Abington Reef - Port Sudan & Sanganeb
Abington Reef, way up north in Sudan, is one of those true Red Sea pinnacles that just screams "action." We usually drop in on the northern side, heading a bit deeper first, looking for the grey reefs and the occasional hammerhead cruising in the blue. As you slowly work your way shallower, the schools start to thicken – we're talking walls of jacks and fusiliers so dense you can barely see past them. The gorgonian fans on the wall are impressive, swaying in the currents, and it’s generally a good spot for pelagics, though the currents can be quite strong here. Definitely one for experienced divers who appreciate big fish action and don't mind a bit of a drift.
- Location
- Port Sudan & Sanganeb, Sudan, Red Sea & Middle East
- Coordinates
- 20.983300, 37.350000
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 5-20m
Marine Protected Area: Parc national marin de Sanganeb et parc national marin de la baie de Dungonab - île de Mukkawar
Best Time to Dive in Port Sudan & Sanganeb
The warmest water temperatures in Port Sudan & Sanganeb occur in August, averaging 32.0°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 25.4°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 26.1°C
- February: 25.4°C
- March: 25.5°C
- April: 26.7°C
- May: 29.0°C
- June: 30.1°C
- July: 31.0°C
- August: 32.0°C
- September: 31.7°C
- October: 30.9°C
- November: 29.5°C
- December: 28.1°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Port Sudan & Sanganeb
- ABSIT OMEN - 0m (wreck)
- Abu Seif - 10-30m (reef)
- AFGHANISTAN - 50m (wreck)
- Al Badri 1 - 10m (wreck)
- Angarosh
- ANTONIO 111 - 0m (wreck)
- Blue Belt
- BLUE BELT - 40m (wreck)
- Blue Belt Wreck - 26m (wreck)
- CAPTAIN SAALEM - 20m (wreck)
- CEDAR STAR - 0m (wreck)
- Cousteau's Conshelf (aka Precontinent II)
- Daharat Abida
- Dahrat Abid
- Dahrat Qab
Marine Life in Port Sudan & Sanganeb
Home to 55 recorded species including 41 reef fish, 14 hard corals.
Notable Species
- Orange-lined Triggerfish (Balistapus undulatus) - Reef Fish
- Red Sea Clown Surgeon (Acanthurus sohal) - Reef Fish
- Halfspotted Hind (Cephalopholis hemistiktos) - Reef Fish
- Red-flushed Cod (Aethaloperca rogaa) - Reef Fish
- Angelfish (Pygoplites diacanthus) - Reef Fish
- Candelamoa Parrotfish (Hipposcarus harid) - Reef Fish
- Threadfin (Chaetodon auriga) - Reef Fish
- Bristletoothed Surgeonfish (Ctenochaetus strigosus) - Reef Fish
- Pufferfish (Arothron hispidus) - Reef Fish
- Banded maori wrasse (Cheilinus fasciatus) - Reef Fish
- Common Mushroom Coral (Fungia fungites) - Hard Corals
- Staghorn coral (Acropora pharaonis) - Hard Corals
- Blacktail Butterflyfish (Chaetodon austriacus) - Reef Fish
- Polkadot Cod (Plectropomus areolatus) - Reef Fish
- Hound Needlefish (Tylosurus crocodilus) - Reef Fish
- Golden Butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus) - Reef Fish
- Armed Squirrel-fish (Neoniphon sammara) - Reef Fish
- Humphead Unicornfish (Naso unicornis) - Reef Fish
- Lesser valley coral (Platygyra lamellina) - Hard Corals
- Picasso triggerfish (Rhinecanthus assasi) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Abington Reef
Based on average water temperature of 28.8°C, currents 9 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°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