The Gubal Barge Wreck - El Gouna
The Gubal Barge is a favourite for a relaxed dive, especially if you're on a liveaboard and fancy a night dip. It's a modest wreck, under 35 metres long, sitting upright in about 15 metres of water, so it’s easy to explore whether you’re newer to wreck diving or just want a chill swim. We often find the deck busy with glassfish and the occasional lionfish lurking in the shadows. Look out for crocodilefish resting on the sand nearby, and the whole site feels more intimate than some of the Red Sea's bigger, more dramatic wrecks. It’s ideal for a second dive or if you're keen to practise some wreck penetration skills without deep commitments.
- Location
- El Gouna, Egypt, Red Sea & Middle East
- Coordinates
- 27.683300, 33.833300
- Type
- wreck
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 The Gubal Barge Wreck
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 The Gubal Barge Wreck
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