ELPHINSTONE REEF
Egypte
Elphinstone Reef is a very famous dive site in the Red Sea. It is one of the northernmost reefs of the Red Sea. The strong currents bring white tip and hammerhead sharks to this isolated area, but also other species visit the reef frequently. The entire reef of Elphinstone is a carpet of soft coral. Therefore it attracts almost all the fish species that live in the Red Sea, from hammerheads and gray reef sharks to anemone and scorpion fish. From July to October, you can also see mantas and stingrays.
Particulars
The northern plateau of Elphinstone Reef is about 80 meters long and between 10 and 25 meters wide. It is covered with colorful soft corals and teeming with life. Clouds of orange anthias, hundreds of fusiliers and big schools of barracudas swim around you. On the southern plateau and the western wall you can see white tip sharks. The deeper part of the southern plateau is covered with brown soft corals and anthias.
Warnings
Currents can be sometimes strong at Elphinstone Reef. Far from the coast and (medical) facilities.
ELPHINSTONE REEF Features
- Address
- Abu Dabbab Baai
- Parking
- At charter
- Distance
- 20 km.
- Suitable for
- Experienced divers (advanced with more than 50 dives is recommended)
- Permit
- N.v.t / NA
- Access
- By boat from Ghalib , Marsa Alam or one of the dive centers in between
- Facilities
- Boat dive facilities (liveaboard/zodiac/dag)
- Water
- Salt
- Tide
- n.v.t.
- Kind of dive
- Boat dive, drift dive
- Current
- Limited, strong
- Visibility
- 30 - 40 m.
- Average visibility
- 30 m.
- Depth
- 100 m.
- Bottom
- zand en koraal
- Life
- Silky shark, hammerhead shark and grey reef shark, manta ray (summer), neptune's lace, turtle, napoleonfish or humphead wrasse, tuna, amberjack, clownfish, sweetlips
- Other recreation
- None
- Emergency
- 123