Overview
This site is often referred to as being between the mountains. In the middle of the Giftun Marine Park a channel divides the Big and Small Giftun Islands. Here we find an extension of the north tip of Small Giftun encircled by pinnacles.
Shahed Reef
Turft El Shahed
8-20m 90 min from Hurghada
Beginner
Dive Plan
A shallow channel leads in a westerly direction from the mooring to the pinnacles that are the main attractions here. Northwest of the channel there is a mainly flat sandy bottom that is scattered with random coral blocks. If you continue to head north, you will reach a beautiful erg perforated by cavities and overhangs. Closer to the mooring, on the south side of the main reef the corals are not in such a good condition. A stonefish encounter makes the safety stop here worthwhile. Another option is to drift all the way to the neighbouring Banana Reef but this requires good air consumption and navigation skills.
What to See
The pinnacles are full of soft corals and the sandy bottom is inhabited by numerous gobies living in symbiosis with shrimps. Crocodilefish lure under table corals together with moses sole. Eagle rays are quite common here, as are feather tailed rays. Turtles are known to feed in the soft corals spread over the sea floor so keep an eye out for them in the blue.
TurtlesEagle raysFeather-tailed raysStonefishCrocodilefishMoses soleSoft coralsTable coralsGobies
Keep exploring
More dive sites near Hurghada
We visit two different reefs every single day — here are four more from the rotation.
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