Tobia Arbaa

Tobia Arbaa, also called "The Seven Pillars", is a reef dive focused on a cluster of five to seven tall coral pinnacles rising from a sandy seabed off Ras Abu Soma; the site is sheltered by a headland, making it calm and almost always diveable. The pillars are encrusted with hard and soft corals and are famous for abundant, colorful marine life that makes the site popular for underwater photography, with clouds of anthias and glassfish, camouflaged lionfish and crocodilefish, morays, Napoleon (humphead) wrasse, barracuda and frequent green sea turtles. The dive is typically done from a boat with entry on a sandy slope near where the vessel anchors. Pillar tops are around 10–12 metres and the deepest areas reach about 25–30 metres; visibility is usually very good and surface currents are minimal due to the headland, making conditions suitable for all levels. Navigation is straightforward because the pinnacles remain within sight, but many tops come close to the surface so divers should control buoyancy during the ascent and monitor their depth profile as the pinnacles slope sharply.