Shabha - El Gouna
The Wall, just off Sydney, delivers exactly what its name promises: a vertical face of rock that drops from 10m down to a maximum of 22m. We love it because it’s surprisingly dynamic for a metro dive, never quite the same trip twice. You’ll fin along, tracing the contours, often seeing schools of snapper hanging in the slight current. Our favourite moments here are spotting the collared carpetsharks tucked into crevices or a Kapala stingaree blending into the sandy bottom where the wall ends. It’s a site that rewards slow exploration. Look closely and you’ll find nudibranchs crawling over the encrusting growth. Visibility averages 11m, which is decent for Sydney, but we’d suggest timing your dive for an incoming tide for the clearest water. It’s a comfortable dive for anyone beyond their open water certification, offering plenty to see without pushing any depth limits. Expect a solid local dive, not a tropical showstopper, but always interesting.
- Location
- El Gouna, Egypt, Red Sea & Middle East
- Coordinates
- 27.339400, 33.776000
- Type
- wall
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 Shabha
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 Shabha
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