Giftun Islands

Where are the Giftun Islands?

Giftun Kebir, the big one, is closer to the coast; Giftun Soraya, the small one, lies farther east, facing the open sea. Both are flat and barren, with no water and no inhabitants, and ringed by a fringing reef that drops into the blue on the exposed side. From Hurghada marina you can see them on the horizon. Orange Bay beach and the Mahmya camp, on Big Giftun, host the snorkeling trips; divers head for the reefs around the two islands and the ergs that extend them.

What are the best dive sites in the Giftun Islands?

The east wall of Small Giftun is the signature dive: a wall that drops well beyond 30 meters, drift dived from north to south, soft corals within reach and pelagics in the blue. Just north of the site known as Police Station, the wall turns into a plateau: this is Erg Somaya, 75 minutes from central Hurghada. A coral tower rises to 5 meters below the surface; the plateau slopes down in sand to 22 to 30 meters, with a chimney full of glassfish at the northeast corner; farther north, a line of towers covered in soft corals and sea fans reaches into the blue, among the most photogenic in the area. Banana Reef, finally, is the easy beginners' garden, shallow and sheltered.

What other reefs do Hurghada boats pair with Giftun?

Hurghada boats pair Giftun with the neighboring reefs. Abu Ramada, to the southeast, lines up its ergs and its "aquarium", Gota Abu Ramada, a shallow reef often used for the second dive. Fanous, east and west of its lighthouse, is the refresher site, with coral heads at 15 meters. Farther north, Umm Gamar and Shaab Abu Nugar offer quieter walls, and Sha'ab el Erg, off El Gouna, is the lagoon where dolphins come to rest. The Abu Nuhas wrecks, finally, are two and a half hours away by boat and make a separate day trip.

What does a dive day from Hurghada look like?

Hotel pickup around 7:30 a.m., boarding at the marina, departure around 9 a.m. The first dive is late in the morning on the most exposed site, usually Small Giftun, then lunch on board, at anchor in a sheltered bay. The second dive is early in the afternoon on a calmer site, Erg Somaya, Banana Reef or Abu Ramada, and you are back at the marina around 4 p.m. Dive centers include park fees, lunch and drinks in their packages; equipment rents by the day.