This itinerary is most of the time called
‘the best route along the Egyptian coast’. Starting
from Marsa Alam, it goes south along the coast to the vast
reef system of Fury Shoal and St John’s, where there
are many impressive small reefs offering walls dives, soft
corals, fan corals, a large variety of fish and sharks.
Most of the dives will take place around
St John’s, famous for its caves and vast collection
of small reefs and drop offs offering some of the most remote
and rewarding diving in the Red Sea. On our programme: Habili
Ali (offering giant gorgonians and black corals whilst
Grey Reef, Silvertip and schools of Hammerhead sharks might
be found on the west side), Habili
Gafaar (a mass of soft corals teaming with shoals of Snappers,
Butterfly Fish and Barracudas and Mantas and sharks pasing
by), Habili Washour, the Nursery
(a complex of caverns) and Gota Kebir
(a massive reef, famous for its tunnels and south plateau).
Note: This dive cruise should suit most of the divers with a minimum of 40 logged dives. If the weather conditions are favourable, travelling will be done during the day. All dive sites are subject to weather conditions.
Dive sites Explore the Deep South tour
El Malahi
El Malahi (part of Fury Shoals) is a bit like a Disneyland Paradise underwater.
Magical, mystical, the most gorgeous coral formations of hard corals, gigantic
boulders and swim throughs make this a unique dive site. It has the most gorgeous
blue and pink shades of staghorn corals, towering boulders with dramatic formations,
with soft pink corals lining the walls. Large groups of banner fish and goatfish
congregate in the midst and again, fantastic for photographic opportunities.
Habili Ali
Habili Ali (part of St John’s) offers a steep wall with giant gorgonians,
blue stag horns and black corals whilst Grey Reef, Silvertip and schools of Hammerhead
sharks might be found on the west side together with huge napoleons and the rare
hump head parrotfish. The north side has a lot of caves and overhangs especially
between 5-18 metres where there are lots of beautiful soft corals. The south side
has a lot of cracks and overhangs, but is much shallower at 5-8 m.
Habili Gafaar
Habili Gafaar (part of St John’s) is a small pinnacle, some 30 to 20m long
and oval shaped. Both the north and the south sides have a steep plateau. There
are beautiful soft corals teaming with shoals of snappers, butterfly fish and
barracudas. Mantas, Grey Reef and Silvertip sharks can be seen in the blue.
Habili Washour
Habili Washour (part of St John's) offers a great drop off where encounters with
grey reef sharks, white tip, barracuda, trevally and others are common, especially
early in the morning.
Gota Kebir
Gota Kebir (part of St John’s) is a massive reef, famous for its tunnels
and south plateau, where jacks and barracudas can be seen and the occasional manta.
The tunnels are ideal for novice cave divers. The dive takes you to a wall which
drops off to about 20 metres to a plateau followed by another steep drop-off.
Gota Soraya
Gota Soraya (part of Fury Shoals) is rated as possibly one of the best wall dives
in the Red Sea, with overwhelming boulders, coral formations, amazing table corals
and cracks in the reef wall, full of glass fish and sweepers and an abundance
of corals, Grey Reef, Silvertips and Hammerhead sharks.
Nursery
The nursery (part of John's) offers a fantastic cavern at around 12m, cutting
through a large part of the reef. It is reasonably safe during the day as light
pretty much shines through in all places. On the bottom you have to look for blue
spotted stingrays, as well as baby white tips in small crevices and moray eels.
Also look around for sleeping bump-head parrotfish.
Sha’ab Claude (Fury Shoals)
Sha’ab Claude (part of Fury Shoals) is famous for its swim-throughs, cavern
and huge pyrite corals. White tip reef sharks and an anemone and clownfish settlement
can be seen a little off the reef to the South.
Shiriniat
Shiriniat (part of Fury Shoals) gives you an overview of the different kind of
fish you may find in the Red Sea, another paradise for photographers.
Tienstin Wreck
The Tienstin is a small Japanese tug boat and is covered with hard and soft corals.
Inside she is full of glassfish and a resident red mouth grouper also lives here.
The wreck lies at approximately a 45 degree angle with the stern sitting in the
sand at the bottom of the reef and the bow rests shallow on the reef top. This
is a wreck that is now totally infested with colourful reef life of all kinds.
