MARIBILL - El Gouna
The Maribill, a trawler that went down in 1990, sits upright on the reef at a forgiving depth, making it one of our favourite wreck dives in El Gouna for a relaxed exploration. We love how the light plays through the wheelhouse and down into the hold; it’s never spooky, just inviting. You can peek into the engine room if you’re comfortable with a bit of a squeeze, but honestly, the outside is where the real show is. Hard corals have really taken hold on the superstructure, painting the deck in purples and oranges. Look closely and you’ll spot crocodilefish lounging on the railings, perfectly camouflaged. Schools of bannerfish often swirl around the mast, and we’ve seen moray eels peeking out from nearly every crevice. It’s a site that rewards slow diving, letting you really appreciate the transformation of steel into a living reef. Best dived in the morning before other boats arrive; you get the wreck almost to yourself, with the sun just high enough to light up the interior.
- Location
- El Gouna, Egypt, Red Sea & Middle East
- Coordinates
- 27.800000, 33.583332
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 0m
Marine Protected Area: شعاب البحر الأحمر
Best Time to Dive in El Gouna
The warmest water temperatures in El Gouna occur in August, averaging 28.3°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 20.2°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 20.3°C
- February: 20.2°C
- March: 20.8°C
- April: 22.1°C
- May: 24.5°C
- June: 25.8°C
- July: 27.0°C
- August: 28.3°C
- September: 27.3°C
- October: 26.1°C
- November: 24.6°C
- December: 22.2°C
Nearby Dive Sites in El Gouna
- ABOUDY - 9m (wreck)
- ABOU EL-MAATY - 3m (wreck)
- AL-QUAMAR AL-SAUDI AL-MISRI - 30m (wreck)
- ASHRF ABDO - 60m (wreck)
- ATTIKI (PROBABLY) - 5m (wreck)
- BACCHIS - 5m (wreck)
- BAHRAM - 20m (wreck)
- BASHAYER - 33m (wreck)
- Blind Reef - 21m (reef)
- Bluff Point (Small Gubal island) - 17m
- CARINA (POSSIBLY) - 33m (wreck)
- CHRISOULA K - 10m (wreck)
- CHUANCHOM - 20m (wreck)
- DECO International hyperbaric chamber
- Dolphin House - 15m
Nearest Dive Centres to MARIBILL
Marine Life in El Gouna
Home to 64 recorded species including 46 reef fish, 7 whales & dolphins, 4 seagrass & algae, 3 sea cucumbers, 2 sea snails & nudibranchs, 1 sharks & rays.
Notable Species
- Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Grey Dolphin (Grampus griseus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Bridled Dolphin (Stenella attenuata) - Whales & Dolphins
- Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - Sharks & Rays
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- White Dolphin (Sousa chinensis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Long-beaked Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
- Indian Scad (Decapterus russelli) - Reef Fish
- Rock Cod (Epinephelus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Bullethead Parrotfish (Chlorurus sordidus) - Reef Fish
- Slender grouper (Anyperodon leucogrammicus) - Reef Fish
- Tail-spot Squirrelfish (Sargocentron caudimaculatum) - Reef Fish
- Wrasse (Stethojulis interrupta) - Reef Fish
- Crested Sabretooth Blenny (Petroscirtes mitratus) - Reef Fish
- False killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) - Whales & Dolphins
- Dapple coris (Coris variegata) - Reef Fish
- Diagonal Butterflyfish (Chaetodon fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Desjardin's Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma velifer) - Reef Fish
- Species code: Hs (Halophila stipulacea) - Seagrass & Algae
- Brown Frillfin (Bathygobius fuscus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for MARIBILL
Based on average water temperature of 24.1°C, currents 19 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