Hurghada & El Gouna · Egypt · Reef
Fort Arabesque Makadi Bay
Sheltered from the north wind, so it dives on rough days
Area photo: Tanya Dedyukhina · CC BY 3.0
A reef inside Makadi Bay, in front of the Fort Arabesque, where a gentle slope runs down to 18 metres before dropping off into deeper water. It is sheltered from the north wind, which makes it one of the options that still works on rough days, and the description covers everyone from beginners to advanced divers.
Where it is and how deep
26.9969° N, 33.9063° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The reef falls away as a gentle slope to about 18 metres, and that slope is the whole dive for most groups. It is unhurried ground: shallow enough to stay a long time, angled gently enough that you can drift down it or hold a level without much thought. Below 18 metres the reef drops off into deeper water, which is available to divers qualified for it but is not the point of the site.
It can be run either as a one-way dive, with the boat picking you up further along, or as a stationary dive where you go in and come back to the same point. That flexibility, plus the shelter from the north wind, is what the site is known for: it is described as a good option to dive on rough days, and as suitable for beginners through to advanced divers alike.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| 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.
Sources
- Fort Arabesque Makadi bay dive site — Scubago (SSI MyDiveGuide)
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