El Fanadir North

El Fanadir North is a narrow, roughly 3 km coral reef accessed only by boat, with steep coral-encrusted walls on its east and north faces and a sloping western drop-off. The east side features a wide sandy terrace at about 8–12 m with low rocky pinnacles that serve as cleaning stations and habitat for small critters, while the deeper wall falls from around 18–20 m down to about 30–40 m and is covered in hard and soft corals, large gorgonians and aggregations of reef fish. The site is widely regarded as one of the area's most popular boat dives. Typical dives are drift dives, often starting in the shallow sheltered lagoon (around 8–15 m) and drifting northward with a mild northerly current; strong currents are not typical but can occur. Visibility is generally very good, often exceeding 20–30 m, and water temperatures range from the mid-20s °C in winter to the upper 20s °C in summer. The sheltered lagoon and reef crest are suitable for beginner/Open Water divers, while the deeper western drop-off to about 30–40 m is more appropriate for advanced divers. There are no wrecks, caves, or swim-throughs; divers should take care in sandy patches and among corals where well-camouflaged stonefish and scorpionfish are common.