The small town of Hamata lends its name to the region opposite the Fury Shoal Reef system. This is the most southerly diving resort in the Egyptian Red Sea. The remoteness of this area, situated 180 km South of Marsa Alam, makes it the ultimate in ‘get away from it all’ diving.
Until recently, the pristine sites of this area were the sole preserve of live aboard boats and have consequently remained relatively unvisited. There are very few resorts this far south, and two of the best are Zabargad Dive Resort and Lahami Bay. Both offer relaxed, uncrowded diving in a remote and unspoiled area.
The legendary Fury Shoal is right on Hamata's doorstep, offering over 35 memorable dive sites. There are over 80 types of coral to discover in this region, all in excellent condition and inhabited by a rich variety of marine species.
Learning To Dive
There are a variety of dive sites that offer novice divers the opportunity to dive on sheltered reefs. However, in order to take full advantage of the stunning dives available here, it is recommended to be an advanced or intermediate diver.
Qualified Divers
Both resorts offer a combination of fine house reef diving and excellent day boat diving. The remote nature of these two resorts, combined with their location opposite the Fury Shoal Reef system, offers divers what is arguably the best land based diving available in the Egyptian Red Sea.
House Reef Diving
The house reef at Zabargad Dive Resort is accessed from the dive centre jetty and offers a superb coral reef environment just 100 meters from the dive centre. The fringing reef runs parallel to the shore in both directions and starts at roughly 8 meters dropping to 20 meters. The reef is particularly good at night when numerous nocturnal species can be seen in large numbers feeding off the reef. The lack of current, fine visibility and abundance of interesting marine life makes this an excellent site for photographers.
Lahami Bay enjoys easy access to a wonderful house reef, which is made up of an attractive fringing reef and coral outcrops rising from the sandy plateau. This creates beautiful swim troughs and offers the opportunity to explore different areas on numerous repeat dives. Between the beach entry point and the start of the reef the sea grass provides a sheltered habitat for seahorses.
Both house reefs enable divers the flexibility to dive to their own schedule, and maximize their time in the water. There is an amazing array of hard and soft corals to be appreciated, all within a short walk of your hotel room. Night dives are also available on the house reefs and provide an exciting opportunity to watch Spanish dancers, lionfish and lobster.
Boat Diving
Zabargad and Lahami Bay share many of the same dive sites on Fury Shoal. There are over 35 uncrowded boat dives accessible from either resort. All of the dives sites are within 2 hours of the dive centres although the majority can be reached within 1 hour of the shore by large, purpose built day boats. Dive sites this far South offer some of the finest coral in the Red Sea. There are over 80 varieties of healthy soft and hard coral that have formed over millennia into spectacular coral gardens and pinnacles, which in turn support a vast array of marine life.
One of the sites, Gota Soraya is rated as one of the best wall dives in the Red Sea, with large caves full of Glass Fish, Sweepers and an abundance of corals. Divers can expect to see a wide variety of marine species including dolphin, which occasionally come in as close as the resorts house reefs. There is a good chance of enjoying encounters with a variety of shark species along with large shoals of mackerel in season. Turtles hatch along this coastline and sightings are common.
Ultimately, divers come away remembering immaculate uncrowded reefs supporting an abundance of marine life including many species rarely found elsewhere. This far south, the water temperature during the winter months is significantly higher then that of the Northern Red Sea. This creates a relaxed dive environment year round.
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