Hurghada & El Gouna · Egypt · Pinnacle · Reef · Drift
Gotha Abu Galawa
Pinnacles full of glassfish and anthias, all above 10 m
Area photo: Tanya Dedyukhina · CC BY 3.0
A shallow pinnacle site on the Abu Galawa reef, about an hour by boat south of El Gouna. The whole dive sits between roughly 4 and 10 metres, with coral blocks crowded with glassfish and anthias, and the operator description calls it suitable for all divers and beginners in particular.
Where it is and how deep
27.3240° N, 33.7996° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
This is a shallow site and the profile stays that way: around 4 metres over most of it and 10 metres at the deepest point. The pinnacles are the dive, each one carrying clouds of glassfish with anthias hanging above the coral. At these depths the pace is slow and the gas lasts, so a single tank covers more of the site than the depth range would suggest.
It can also be run as a drift when the water is moving, in which case you cover more of the reef and less of any single block. Dolphins are listed as a possibility here rather than a promise, so treat them as a bonus on an otherwise unhurried reef dive. The boat run is about an hour south of El Gouna, on the Abu Galawa reef, which puts it inside a day-boat trip rather than a short hop from the marina.
Marine life and season
- Reef fish swarms
- Dolphins
| 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
Is Gotha Abu Galawa good for beginners?+
Yes. The site is described as suitable for all divers and especially beginners, and with a maximum of 10 metres the whole dive stays inside entry-level limits.
Sources
- Gotha Abu Galawa dive site — Scubago (SSI MyDiveGuide)
More dive sites in Hurghada & El Gouna
A vertical eastern edge dropping to 30 metres off Small Giftun
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Wall
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Pinnacle
Two pinnacles on a 16-metre plateau, with a wall dropping to 60 metres
Reef
A main reef and a scatter of coral blocks, averaging 14 m
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