Scuba Diving in Hurghada

Diving in Hurghada gives you the biggest range of accessible sites on the Egyptian mainland Red Sea. The city sits halfway down the western coast of the Gulf of Suez, directly opposite the Sinai Peninsula, and dozens of named dive sites stretch along the coast from Shaab El Erg in the north to Abu Hashish in the south. Local day boats reach most of these in 30 to 90 minutes. The signature sites pair shallow coral gardens at the Giftun Islands with the El Mina warship wreck, the moray-packed pinnacles of Carless Reef, the dolphin-frequented horseshoe of Shaab El Erg, and the gorgonian walls at Umm Gamar. None of it requires a Sinai stamp, which is why Hurghada has become the entry point for divers who want one base for the whole northern Red Sea.

The city has also turned into Egypt's main liveaboard departure point. Three of the most famous Red Sea wreck and reef routes start here: the northern wrecks circuit covering the SS Thistlegorm, the Rosalie Moller, and the Abu Nuhas graveyard; the Brothers-Daedalus-Elphinstone (BDE) route through the deep south; and the southern Deep South route to St. John's Reefs and Rocky Island. If you want to dive Egypt's offshore reefs, you'll likely be flying into Hurghada to do it.

Conditions are reliably good year-round. Water sits at 22 °C (72 °F) in February and rises to 28 °C (82 °F) in August, with visibility typically 20–40 m (65–130 ft) at the offshore sites. Currents are gentle to moderate at most reefs but pick up at the exposed sites like Carless Reef and the Abu Nuhas wrecks. Hurghada has a long history of mass-tourism diving (every all-inclusive resort runs its own dive operation), so quality varies more here than at Dahab or the offshore liveaboards. Picking a serious operator matters.

Top Dive Sites

The best dive sites in Hurghada span the local reefs north and south of the city, the Giftun Islands offshore, and the El Mina warship wreck close to the harbour. Here are the five most-booked.

Shaab El Erg (Dolphin House)

Shaab El Erg is a horseshoe-shaped reef 25 km (15 mi) north of Hurghada and the most reliable place in the area to dive with wild dolphins. A resident pod of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins uses the inner lagoon as a daytime resting spot, and morning trips have a 70–80% encounter rate during peak season. The reef itself wraps around in a 7 km (4.3 mi) arc with the open end facing south, creating a sheltered lagoon at 8–12 m (25–40 ft) surrounded by sandy coral gardens. Outer walls drop sharply to 30 m+ (100 ft+) with pelagic species patrolling the deeper edges. Most dives are run as drifts along the outer reef with the snorkellers up in the lagoon. Conditions are forgiving and the site works for any certification level.

Depth: 5–30 m (15–100 ft) | Level: All Levels

El Mina

The El Mina is a 58 m (190 ft) Soviet-built Egyptian T-43 minesweeper sunk by Israeli aircraft on 6 February 1970 during the War of Attrition. She now lies on her port side just outside Hurghada's harbour entrance, with the bow at 25 m (80 ft) and the stern at 32 m (105 ft). The dive is part wreck and part military history: visible blast damage from the bomb that sank her, anti-aircraft guns still mounted on the rear deck, winches and mine-sweeping gear scattered on the hull, and live ammunition spread around the wreckage (don't touch anything). Glassfish swarms fill the openings and lionfish, scorpionfish, and the occasional stonefish patrol the structure. Currents can rip here, but the harbour entrance position means shelter is easy to find behind the deck. Strictly Advanced Open Water territory.

Depth: 25–32 m (80–105 ft) | Level: Advanced

Carless Reef

Carless Reef is an offshore reef plateau 1 hour northeast of Hurghada, famous across Egypt for the dense population of semi-tame moray eels that have made the site their home through decades of (now-discouraged) fish feeding. The reef centres on two pinnacles rising from the abyss, with a plateau between them at 12–17 m (40–55 ft) and a vertical wall to the east that drops past 40 m (130 ft). Beyond the morays, you'll see schooling jacks, sweetlips, and goatfish on the plateau, with whitetip reef sharks and the occasional hammerhead in the open water off the drop-off. Carless is exposed and has no protected moorings, so the site only runs in calm conditions and the currents can be unpredictable.

Depth: 12–40 m+ (40–130 ft+) | Level: Advanced

Giftun Islands (Small Giftun)

Small Giftun, one of the two Giftun Islands, sits 15 km (9.3 mi) offshore from Hurghada and is the standard first-day dive for most operators. The signature site is a drift dive along the eastern wall, which drops sharply from a shallow reef top to 40 m+ (130 ft+) and is decorated with some of the densest gorgonian fan coverage in the area. Currents can be strong and the site is mostly run as a drift, with the boat picking you up at the south end. Pelagic action includes tuna, trevally, barracuda, and occasional eagle rays at the corners. The nearby Erg Somaya and Police Station drift along the channel between the two Giftun Islands offer easier alternatives in mixed-experience groups.

