---
title: Fanous East
type: Reef dive site
location: Hurghada, Red Sea, Egypt
coordinates: 27.2679, 33.8876
max_depth_m: 10
published: 2023-11-25T21:59:56.557Z
updated: 2026-08-08T12:57:51.660Z
tags: Fanous East, Reef, Red Sea, Dive site, Diving
url: https://redseacreatures.com/diving/dive-sites/fanous-east
---

# Fanous East

## Quick facts

- **Type:** Reef
- **Location:** Hurghada, Red Sea, Egypt
- **Coordinates:** 27.2679, 33.8876
- **Max depth:** 10 m
- **Depth notes:** 8-12m close to the reef, drop-off 19-27m
- **Level:** Expert

## Good to know

- Snorkeller-friendly reef top
- Suitable for beginners
- Best for advanced divers
- Expert-level dive

## Overview

A fanous (beacon) sits on the crest of the main reef, lending its name to this location.
This location features a shallow vertical face emerging from a gently inclined sandy seabed, dotted with scattered coral formations and several impressive pinnacles.

## Location

Approximately half an hour's journey from downtown Hurghada.

## Conditions

Accessible in any weather thanks to its protected moorings. This location suits divers of all abilities and excels as a training ground.

## Dive plan

The main reef's eastern wall excels in its shallow zone, where schooling fish interact with the surge. Table corals and small coral blocks thrive on the flat, sandy seabed extending from the wall, offering abundant refuge for bottom dwellers.

About 20 meters from the reef's northwest corner, two impressive pinnacles rise from the seafloor, adorned with soft corals. Cracks and cavities divide these pinnacles, creating superb opportunities for photographers. A sloping drop-off extends eastward, but time is more effectively spent exploring the pinnacles and wall.

## What to see

Swarms of glassfish and silversides, evading persistent assaults from jackfish and lionfish, provide a continuous spectacle adjacent to the rock formations. Concealed in the sandy substrate are crocodilefish and blue-spotted rays. Furthermore, dolphin pods are frequently observed in this location. The safety stop becomes exceptionally enjoyable as schools of surgeonfish, tangs, and unicornfish cast a spectrum of colors onto the water's surface.

## Species recorded here (8)

- Common Bottlenose Dolphin (*Tursiops truncatus*)
- Common Lionfish (*Pterois miles*)
- Crocodilefish (*Papilloculiceps longiceps*)
- Desjardin's Sailfin Tang (*Zebrasoma desjardinii*)
- Giant Trevally (*Caranx ignobilis*)
- Hemprich's Tree Coral (*Dendronephthya hemprichi*)
- Sohal Surgeonfish (*Acanthurus sohal*)
- Whitemargin Unicornfish (*Naso annulatus*)

---

*Source: [Red Sea Creatures](https://redseacreatures.com/diving/dive-sites/fanous-east)*
*Updated: August 8, 2026*