St Johns & Fury Shoal

The wrecks and dive sites described below can be approached on this safari, but ultimately also depend on the weather and the wishes of the guests as well as approval by the Egyptian authorities.

Deep, deep to the south, off Rocky Island, are St. John’s Reefs. This group of reefs offers the diver an almost untouched underwater world. Breathtaking walls at Big Habili and Small Habili overgrown with large fan corals, gorgonians and soft corals in all possible colors promise fantastic dives. Like ice cream cones, these two reefs rise from the depths and end about 5m below the surface of the water. A look into the blue water can be very worthwhile: large fish such as sharks, barracudas, or schools of mackerel and tuna are not uncommon here. If you are lucky you can also come across manta rays and dolphins.

Umm Erug is probably the birthplace of bizarre coral blocks. At a depth of 12m to 30m there are various blocks next to the main reef, which in their shape and size are reminiscent of many everyday figures. Heavily populated by schooling fish, moray eels and camouflage artists of all kinds, a night dive on the main reef is also worthwhile. About 2 hours drive north is the St. John’s Cave area. This chain, consisting of five reefs, lives up to its name. Umm Hararim impresses with its unique cave system. In the flat area, surrounded by a wonderful hard coral garden, the main reef on its south-west side is perforated like Swiss cheese. The passages, which are mostly open to the top, are easy to dive, overgrown with red coral and the play of light on the bright sandy bottom is unique. Hatchet-bellied fish gather in darker corners, blue-spotted rays look for crabs in the sand … On the way north one passes the areas of Sataya, Hamat and Marsa Alam. Various dive sites await the diver here. Here are caves, niches, breakthroughs and canyons.

The underwater landscape is fantastic. Diving inside the Shaab Claudio caves is easy as they are quite spacious. Not far from Shaab Claudio we meet El Malahi, which means “the playground”. You can really let off steam at a depth of 10m to 18m. It seems as if the reef has simply broken apart, the individual blocks have remained close to each other, some hard coral blocks form connections. Small passages and overhangs, in between blue fusiliers and yellow mullets find shelter. Nature shows itself there from its most beautiful side. In the southwest of Abu Galawa Soraya is a small sailing ship that sank in the 80s and is overlooked with soft corals. If you dive along the west side to the north you come across coral gardens into a kind of theatron. A narrow sandy area surrounded by magnificent coral towers that stretches to the south. Killer clams of all sizes, one or the other octopus or even potato perch inhabit the many niches and overhangs. In the area of ​​Wadi Gimal, south of Marsa Alam, we find the reef of Shaab Sharm. A large reef roof with a beautifully overgrown steep wall in the north and north-west, where a view of the blue water is always worthwhile, and a collection of gorgonians at a depth of 17m to 22m to the east. The plateau on the east side stretches from 18m to 32m and the abundance of fish is great: schools of fusiliers, golden anthers and doctor fish, napoleons, mackerel hunting, watching a turtle eating …… .a highlight again and again! The plateau continues narrowly along the south side. One or the other large reef dweller patrols there, but dolphins also like to come by.