Reef

Mashraba

Dahab, South Sinai, Egypt

Snorkeller-friendly reef top
Suitable for beginners
Best for advanced divers
Night dives possible
Great for macro photography
Pinnacles

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Type

Reef

Max depth

38 m

Level

Advanced

Depth18m average; table corals at 20m; swim-through at 36-38m

LocationThe southern end of Dahab bay, below the town.

ConditionsShore entry, low current and good visibility, and quieter than the bays to the north. Boat traffic overhead is the one hazard worth a listening stop before surfacing.

Overview

Mashraba is a sandy slope with one thing standing on it. Roman's Rock is a single bommie rising off the sand, and on a bottom that is otherwise seagrass and open ground it concentrates everything: the glassfish, the anthias, the predators that work them. Table coral formations sit at 20 m further out, a gorgonian fan stands on the slope, and a swim-through at 36 to 38 m marks the deep limit of the site.

Dive plan

The route runs out over the seagrass to Roman's Rock, circles it, and continues to the table corals at 20 m and the gorgonian on the slope. The swim-through at 36 to 38 m is the deep option and is worth doing first if it is being done at all. The return is shallow across the seagrass, which is where the small animals are.

What to see

Roman's Rock is packed with glassfish and the anthias sit above them, with lionfish and groupers holding the edges of both. The seagrass carries seahorses and turtles, and the sand between the coral heads is where the rest of the macro life is.