Hurghada & El Gouna · Egypt · Reef · Wall
Ras Abdallah
Reef slope, a plateau at 22 m, then a wall to about 70 m
Area photo: Tanya Dedyukhina · CC BY 3.0
A fringing reef along the coast 25 minutes by boat north of Makadi Bay, with a clearly published depth profile: reef slope to 15 metres, a plateau down to 22, and then a steep slope that runs to about 70. There is often a light to medium current from the north, and it sets the direction of the dive.
Where it is and how deep
27.0256° N, 33.9113° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive is run on the outside of the steep slope and worked back into the shallow area, which is the right way round for a site shaped like this one. The reef slopes down to about 15 metres, then a plateau carries on to 22, and below the plateau the ground falls steeply to roughly 70 metres. The outer edge is where you start, with the deep water on one shoulder.
There is often a light to medium current running from the north, and it makes the navigation for you: drop in up-current on the outside and let it push you along the reef rather than swimming against it. Once the deeper part of the profile is behind you, move up onto the reef slope and finish in the shallow area, where the depth stays inside a comfortable safety-stop range.
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.
Know before you go
- Current from the north is often light to medium but sets along the reef. Start the dive up-current on the outer slope so you are never swimming back into it.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Ras Abdallah?+
The reef slopes to about 15 metres and a plateau continues to 22, which is the usual working depth. Below the plateau a steep slope falls away to roughly 70 metres, outside recreational limits.
Sources
- Ras Abdallah dive site — Scubago (SSI MyDiveGuide)
More dive sites in Hurghada & El Gouna
Wall
A chimney at the northeast corner of the erg
Reef
A gigantic green lettuce coral almost right under the boat
Drift
A coral garden cascading from the reef top to the sand
A table-coral channel from the lagoon out to a pelagic drop-off
Sheltered from the north wind, so it dives on rough days
A desalination pipe sheltering crocodilefish and lionfish
An easy drift with turtles asleep on the coral at 20 m
Anthias clouds thick enough to lose sight of your buddy
Similar dives elsewhere
Beach-entry house reef at 5 to 20 m, outer drop-off past 60 m
The Fury Shoals' longest reef, with a resident spinner-dolphin pod
.jpg){kind=link}
Coral canyons to 16 m, then a wall that keeps dropping
A walkable island with a wall at about 24 m