Abu Dabbab

Abu Dabbab is a shallow-water reef complex in a protected bay composed of six small reefs running roughly parallel to shore, featuring dense coral gardens, rocky bommies and extensive seagrass beds. It is a popular, often-easy check dive for boats and shore divers and is notable as one of the few sites where resident dugongs may appear; green and loggerhead turtles frequently feed on the seagrass. Typical dives range from a few metres to about 15–18 m over the reef slopes, with outer drop-offs reaching roughly 30–40 m. The bay is generally calm with minimal current inside, but prevailing northward currents through the channels can be moderate to strong on the outer reefs, allowing drift dives there. Both easy shore entries and boat moorings are commonly used. Visibility is variable and can be reduced by stirred-up sand and seagrass, and water temperatures are warm, generally in the mid-20°C range. Some cavern passages are narrow and suited only to experienced divers, and careful buoyancy is required around coral and seagrass. The liveaboard Heaven sank in 2003 and lies upright at about 15 m between reefs 2 and 3; the partially intact wreck is a major underwater attraction and is often explored along with the surrounding reef formations.