Abu Helal - Dahab
Abu Helal is one of those Dahab sites that feels familiar, yet always delivers a surprise or two. It’s a good choice for an easy afternoon dive, with a simple entry and a reef slope that gently eases down, perfect for new divers or those just wanting to chill out. We usually spot Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphins here, a real treat when they cruise past. Keep an eye out for the delicate thin birdsnest corals and those impressive staghorn thickets, they’re some of the healthiest around. It’s not the most dramatic site in Dahab, but it’s consistently enjoyable, a comfortable dive where you can relax and actually observe the smaller stuff, like the African eel blennies poking out from the sand.
- Location
- Dahab, Egypt, Red Sea & Middle East
- Coordinates
- 28.542381, 34.516870
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 10-25m
Marine Protected Area: محمية نبق
Best Time to Dive in Dahab
The warmest water temperatures in Dahab occur in August, averaging 27.9°C. The coolest conditions are in March at 20.9°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 22.0°C
- February: 21.1°C
- March: 20.9°C
- April: 21.8°C
- May: 24.0°C
- June: 25.6°C
- July: 26.5°C
- August: 27.9°C
- September: 27.3°C
- October: 26.1°C
- November: 25.4°C
- December: 23.8°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Dahab
- 3 Pools - 5-18m (shore)
- 7 Pinnacles - 15-30m (pinnacle)
- ABOUL FAWARES - 6m (wreck)
- Abu Talha - 30m
- ADRIANA - 20m (wreck)
- Aqua Sport
- BLUE FISH - 3m (wreck)
- Blue Hole - 100 (cenote)
- BOREALIS - 0m (wreck)
- Canyon (cave)
- Cedar Pride (wreck)
- Cedar Pride Shipwreck (wreck)
- Circle Divers Dahab House Reef (reef)
- Confined Water Training Area - 5-10m (lagoon)
- Dahayla North - 10-25m
Nearest Dive Centres to Abu Helal
Marine Life in Dahab
Home to 27 recorded species including 12 reef fish, 6 hard corals, 5 whales & dolphins, 1 clams & mussels, 1 sharks & rays, 1 sea snails & nudibranchs.
Notable Species
- Marbled Spinefoot (Siganus rivulatus) - Reef Fish
- Lesser valley coral (Platygyra lamellina) - Hard Corals
- Fluorescence grass coral (Galaxea fascicularis) - Hard Corals
- Grey Dolphin (Grampus griseus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Red lionfish (Pterois miles) - Reef Fish
- Bridled Dolphin (Stenella attenuata) - Whales & Dolphins
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
- Staghorn coral (Acropora eurystoma) - Hard Corals
- Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - Sharks & Rays
- Rock Cod (Epinephelus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Blacktail Butterflyfish (Chaetodon austriacus) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Red Squirrelfish (Sargocentron diadema) - Reef Fish
- Snakefish (Trachinocephalus myops) - Reef Fish
- Long-beaked Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
- Klunzinger's wrasse (Thalassoma rueppellii) - Reef Fish
- Starflower coral (Astreopora myriophthalma) - Hard Corals
- Humpbacked conch (Gibberulus gibberulus) - Sea Snails & Nudibranchs
- scad (Priacanthus hamrur) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Abu Helal
Based on average water temperature of 24.4°C, currents 5 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 24°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories