---
title: Makadi Bay House Reef
type: Reef dive site
location: Makadi Bay, Red Sea, Egypt
coordinates: 26.996000289916992, 33.90140151977539
max_depth_m: 25
published: 2023-12-23T20:37:04.834Z
updated: 2026-09-06T15:02:22.912Z
tags: Makadi Bay House Reef, Reef, Red Sea, Dive site, Diving
url: https://redseacreatures.com/diving/dive-sites/makadi-bay-house-reef
---

# Makadi Bay House Reef

## Quick facts

- **Type:** Reef
- **Location:** Makadi Bay, Red Sea, Egypt
- **Coordinates:** 26.996000289916992, 33.90140151977539
- **Max depth:** 25 m
- **Depth notes:** 0-25m from the beach
- **Level:** Advanced

## Good to know

- Snorkeller-friendly reef top
- Suitable for beginners
- Best for advanced divers
- Wall / drop-off
- Great for macro photography
- Pinnacles

## Overview

Makadi Bay House Reef is the most thoroughly documented site in this catalogue: 178 species have been photographed on it, four times the count from any other reef here. The reason is access rather than exceptional biology. The reef starts at the beach in front of the dive center and can be dived unguided at any hour, so the same ground gets worked over again and again and gives up what a single boat dive would never find.

## Location

Shore entry in Makadi Bay, directly in front of the dive center.

## Conditions

Sheltered, with a gentle descent and no boat involved, which is why it doubles as the check-dive site. Depths run to about 25 m, and the shallow half holds most of what the reef is known for.

## Dive plan

The slope leads down to a sandy plateau covered in pinnacles, and those lead on to a coral garden. Because entry and exit are from the beach, the dive can be cut short or stretched out as the plan allows, and there is no reason to rush past anything.

## What to see

The photographic record is dominated by small, slow animals. Big blue octopus is the most photographed species on the reef, followed by painted hypselodoris, pyjama slugs and Red Sea dwarf lionfish. Giant frogfish, ornate ghost pipefish, Jayakar's seahorses, little dragonfish and coconut octopus all hold territory here, which is what makes this a macro site above all else.

The larger residents are hawksbill turtles feeding in the bay, giant morays in the crevices, great barracuda over the sand, and bluespotted ribbontail rays and reticulate whiprays on the flats.

