Red Sea / Strait of Gubal Dive Sites

Strait of Gubal The Strait of Gubal connects the Gulf of Suez and the Red Sea and is bordered to the west by the Egyptian coast and to the east by the Sinai peninsula. The Gulf of Suez is much shallower than the Gulf of Aqaba because of its different geological origin; its average depth is about 80 metres. The canal through which ships pass into the Strait of Gubal - which is much wider than the Strait of Tiran - is flanked to the northeast by two outcrops called Beacon Rock and Shag Rock, both of which have beacons as well as the wrecks of the Dunraven and the Sara H. respectively. To the southwest the canal is delimited by the southern tip of the Shadwan Island (also known as Shaker Island on British maps), which also has a beacon, situated 15.2 miles from the one on Beacon Rock. The southeastern section of the strait is characterized by the presence of two massive, half-outcropping coral formations (called sha'ab in Arabic) that create a coral reef inside which there are shallow lagoons with sand floors. On a level with the western side of the Ras Mohammed peninsula is Sha'ab Mahmud, about 6 miles long and 2.7 miles wide, delimited to the north and south by two smaller sha'abs called Sha'ab Surur and Sha'ab el-Utat. Sha'ab Mahmud consists of a coral reef oriented in a northwest-southeast direction, cut through on its western side by two channels, Small Crack and Big Crack, and completely open on its southern side. This vast lagoon is navigable and is usually used by the boats going to the diving sites in the Gubal region - which enter and exit via Big Crack or Big Passage, because it is well sheltered from the waves.

Dunraven Wreck (Beacon Rock) Difficulty : 2 Current : 1 to 2 The wreck is much less crowded than the Thistlegorm. There is a splendid, virtually intact coral garden on the outer slope of the reef above the bow. Rich in stable populations of groupers, Scorpionfish, Crocodilefish, Alcyonarians and sponges. Dive when the sea is calm and the weather is good. There is often a current moving north. Even though visibility may be fairly good, it is advisable to have a torch. This is a small semi-outcropping reef situated 6.9 miles west of Ras Mohammed, with a small beacon indicating the southern tip of Sha'ab Mahmud. In1876 this was the site of the shipwreck of the British steamer mechant ship Dunraven, built in Newcastle in 1873 by Mitchell & Co.and bound for Bombay. The wreck lies upside down at 15-29.5 meters'depth, in two pieces; it was discovered only in 1977 by geologist Arye Keller and underwater cameraman Howard Rosenstein. The Dunraven was the subject of a memorable BBC documentary fim in 1979 and has become a classic site for scuba divers. Since the cargo (timber and bales of cotton) was lost during the shipwreck, when the ship also caught on fire, the wreck looks like a large, practically empty cave. You can access through the three main openings at the stern, midship and the bow. The dive begins from the stern area, where the wreck lies deepest and where you can see some Crocodilefish. After going a few dozen meters inside the hull - populated by large groupers, Lionfish, Scorpionfish and swarms of Glassfish and multicoloured Alcyonarians - is it best to exit through the midship opening on a line with the engine room, so that you can explore the outside of the bow area and above all the nearby coral garden filled with organisms.

Furnished By Diving Centers Werner

Alternatives & Stingray Station Difficulty : 1 to 2 Current : 1 to 2 A sheltered site offering a safe stay. An abundance of marine life, especially groupers and many genera of corals. Offers you the chance to see Leopard sharks. It is better not to make dives if the sea is rough and visibility is poor. Night diving can be effected only in optimal conditions; make sure to bring two torches with you. Three miles west of Ras Mohammed, a series of outcropping coral pinnacles extends eastwest for about a mile and a half on the southern edge of Sha'ab el-Utat, flanking a large sandy lagoon with an average depth of about ten metres. Local fishermen call this site Saba Erg (the Seven Pinnacles), while divers have renamed it Alternatives because, as it is so well-sheltered, it offers the opportunity to make alternative dives when conditions in the open sea are prohibitive. The classic dive goes around the two middle pinnacles, which are on a line with a fixed mooring. Due to its position this site has tidal currents that greatly influence visibility, which can be quite poor when the current comes from the south, especially if accompanied by wind and waves. If, on the other hand, the sea is calm and the current is either lacking or is coming from the north, you can enjoy Alternatives, which does not offer much as to underwater landscape but is swarming with fauna. Here you can see large groupers (Epinephelus malabaricus, E. tauvina), Bluespotted stingrays (taeniura lymma), calamari, Nudibranchia and many genera of corals, while the deeper water is the home of Leopard sharks. The northwestern part of Alternatives, consisting of a large, roughly quadrangular outcrop, is known as Stingray Station because many Bluespotted stingrays gather here, particulary in the spring months.

Furnished By Diving Centers Werner

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