---
title: Abu Hashish South Erg
type: Reef dive site
location: Makadi Bay, Red Sea, Egypt
coordinates: 27.01059913635254, 33.92369842529297
max_depth_m: 30
published: 2023-11-25T21:59:56.557Z
updated: 2026-09-05T06:49:51.064Z
tags: Abu Hashish South Erg, Reef, Red Sea, Dive site, Diving
url: https://redseacreatures.com/diving/dive-sites/abu-hashish-south-erg
---

# Abu Hashish South Erg

## Quick facts

- **Type:** Reef
- **Location:** Makadi Bay, Red Sea, Egypt
- **Coordinates:** 27.01059913635254, 33.92369842529297
- **Max depth:** 30 m
- **Depth notes:** 15-25m; caves in the drop-off at 30m
- **Level:** Expert

## Good to know

- Snorkeller-friendly reef top
- Suitable for beginners
- Best for advanced divers
- Expert-level dive
- Wall / drop-off

## Overview

Abu Hashish sits at the southern end of the Hurghada reefs near Makadi Bay, and its name describes the bottom rather than any cargo: hashish is seaweed in the local usage and abu is father, so the reef is named for the growth on the flats around it. The English homophone has given the site a smuggling legend it does not deserve. The site is built in two parts: a plateau of long hard coral formations at 15 to 25 m, and a drop-off beside it with caves cut into the face at 30 m.

## Location

Near Makadi Bay, south of Hurghada. The sail is long enough that trips run only in settled weather.

## Conditions

Open and exposed. Visibility on the drop-off is among the best in the area, and the deeper sections and caves call for experience.

## Dive plan

The plateau and the drop-off are usually taken in one dive, the plateau first for the coral formations and then out to the edge where the water opens up. The caves at 30 m set the depth limit and the gas plan with it.

## What to see

Large squid hold over the plateau, and turtles and eagle rays cross it. The drop-off is where the passing traffic is: barracuda, schools of mackerel, whitetip reef sharks and, less often, hammerheads.

---

*Source: [Red Sea Creatures](https://redseacreatures.com/diving/dive-sites/abu-hashish-south-erg)*
*Updated: September 5, 2026*