Reef

Abu Hashish South Erg

Makadi Bay, Red Sea, Egypt

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

Find a dive center Show on map

Type

Reef

Max depth

30 m

Level

Expert

Depth15-25m; caves in the drop-off at 30m

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

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

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.

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.