Sharm El Sheikh, South Sinai, Egypt

Gordon Reef

Gordon Reef is the southernmost of the four reefs in the Strait of Tiran and the easiest of the group, with a sheltered sandy lagoon used as an anchorage. The reef is marked by a lighthouse and the rusting hulk of the Loullia, a Panamanian cargo grounded on the reef top in 1981, still visible from the surface. Underwater the reef offers a sloping wall with hard coral terraces, the 'Amphora Garden' (a sandy slope dotted with old amphorae thought to date from Roman or later trade), and a large eel garden with hundreds of spotted and Red Sea garden eels at 16–20 metres. Whitetip reef sharks rest on the sandy plateau, eagle rays cruise the deeper edges and turtle sightings are frequent. Currents are typically moderate, making this the most beginner-friendly Tiran dive. Visibility 25–30 metres.