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Red Sea Diving
Hurghada
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Hotels in Hurghada
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Hurghada is a lively holiday resort offering easy access to a varied selection of dive sites for all levels and the opportunity to mix diving with a visit to Luxor to see the Valley of the Kings and Queens and the temples of Luxor and Karnak.
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Dive Centres in Hurghada
Essential Diving Info
Location: On the Red Sea coast of mainland Egypt, around 500km south of Cairo.
Transfer time: Approximately 30 mins from Hurghada airport.
Medical: Nearest recompression chamber / medical facilities are at the Hurghada Naval Centre, 10 mins by road.
Diving in Hurghada
- Hurghada offers divers the choice of over 30 sites around the numerous offshore islands, which provide shelter for the day boats.
- For the wreck diving enthusiast there are trips available to the world-renowned Abu Nuhas and S/S Thistlegorm Red Sea wrecks.
- If you enjoy the rush of drift diving, the beautiful Giftun drift is a mere stone's throw away.
Diving Highlights
Careless Reef
This isolated reef is known to divers the world over for its large population of semi-tame Moray Eels. The reef features a steep wall dropping well beyond 40 metres, with a contoured profile offering many caves and cavelets for the more experienced diver. The reef's isolation, combined with the deep water in which it lies, makes it ideal for Pelagic-spotting and sharks are as likely here as at any reef in the area. Jacks, Tuna and Barracuda are also frequently spotted.
Giftun Seghir
The eastern wall of Giftun Seghir has sheer drops to great depths, it is very contoured and its craggy profile features some interesting caves. The reef is well covered with both hard and soft corals. The steep wall section boasts a phenomenal congregation of Gorgonians, as well as dense growth of sea whips and black corals. The reef
shallows are particularly rich in friendly smaller reef fish while big impressive Pelagic buzz past in the blue waters off the wall.
Shaab Um Gamar
One of the nicest sites in the Hurghada area, packing lots of action into its small confines. There is a small wreck, lying at around 25 metres (80ft), as well as a very dense population of reef and Pelagic fishes.
Abu Nuhas
A ship graveyard containing the wrecks of Giannis D, Carnatic, Kimon M, Chrisoula K. All around 100 metres in length and found between 5 and 28 metres below the surface. These wrecks can only be dived if weather conditions permit, due to their location. There is great coral life in the area and lots of schooling fish around the wrecks.
Thistlegorm
The Thistlegorm was a 126 metre long and 17.5 metre wide merchant vessel commandeered by the navy during World War II. In the early hours of 6th October 1941 she was hit by two German bombers. Rediscovered in the early 90's, sitting upright at 30 metres, she has become one of the best wrecks in the Red Sea. Her holds are open and easily accessed showing the full range of cargo which includes ammunition, trucks, motorbikes, armoured vehicles, plane wings and engines, trains and tenders, Wellington boots and waders. The wreck is exposed to the tidal currents and prevailing winds, which can make this dive inaccessible at times. These conditions and the depth of the dive means that this is only open to experienced divers.
See Hurghada diving map >>
Marine Life
A wide variety of colourful hard and soft corals, clownfish, lionfish, tuna, groupers, jacks, turtles, dolphins, reef sharks, leopard sharks, eagle rays, schools of colourful tropical fish and numerous other reef fish.
Apres Dive
Hurghada is home to a range of restaurants, bars, shops and nightclubs, all within walking distance or a short cab ride away. The downtown area of Dahar gives you a chance to experience true Egyptian ambiance where the souks, or markets, display leather, gold, silver, carpets, spices and trinkets of every shape and size.
Activities for non-divers
For non-divers who want a little more than what's to offer at their hotel, Hurghada provides plenty of other alternatives. Take a camel or jeep safari and explore the hidden gems of the Egyptian desert and mountains, not to mention a chance to go deep sea fishing and participating in water sports.
Excursions, activities & tours from Hurghada >>
Map of Hurghada Diving Sites