## Species recorded here (178)

- Abudjubbe Wrasse (*Cheilinus abudjubbe*)
- Banded Cleaner Shrimp (*Stenopus hispidus*)
- Bandit Coral Crab (*Tetralia nigrolineata*)
- Bearded Scorpionfish (*Scorpaenopsis barbata*)
- Big Blue Octopus (*Octopus cyanea*)
- Bigeye Emperor (*Monotaxis grandoculis*)
- Black Sea Cucumber (*Holothuria atra*)
- Blackeye Thicklip Wrasse (*Hemigymnus melapterus*)
- Blackspotted Rubberlip (*Plectorhinchus gaterinus*)
- Blue Dragon (*Pteraeolidia semperi*)
- Blue Triggerfish (*Pseudobalistes fuscus*)
- Blue-Spotted Toby (*Canthigaster cyanospilota*)
- Blue-striped Snapper (*Lutjanus kasmira*)
- Bluecheek Butterflyfish (*Chaetodon semilarvatus*)
- Bluegreen Chromis (*Chromis viridis*)
- Bluespine Unicornfish (*Naso unicornis*)
- Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray (*Taeniura lymma*)
- Bluetail Boxfish (*Ostracion cyanurus*)
- Bluethroat Triggerfish (*Sufflamen albicaudatus*)
- Brain Root Coral (*Lobophyllia corymbosa*)
- Broccoli Coral (*Litophyton arboreum*)
- Brown Guard Crab (*Trapezia digitalis*)
- Bubble Algae (*Valonia ventricosa*)
- Bullethead Parrotfish (*Chlorurus sordidus*)
- Burrowing Sea Anemone (*Edwardsianthus pudicus*)
- Burrowing Urchin (*Echinometra mathaei*)
- Butterfly Goby (*Amblygobius albimaculatus*)
- Camel Cowfish (*Tetrosomus gibbosus*)
- Cheek-lined Wrasse (*Oxycheilinus digramma*)
- Christmas Tree Worm (*Spirobranchus giganteus*)
- Clear Cleaner Shrimp (*Urocaridella antonbruunii*)
- Clearfin Lionfish (*Pteropterus cinctus*)
- Clown Coris (*Coris aygula*)
- Coconut Octopus (*Amphioctopus marginatus*)
- Colonial Tube-sponge (*Callyspongia siphonella*)
- Common Lionfish (*Pterois miles*)
- Coral Grouper (*Cephalopholis miniata*)
- Coral Scallop (*Pedum spondyloideum*)
- Coral Snapping Shrimp (*Alpheus lottini*)
- Crescent-tail Bigeye (*Priacanthus hamrur*)
- Crested Velvetfish (*Ptarmus gallus*)
- Crocodilefish (*Papilloculiceps longiceps*)
- Crown Butterflyfish (*Chaetodon paucifasciatus*)
- Crown Jellyfish (*Nausithoe punctata*)
- Crown Squirrellfish (*Sargocentron diadema*)
- Desjardin's Sailfin Tang (*Zebrasoma desjardinii*)
- Diagonal Butterflyfish (*Chaetodon fasciatus*)
- Diana's Hogfish (*Bodianus diana*)
- Dotted Bream (*Scolopsis ghanam*)
- Emperor Angelfish (*Pomacanthus imperator*)
- Exquisite Butterflyfish (*Chaetodon austriacus*)
- Feather Duster Worm (*Sabellastarte spectabilis*)
- Fluted Giant Clam (*Tridacna squamosa*)
- Geometric Moray (*Gymnothorax griseus*)
- Giant Clam (*Tridacna maxima*)
- Giant Frogfish (*Antennarius commerson*)
- Giant Moray (*Gymnothorax javanicus*)
- Golden Trevally (*Gnathanodon speciosus*)
- Goldenstriped Soapfish (*Grammistes sexlineatus*)
- Goldsaddle Goatfish (*Parupeneus cyclostomus*)
- Great Barracuda (*Sphyraena barracuda*)
- Green Sea Turtle (*Chelonia mydas*)
- Hairy Red Hermit Crab (*Dardanus lagopodes*)
- Hawksbill Turtle (*Eretmochelys imbricata*)
- Headshield Slug (*Chelidonura livida*)
- Heavybeak Parrotfish (*Chlorurus gibbus*)
- Highfin Fangblenny (*Petroscirtes mitratus*)
- Honeycomb Sponge (*Crella cyathophora*)
- Humbug Dascyllus (*Dascyllus aruanus*)
- Hurghada Hypselodoris (*Hypselodoris ghardaqana*)
- Indian Mackerel (*Rastrelliger kanagurta*)
- Indian Ocean Humbug (*Dascyllus abudafur*)
- Indicated Featherstar (*Stephanometra indica*)
- Indo-Pacific Sergeant (*Abudefduf vaigiensis*)
- Jayakar's Seahorse (*Hippocampus jayakari*)
- Jewel Damselfish (*Stegastes lacrymatus*)
- Katalexis Mexichromis (*Mexichromis katalexis*)
- Kevin Lee's Placida (*Placida kevinleei*)
- Klunzinger's Wrasse (*Thalassoma rueppellii*)
- Lance Blenny (*Aspidontus dussumieri*)
- Leopard Torpedo Ray (*Torpedo panthera*)
- Lesser Valley Coral (*Platygyra daedalea*)
- Lined Bristletooth (*Ctenochaetus striatus*)
- Little Dragonfish (*Eurypegasus draconis*)
- Live Sharksucker (Remora) (*Echeneis naucrates*)
- Longfin Spadefish (*Platax teira*)
- Lyretail Anthias (*Pseudanthias squamipinnis*)
- Lyretail Grouper (*Variola louti*)
- Marbled Snake Eel (*Callechelys marmorata*)
- Maridadi Hypselodoris (*Hypselodoris maridadilus*)
- Mountainous Star Coral (*Orbicella faveolata*)
