Soma Bay Dive Sites

The dive sites are located on the east and west sides of this 2 km long reef, where wonderful coral gardens and caves can be admired. The northern part is ideal for drift dives. The outside of the reef drops down to 40 meters.

Shaab Sheer West is about 85 minutes from our dive center. The west side convinces with a colorful hard coral garden. You should also not miss the small lagoon in the inner area.

Shaab Sheer East is about 75 minutes from our dive center. The 1 km long reef offers the diver several diving opportunities. The east side is known for its beautiful brain coral landscape and for the abundance of fish. In addition to the main reef, there are other ergs with smaller caves and grottos that are exceptional depending on the sunlight.

Einer der größten, bekanntesten und vielseitigsten Tauchplätze Safagas. Ein 400 Meter langes Riff mit dramatischen, senkrechten Wänden, das bekannt ist für sein südliches Plateau und die „Anemone City“.

It boasts an incredible variety of marine life and is a prime destination for drift diving. The typical north-south current offers the opportunity for relaxed drift dives.

Panorama is often frequented for its eagle rays and other large fish. Regular sightings include tuna, barracuda, trevally, napoleon wrasse, and the occasional whitetip reef shark.

What makes the Panorama Reef special:

• South Plateau: A flat area that gradually drops to 35 meters, known for a rich field of anemones with dozens of anemone fish and often home to resting rays, lionfish and napoleon wrasse.
• East and west walls: Steep vertical drop-offs that drop to over 200 meters, adorned with giant gorgonian fan corals and soft corals.
• North Plateau: Requires calm weather. This area is known for pristine hard coral gardens, vibrant soft corals, and the chance to see reef sharks, barracuda, and turtles.
• Anemone City: A famous place that drops from the surface to 15 meters and is densely populated with dozens of anemone fish.

Gamul Soraya is a small coral block. The outside is great for diving. This dive site has different blocks that lead south. These blocks look breathtaking, and during the dive, if you look into the blue water, you sometimes have an eagle ray there.

Shaab Humdallah is about 80 minutes away from our dive center. It is one of the most beautiful dive sites in Safaga. The coral columns are covered with various soft corals and have a great biodiversity. Since the pillars are free-standing and not protected by a reef, this dive site can only be approached in favorable weather.

Tobia Soraya is about 40 minutes from our dive center and consists of a chain of smaller reefs that stretch from north to south. The sandy bottom of the reef blocks is about 15 m deep and forms a beautiful backdrop for the diverse underwater world. A colorful reef with blocks of different sizes. There is a small cave at 7 meters that is full of glass fish.

Gamul Kebir is a renowned dive site located about 30 minutes by boat from Safaga. Known for its vibrant marine biodiversity and crystal clear waters, this site offers exceptional visibility that makes it a paradise for divers of all levels.

The reef rises from a depth of about 15 meters and encloses a lagoon that opens to the west. The main reef forms a circular formation with three peaks extending northwards. These structures are adorned with soft coral and seagrass beds, providing habitats for diverse marine life. Divers can expect large schools of barracuda, big-eyed angelfish, snappers, eagle rays, whitetip reef sharks, and the occasional dugong. The seagrass areas are home to unique species such as sea moths and blue-spotted stingrays.

This is an ideal dive site for divers of all levels. The inner reef offers many sandy spots for beginner training. Outside this reef, many glassfish hide in a small cave.

This reef is 2 km long and slopes gently directly from the coast. More than five spots invite you to pleasant dives. Sometimes a slight current makes drift diving possible. An abyss can be found between 25 and 30 meters. In the southern part, the reef opens up to the wonderful coral garden of Abu Soma.

Tobia Arbaa, die „Sieben Säulen“, ist ein erstklassiger, anfängerfreundlicher Tauchplatz in der Nähe von Safaga. Mit sieben atemberaubenden Korallenspitzen, die vom 12–15 Meter tiefen Sandboden bis an die Oberfläche ragen. Bekannt für seine ruhigen Bedingungen und die unglaublichen, lebendigen Weichkorallen, ist es ein Paradies für Unterwasserfotografen. Die Stätte besteht aus sieben Haupt-Korallenspitzen, die wegen der Türme eine spaßige und einfache Navigation bieten. Dieser Ort gilt als Pflichttauchgang für Besucher der Safaga- und Soma-Bay-Region, ca. 45 Minuten Bootsfahrt von MenaDive, in der Nähe von Ras Abu Soma.

Conditions

• Shallow sandy bottom (12–15 m) with columns rising to just below the surface.
• Very calm, gentle current, ideal for beginners and underwater photography.

Marine life and photographer's opportunities:

• excellent for wide-angle and macro photography
• Napoleon wrasse, large schools of silverfish, lionfish, jacks, barracuda and stingrays
• rich in nudibranchs, glassfish and anthias covering the columns
• A resident turtle can often be found near the pillars.

Abu Kafan is one of the most beautiful places here in Safaga. The northern dive site has a great plateau that offers a descent with beautiful black corals.

Beautiful coral fields gave this place the name Coral Garden. It really is a paradise for creating photos and videos.

The Middle Reef, as the name suggests, is located between the Panorama Reef and Abu Kafan. On the north side you will find a slope with beautiful coral formations. The south side slowly descends to the southern slope to a depth of 30 meters.

Drift dives are possible on the west and east sides.

The more than 100 meters long ferry Salem Express leaked in a storm in December 1991 at Shaab Sheer and sank within minutes. More than 700 lives have been claimed by the disaster.

The wreck is one of the most famous and tragic in the Red Sea. It lies on the seabed on the starboard side with the bow at a depth of 32 meters, while the propeller is only 14 meters below the surface. To this day, there are many objects and debris around the ship and colorful marine life has settled on and around the hull.

The ship's interior is mostly considered a graveyard and thus banned from public diving.