Marsa Alam, Red Sea, Egypt

Sha'ab Maksur

Sha'ab Maksur is an elongated north–south oriented reef in the southern Red Sea, halfway between Marsa Alam and Sha'ab Sharm. The reef is divided in two by a narrow channel ('the broken' from which the Arabic name 'maksur' derives), with sheer walls dropping past 60 metres on both sides. The eastern wall is the prime dive, decorated with dense soft coral curtains, gorgonian fans and table corals on the upper plateau. Pelagic encounters are reliable: schools of bigeye barracuda, dogtooth tuna, jacks, and seasonal hammerhead, oceanic whitetip and silky shark sightings. Reef sharks (whitetip, grey) are resident on the wall. The dive is run as a drift along the eastern wall. Currents can be strong and unpredictable, and the long shape of the reef requires careful pickup. Visibility 30–35 metres. Liveaboard only.