea plateau at about 16 metres with two pinnacles rising off it towards the surface, and a wall a few fin-kicks east cut with caves and overhangs. Depths around the main reef run 12 to 17 metres, while the site bottoms out at 60 metres below the drop-off. Napoleon fish and grouper are common here, and eagle rays and reef sharks are seen off the wall.
Where it is and how deep
27.3480° N, 33.8370° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The main reef is a plateau standing in open sea with two pinnacles that reach up towards the surface, and the plateau itself sits at about 16 metres. Depths around it run between 12 and 17 metres. A few fin-kicks to the east the wall drops away, cut with many caves and overhangs, and the maximum depth on the site is 60 metres.
The wall is where the bigger animals show. Eagle rays cross the open water off the drop-off, moray eels sit in the overhangs, and reef sharks turn up occasionally — whitetip, blacktip, nurse, grey and tiger sharks are all reported here. Napoleon fish and grouper are common sightings on the reef, along with barracuda, snapper, tuna and batfish.
Finish back on the shallow reef. Current here is described as occasionally tricky and the drop-offs are steep, so keep the deep section of the dive short and leave the last of the gas for the pinnacles between 12 and 17 metres, where parrotfish, butterflyfish, pipefish and clownfish work the coral and the safety stop can be done in sight of the reef.
Marine life and season
- Napoleon wrasse
- Groupers
- Barracuda
- Eagle rays
- Reef sharks
- Tuna
- Reef fish swarms
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Fair |
Season follows Hurghada & El Gouna: Diving runs all year; the seas settle from March to November and are calmest in summer, while February brings the coolest water.
Know before you go
- Steep drop-offs on the eastern side and current described as occasionally tricky — stay with the guide, watch your depth over the wall, and plan the deep half of the dive first.
Dive videos
Careless Reef - Marsa Abu Galawa · filmstad on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is Careless Reef?+
The main reef and its two pinnacles sit between 12 and 17 metres, with the plateau at about 16 metres. East of it the wall drops away to a maximum of 60 metres, so the site can be dived shallow or deep depending on the plan.
Sources
- Careless Reef dive site — PADI
- Hurghada Dive Sites — Swiss Wellness Dive Club
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Wall
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Caves and overhangs north, a wall past 60 m east