Hurghada & El Gouna · Egypt · Pinnacle · Reef
Gota Iris
The last coral block off Shaab Iris, averaging 14 m
Area photo: Tanya Dedyukhina · CC BY 3.0
The last coral block of the Shaab Iris reef, in the Abu Nugar region north of Hurghada, dived as a site in its own right. The published average depth is 14 metres, which makes it a single-block dive: one structure to circle rather than a stretch of reef to cover.
Where it is and how deep
27.3460° N, 33.8396° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
Gota Iris is the last block of Shaab Iris, standing apart from the main reef, and that shape decides the dive. You work around the block rather than along a reef line, which keeps navigation simple: the coral stays on one shoulder the whole way round and you come back to where you started. The average depth is 14 metres, so a full circuit fits comfortably inside one tank.
It is one of the reefs of the Abu Nugar region and is listed separately from the main Shaab Iris reef beside it. The block is described as holding octopus, pufferfish, porcupinefish, moray eels, anthias and swarms of glassfish over soft coral, which is the argument for one slow lap rather than three fast ones. No maximum depth and no current are published, so the boat briefing is what sets the plan for the day.
Marine life and season
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Reef fish swarms
- Macro critters
| 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.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Gota Iris?+
Only an average depth is published for this block, 14 metres. No maximum depth is given anywhere, so treat 14 metres as the depth you will spend the dive around rather than as a floor, and take the day's limit from the briefing.
Sources
- Gota Iris dive site — Scubago (SSI MyDiveGuide)
More dive sites in Hurghada & El Gouna
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Reef
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A coral tower that opens into a cave at 28 m
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A resident pod of 100-plus spinner dolphins rests here each morning
The stern lies canted 45 degrees to port at 24 metres
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