| | Hurghada, along with Sharm el Sheikh, is where it all started. These where the first two destinations of the nearly 20-years old diving history of the Red Sea. Diving in Hurghada needs no introduction, it's already world famous. From minuscule nudibranchs to giant whale sharks, this area has it all for a perfect Red Sea diving holiday: hard and soft coral, turtles and dolphins, mantas and moray eels, napoleons and tuna, and much more, including the wreck graveyard at Sha'ab Abu Nuhas. The Hurghada marine area is protected, as many other areas in Egypt, and diving centres here operate under environmental-friendly procedures. Starting from year 1995, local authorities, NGO’s and international bodies such as USAID have co-operated in the conservation of the underwater life of the region. Nowadays, regular checks and upgrades ensure the presence of mooring buoys in all dive sites. Hurghada is also a popular starting point for extended dive trips, also called liveaboards or diving safaris. From here you can join a liveaboard to the exceptional divesites of the Straits of Gubal with the wreck graveyard of Abu Nuhas, cruising over to the fabled Thistlegorm, the Red Sea's most well known wreck. | Dive sites in Hurghada | With very few exceptions, diving in Hurghada is performed on daily or half-day boats, since the coastal area is mostly devoid of fringing reefs. The Hurghada diving area comprises also the Protected Marine Park of Giftun Island where access is permitted only with an entrance fee (payable directly at all diving centers). The area in general is blessed with refreshing breezes from the north both in winter and summer. These breezes often turn though into strong winds which may limit access to certain dive sites. Here are only some of the most famous dive sites in Hurghada are: - Gota Abu Ramada, a network of coral gardens from which the most famous is adequately named “the Aquarium”. A perfect place to learn to dive, with a profusion of Red Sea coral reef population.
- Sha’ab Ruhr Umm Gamar, a sort of encyclopedia of the Red Sea. A dense population of reef species and pelagics crowds this relatively small reef. The site was badly damaged a few of years ago by an outburst of the Crown of Thorns sea star, but now is again a favourite of advanced divers.
- Small Giftun, a spectacular site especially for technical divers, in the Giftun National Park. Sheer walls, caves, canyons, a great playground for the experienced with a profusion of giant fans and black corals and big game, including whale sharks, barracudas, oceanic white tip sharks.
- Carless Reef, or “moray eel house”. The site, very popular in Hurghada is accessible both to beginners and experienced divers. Two coral towers close to a plateau at 16 meters, is where a big population of friendly giant moray eels make the dive an unforgettable one.
Check out our Diving and Snorkelling Maps to have an idea of the location, accessibility and experience level required to dive in the Hurghada divesites. | Hurghada Diving Services | In Hurghada only, there are more than 100 dive operators, with services ranging from scuba diving beginner certification courses to professional courses and technical diving, and providing guided dives to the area's outstanding reefs. Most resorts in Hurghada have reliable and well-organised diving centres, officially registered at the Red Sea Diving Association for Diving and Watersports, which offer all sorts of scuba diving services, from entry-level courses to professional courses, introductory dives and diving packages, with one, two or more dives per day, for those who are certified. For the non-licensed diving enthusiasts, most centres offer free of charge pool intro’s, where visitors can experience the thrill of scuba diving on a one-to-one basis with a diving instructor in the hotel’s swimming pool. The Hurghada diving centres also offer experience programmes, where the visitor can try actual dives in the sea straight away, under the strict supervision of a diving professional. Hurghada, with its wealth of shallow coral gardens, is an ideal location of the Red Sea Riviera to learn to dive, and most diving centres offer the full range of beginners’ courses. Even kids from 8 years on can enrol in children-dedicated scuba diving activities, such as the popular bubble-maker course, where kids learn to be familiar with water and scuba diving and have fun swimming around in a confined water area. |
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