Depth: 5–40 m+ (15–130 ft+) | Level: Intermediate to Advanced

Abu Ramada (The Aquarium)

Abu Ramada sits 18 km (11 mi) southeast of Hurghada and is nicknamed "the aquarium" for the density of fish that gather around its reef formations. Three distinct dive sites are clustered here: Abu Ramada North, Abu Ramada South, and Gota Abu Ramada (also called Camel Reef), which is the most popular and features coral pinnacles in a sandy plateau at 10–15 m (33–50 ft). The site works well in calm conditions and the shallow profile makes it excellent for photography and longer dives. Marine life is consistently dense: barracuda, giant moray eels, stingrays, snappers, and dense fusilier clouds across all three sites.

Depth: 5–25 m (15–80 ft) | Level: All Levels

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Best Time to Dive

The best time to dive Hurghada is March to May and September to November, when water temperatures sit at 24–27 °C (75–81 °F), winds are light, and visibility regularly tops 30 m (100 ft) at the offshore sites. Summer (June to August) brings the warmest water at 27–28 °C (81–82 °F) but pushes air temperatures past 40 °C (104 °F) and brings the heaviest crowds at the popular reefs. Winter (December to February) is the coldest at 22–23 °C (72–73 °F) and can bring strong northerly winds that cancel exposed sites like Carless Reef and Abu Nuhas, though the inshore Giftun reefs and Abu Ramada stay diveable most days.

Diving Conditions

Marine Life

Marine life in Hurghada is reef-focused with reliable pelagic and big-animal encounters at the offshore sites. The Red Sea's 1,000+ fish species are well represented, and the area's mix of shallow lagoons, drop-off walls, sandy plateaus, and wrecks supports a broad cross-section of habitats within a single day's diving.

Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins: Year-round, especially around Shaab El Erg. A resident pod of bottlenose dolphins uses the Shaab El Erg lagoon as a daytime rest area, making it one of the most reliable wild dolphin encounters in the Red Sea. Morning trips arrive before the snorkel-tour fleet and have the highest encounter rates.

Moray eels: Year-round, especially around Carless Reef. Carless Reef holds one of the densest moray eel populations in the Egyptian Red Sea, including giant moray, yellow-edged moray, and yellow-mouth moray, often seen free-swimming and approachable due to decades of (now-discouraged) feeding by guides.

Hammerhead sharks: May to September, occasional at Carless Reef and outer Giftun. Scalloped hammerheads occasionally appear in the blue off Carless Reef and the outer Giftun drop-offs during the warmest months. These sightings are less reliable than at Tiran or the southern offshore reefs but possible.

Spinner and bottlenose dolphins on the surface. Pods of spinner dolphins often join the boat crossings between sites, particularly on the runs north to Shaab El Erg and east to Carless Reef.

• Reef and macro life: Lionfish, scorpionfish, stonefish, blue-spotted rays, octopus, giant clams, and dense anthias clouds populate every reef. Glassfish swarms fill the El Mina wreck and the deeper coral pinnacles. Longnose hawkfish sit on gorgonian fans at Small Giftun and Umm Gamar.

Practical Information

Dive Prices

• Fun dives: $35–$60 USD per single dive, $55–$90 USD per two-tank day trip. Hurghada is one of the cheapest places in the Red Sea to dive.
• Liveaboard: $1,200–$2,500 USD per 7-night trip on northern wrecks, BDE, or Deep South routes
• Open Water courses: $300–$420 USD over 3–4 days. Hurghada sits at the lower end of the Egyptian course-pricing range.
• Park/permit fees: Local Hurghada dive sites generally have no park fee. Marine park fees apply on offshore liveaboards to the Brothers, Daedalus, and Elphinstone (typically $15–$25 USD per day, included in liveaboard pricing).

Getting There

Hurghada International Airport (HRG) is Egypt's second-busiest airport after Cairo and receives direct flights from most major European cities year-round, plus seasonal charters. The airport sits 5 km (3 mi) south of central Hurghada and most resorts arrange transfers for $20–$50 USD. Dive centres in the El Dahar (old town), Sekalla, and resort strip areas typically handle morning pickups for day boats. Cairo is a 1-hour flight (multiple daily) or a 5–6 hour drive via the Red Sea coast highway. Land transfers from Hurghada to El Gouna (25 km / 15 mi north) and Safaga (50 km / 31 mi south) take 30 minutes to 1 hour.