
Hurghada & El Gouna · Egypt · Wall · Pinnacle
Erg Somaya
A chimney at the northeast corner of the erg
Area photo: Tanya Dedyukhina · CC BY 3.0
Erg Somaya is a wall and erg east of Small Giftun, off Hurghada, where open-water fish gather along a vertical face. Currents can be strong, and the deeper sections call for some experience, which makes it a dive for those with good control of their buoyancy.
Where it is and how deep
No published position for this site — the map shows Hurghada & El Gouna and its other sites; operators know the mooring.
The dive
The dive enters at 30 m and exits at 22 m along a vertical wall that spans out into a shelf with an erg, reaching up to 5 m below the surface. A chimney sits at the northeast corner, and barracuda, snapper, jackfish and tuna are the common swimmers off the wall.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
- Tuna
| 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
- Currents can be strong, and good buoyancy control is needed.
Dive videos
Hassan & Dmitry's Excellent Dive on Erg Somaya · redseadiscovery on YouTube
Sources
- Erg Somaya - Egypt Divers — Egypt Divers
More dive sites in Hurghada & El Gouna
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An anemone city where hundreds of anemonefish guard their young
A calm lagoon of pinnacles sheltered when the outer reef is pounded
Pinnacle
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An 1869 P&O steamer rotted back to her iron ribs at 24 m
One big pinnacle full of glassfish and moray eels
A wall, a 20 m-wide plateau, then a drop-off past 70 m
A minesweeper on her port side, 25 minutes from the marina
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