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Certification required
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El Fanadir, North
Egypt · reef · intermediate
0–25 mintermediateOWboat entry
El Fanadir, North
The exposed northern end of Fanadir's long offshore reef: a coral wall to a sand shelf at 12 m, then a slope that runs parallel to it from 18 m past 30 m.
Max depth0–25 m
Required levelintermediate
Entry typeboat
Visibility20 m
The dive
El Fanadir is one reef, not one dive. Scuba World Divers describe it as a reef system about 3 km long lying roughly 4 km off the coast between Hurghada and El Gouna, and Swiss Wellness Dive Club lists three different ways of diving it: the south end, the sheltered east side, and, in good weather, the north end. This pin is the north end, and that qualifier is the most useful thing to know about it. The other routes along the same reef are separate dives and are catalogued separately.
The profile here is a coral-covered wall on the north and east faces dropping to a sand shelf, with a second slope running parallel to the wall beyond it. Wikipedia's entry for Fanadir gives the north end as a reef wall down to 12 m, a plateau extending out to 20 m, and then a drop-off going well beyond 30 m; Scuba World Divers put the start of the drop at 18 m and take it past 30 m. Swiss Wellness describe the hard-coral wall as sloping at about 60 degrees to a sandy ledge at 12 m, roughly 50 m wide, narrowing as you head north, and breaking away at 20 to 25 m. Operators cap the dive well above that: Swiss Wellness give 25 m as the site maximum and Scuba World Divers 22 m, while Dive Trek quote a 12 to 40 m range for the site. The conservative reading is that this is a 20-something-metre dive on a wall that keeps going.
Because the reef runs roughly north to south and the current comes from the north, the shape of the site invites a drift along the wall rather than a fixed circuit. Funny Divers name a coral block at 12 m with a cleaning station as the photographic feature of the reef, and Dive Trek record a lot of cleaning stations, cornetfish and, on the sand, stonefish and scorpionfish. OBIS occurrence records within 1.5 km of the pin run to 60 taxa and include giant and starry moray, day octopus, bluespotted ribbontail ray, common lionfish, yellowbar angelfish, sea goldies and tentacled flathead. One published German trip report from this site is a useful counterweight to the operator copy: it describes a gently sloping bottom of sand broken by coral blocks with a few overhangs, noticeable current on the day, and corals showing signs of stress rather than heavy colour. That report is undated, so no reef-state rating is set on this page.
- Coral-covered wall on the north and east faces, dropping to a sand shelf at about 12 m
- A second slope running parallel to the wall, from 18 m past 30 m
- Cleaning stations, including a coral block at 12 m named by Funny Divers as the reef's photographic feature
- Run as a drift along the wall when the wind allows it
- One end of a 3 km reef lying about 4 km off the coast between Hurghada and El Gouna
Please note before you go
- This is the exposed end of the reef: Swiss Wellness Dive Club dive the north end only in good weather, while the east side goes in most conditions
- The plateau breaks away at 20-25 m and the drop-off continues past 30 m (Dive Trek quote the site to 40 m), so depth creep on a wall with no bottom in sight is the real risk here
- Stonefish and scorpionfish are named on the sand and coral blocks by Dive Trek, Funny Divers and Swiss Wellness; OBIS records false stonefish at this pin
- Boat access only, roughly an hour out from Hurghada or El Gouna, with no facilities at the reef
Access & rules
Mandatory requirementsGetting there
Boat only. Scuba World Divers state boat access with a roughly 60-minute run from El Gouna; Funny Divers give about 60 minutes from central Hurghada and Swiss Wellness about 45 minutes north of Hurghada, with the site at 27 17.29 N 33 50.28 E. Funny Divers note protected moorings in the lagoon and along the west side of the reef, part of the HEPCA mooring-buoy network Hurghada operators use, so boats tie in rather than anchor.
Operator
Access to the site runs through a local operator.
Restrictions
No permit, quota or closure for this reef is described in any source read. In practice access is through a Hurghada or El Gouna day-boat operator, and which end of Fanadir you dive is the boat's call on the day: the north end is only run in good weather.
Season
Scuba World Divers give September to May as the better window for this reef, with year-round access. The real gate at this particular end is wind rather than calendar: Swiss Wellness Dive Club describe the north end as the part of Fanadir dived in good weather, so a northerly blow moves the boat to the sheltered east side regardless of month.
Conditions
Visibility20 m
Currentmoderate
Surgenot sourced
WaterSalt water
Depth range0–25 m
Environmentreef
Coralnot sourced
Crowdsnot sourced
About an hour by boat from central Hurghada or from El Gouna, out to an offshore reef with nothing on it. Visibility is given as 15-25 m by Scuba World Divers and averages 20 m in divers-guide.com's records, with a maximum around 30 m. Water is warm, 27-29 C in the season Scuba World Divers describe. Current comes down from the north along the reef; on a good day it is mild and the dive is a slow drift down the wall, and on a bad day the north end is simply not the route the boat takes.
