Marsa Alam & Port Ghalib · Egypt · Reef
Nilson Reef
Small reef six minutes out, coral tops at 2-3 m
Area photo: David Sanford · CC BY-SA 3.0
Nilson Reef is a small reef six minutes out by speedboat, built of coral blocks whose tops sit 2 to 3 m below the surface. The ground falls to 10 m on the south side and 15 m on the north, so the whole site stays within easy recreational depth from the shallows down to its deepest corner.
Where it is and how deep
25.3183° N, 34.7550° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
It is a six-minute speedboat ride out to the reef, so almost none of the outing goes on getting there. The reef is small but well formed, made of coral blocks whose upper edges sit only 2 to 3 m under the surface. That means you are on structure within seconds of getting in, and it also means the tops of the blocks stay bright and shallow enough to be the best part of the dive rather than something you pass on the way down.
From the blocks the ground drops away to about 10 m on the south side and 15 m on the north, which is the whole vertical range of the site. Pick a side according to what the boat suggests, run along the base of the coral blocks, and come back over their tops in the shallows. With a maximum of 15 m there is no depth pressure at all, so this is a dive to spend on the reef itself: work slowly around the blocks and leave plenty of time for the shallow finish.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Marsa Alam & Port Ghalib: Diving runs all year; early autumn has the warmest sea without the August crowds.
Sources
- Nilson Reef — Scubago
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