- Nalolo blenny (*Ecsenius nalolo*)
- Network Pipefish (*Corythoichthys flavofasciatus*)
- Obsolete Goniobranchus (*Goniobranchus obsoletus*)
- Orange-frilled Flatworm (*Pseudoceros sp*)
- Orange-lined Cardinalfish (*Taeniamia fucata*)
- Orange-striped Triggerfish (*Balistapus undulatus*)
- Orchid Dottyback (*Pseudochromis fridmani*)
- Ornate Ghost Pipefish (*Solenostomus paradoxus*)
- Painted Hypselodoris (*Hypselodoris infucata*)
- Painted Thicklip (*Diagramma punctatum*)
- Panther Flounder (*Bothus pantherinus*)
- Peony Bigeye (*Priacanthus blochii*)
- Pharaoh Cuttlefish (*Sepia pharaonis*)
- Picasso Triggerfish (*Rhinecanthus assasi*)
- Pikachu Nudibranch (*Thecacera pacifica*)
- Polyp Sponge (*Mycale fistulifera*)
- Pulsating Xenid (*Heteroxenia fuscescens*)
- Purple-Polyp Alveopora (*Alveopora viridis*)
- Pyjama Slug (*Chromodoris quadricolor*)
- Ramose Murex (*Chicoreus ramosus*)
- Red Sea Bannerfish (*Heniochus intermedius*)
- Red Sea Clownfish (*Amphiprion bicinctus*)
- Red Sea Dwarf Lionfish (*Neochirus hemprichi*)
- Red Sea Goatfish (*Parupeneus forsskali*)
- Red Sea Mimic Blenny (*Ecsenius gravieri*)
- Red Sea Ribbon Worm (*Mesochaetopterus rogeri*)
- Red Sea Sand-diver (*Trichonotus nikii*)
- Red Sea Shrimpgoby (*Cryptocentrus caeruleopunctatus*)
- Red Sea Toby (*Canthigaster margaritata*)
- Red-breasted Wrasse (*Cheilinus quinquecinctus*)
- Red-gilled Mudworm (*Chloeia bistriata*)
- Red-spotted Guard Crab (*Trapezia tigrina*)
- Red-throated Ascidian (*Herdmania momus*)
- Reef Box Crab (*Calappa hepatica*)
- Reef Stonefish (*Synanceia verrucosa*)
- Regal Angelfish (*Pygoplites diacanthus*)
- Reticulate Whipray (*Himantura uarnak*)
- Ringed Chromodoris (*Goniobranchus annulatus*)
- Rusty Guard Crab (*Trapezia bidentata*)
- Sammara Squirrelfish (*Neoniphon sammara*)
- Sand Lizardfish (*Synodus dermatogenys*)
- Schooling Bannerfish (*Heniochus diphreutes*)
- Schultz's Pipefish (*Corythoichthys schultzi*)
- Scrawled Filefish (*Aluterus scriptus*)
- Sea Bunny (*Jorunna cf. parva*)
- Serrated ribbon seagrass (*Cymodocea serrulata*)
- Sheep's Foot Ascidian (*Polycarpa mytiligera*)
- Smashing Mantis Shrimp (*Gonodactylus chiragra*)
- Smooth Cornetfish (*Fistularia commersoni*)
- Snake Sea Cucumber (*Synapta maculata*)
- Sohal Surgeonfish (*Acanthurus sohal*)
- Speckled Shrimpfish (*Aeoliscus punctulatus*)
- Spot-fin Porcupinefish (*Diodon hystrix*)
- Spotbase Burrfish (*Cyclichthys spilostylus*)
- Spotted Seahorse (*Hippocampus kuda*)
- Spotted Snake Eel (*Myrichthys maculosus*)
- Squaretail Rabbitfish (*Siganus luridus*)
- Staghorn Coral (*Acropora microclados*)
- Starry Puffer (*Arothron stellatus*)
- Steinitz Shrimpgoby (*Amblyeleotris steinitzi*)
- Stellate Rabbitfish (*Siganus stellatus laqueus*)
- Striped Eel Catfish (*Plotosus lineatus*)
- Sunburst Ray Dorid (*Cadlinella ornatissima*)
- Sunrise Dottyback (*Pseudochromis flavivertex*)
- Sunset Knobbed Dorid (*Aegires villosus*)
- Swimming Anemone (*Boloceroides mcmurrichi*)
- Tasseled Scorpionfish (*Scorpaenopsis oxycephala*)
- Thick Tongue Coral (*Ctenactis crassa*)
- Threadfin Butterflyfish (*Chaetodon auriga*)
- Threeline Damselfish (*Pomacentrus trilineatus*)
- Threespot Dascyllus (*Dascyllus trimaculatus*)
- Tongue Coral (*Herpolitha limax*)
- Toxic Finger Sponge (*Negombata magnifica*)
- Tsuruga Headshield Slug (*Mariaglaja tsurugensis*)
- Twospot Cardinalfish (*Cheilodipterus novemstriatus*)
- Undulated Moray (*Gymnothorax undulatus*)
- White Stinger (*Macrorhynchia philippina*)
- Whitespotted Puffer (*Arothron hispidus*)
- Yellow Boxfish (*Ostracion cubicum*)
- Yellow Scroll Coral (*Turbinaria reniformis*)
- Yellow-edged Moray (*Gymnothorax flavimarginatus*)
- Yellow-side Damselfish (*Amblyglyphidodon flavilatus*)
- Yellow-striped Cardinalfish (*Ostorhinchus cyanosoma*)
- Yellowbar Angelfish (*Pomacanthus maculosus*)
- Yellowmargin Triggerfish (*Pseudobalistes flavimarginatus*)
- Yellowspotted Puffer (*Torquigener flavimaculosus*)
- Yellowtail Sweeper (*Pempheris adusta*)

---

*Source: [Red Sea Creatures](https://redseacreatures.com/diving/dive-sites/makadi-bay-house-reef)*
*Updated: September 6, 2026*