On current: Swiss Wellness Dive Club say the current at Fanadir comes from the north and is usually mild, and divers-guide.com records it as limited. The north end is the end that is exposed to it: Swiss Wellness list this route as one that is dived in good weather, unlike the sheltered east side. A published trip report from the north end describes the current as noticeable on the day. Taking the conservative of the two readings, plan for moderate current running the length of the wall and expect the dive to be run as a drift.
Best months: Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec, Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May
Questions & answers
How deep is El Fanadir North?
The coral wall runs from the reef top down to a sand shelf at about 12 m, and the shelf breaks away at 20-25 m into a drop-off that continues past 30 m. Operators plan the dive well above that: Swiss Wellness Dive Club give 25 m as the site maximum and Scuba World Divers 22 m, while Dive Trek quote a wider 12-40 m range. Divers-guide.com's logged dives cluster between 12 and 33 m. Treat it as a low-20s dive on a wall that keeps going below you.
Is El Fanadir North the same dive as El Fanadir South?
No. Fanadir is a single reef roughly 3 km long lying about 4 km off the coast between Hurghada and El Gouna, and it is dived as several separate routes along its length. Swiss Wellness Dive Club list the south end, the sheltered east side and the north end as different dives, and the boat chooses between them on the day. This page covers the north end only; the south end is a separate entry.
How do you get to El Fanadir North?
By day boat, and only by day boat. Scuba World Divers give a 60-minute run from El Gouna, Funny Divers about 60 minutes from central Hurghada, and Swiss Wellness about 45 minutes north of Hurghada. Boats tie to the protected moorings on the reef rather than anchoring, part of the HEPCA mooring-buoy network Hurghada operators use. There are no facilities at the reef itself.
Is El Fanadir North good for beginners?
Scuba World Divers rate the reef beginner to intermediate with Open Water as the minimum certification, and Dive Trek call it a beginner reef. The north end is the harder of Fanadir's routes for two reasons that have nothing to do with skills tests: it is the end exposed to the northerly, so it is dived in good weather only, and the plateau edge opens onto a drop-off that runs past recreational depth. A first-timer on this reef is better served on the sheltered east side.
Is there current at El Fanadir North, and is it a drift dive?
Yes, and usually yes. The current at Fanadir comes down from the north along the reef and is described as mild by Swiss Wellness Dive Club and limited by divers-guide.com, but the north end is where it arrives first. Funny Divers note that the shape of the reef itself suggests diving it as a drift along the wall, which is how it is generally run. One published trip report from this end found the current noticeable on the day, so plan for moderate.
What will I see at El Fanadir North?
A coral wall with cleaning stations on it, then sand with coral blocks and a few overhangs. Funny Divers and Dive Trek name bluespotted rays, morays, sweetlips, goatfish, pipefish, lionfish, octopus, and stonefish and scorpionfish sitting on the sand. OBIS occurrence records within 1.5 km of the pin run to 60 taxa and include giant and starry moray, day octopus, bluespotted ribbontail ray, common lionfish, yellowbar angelfish, sea goldies and tentacled flathead.
Can you snorkel at El Fanadir North?
In calm conditions yes, from the boat over the reef top, and divers-guide.com lists El Fanadir as suitable for all levels including snorkelling. But this is the exposed end of the reef and boat access only, so the day has to be right. The sheltered shallow lagoon Scuba World Divers point beginners at is on the south-east of the same reef, not here.
When is the best time to dive El Fanadir North?
Scuba World Divers give September to May as the better window, with the reef accessible year round and water at 27-29 C in season. For this end of the reef the calendar matters less than the wind: Swiss Wellness Dive Club describe the north end as the route they take in good weather, so a northerly moves the boat to the sheltered side whatever the month.
Life recorded at El Fanadir, North
60 species within 1.5 km · OBISTaeniura lymmaoccasional · 8 recordsGymnothorax javanicusoccasional · 7 recordsHexabranchus sanguineusrare · 2 records
Pomacanthus maculosusoccasional · 8 records
Fistularia commersoniioccasional · 8 records
Pseudanthias squamipinnisoccasional · 8 records
All 60 species recorded in this area
| Species | How often | Records |
|---|---|---|
| Pomacanthus maculosus | occasional | 8 |
| Fistularia commersonii | occasional | 8 |
| Pseudanthias squamipinnis | occasional | 8 |
| Taeniura lymma | occasional | 8 |
| Pterois miles | occasional | 7 |
| Scolopsis ghanam | occasional | 7 |
| Gymnothorax javanicus | occasional | 7 |
| Amphiprion bicinctus | occasional | 7 |
| Octopus cyanea | occasional | 7 |
| Parapercis hexophtalma | occasional | 6 |
| Arothron hispidus | occasional | 6 |
| Gymnothorax nudivomer | occasional | 5 |
| Dascyllus marginatus | occasional | 5 |
| Bodianus anthioides | occasional | 5 |
| Abudefduf sexfasciatus | occasional | 5 |
| Cheilinus abudjubbe | occasional | 5 |
| Naso unicornis | rare | 4 |
| Cephalopholis miniata | rare | 4 |
| Myripristis murdjan | rare | 4 |
| Parupeneus forsskali | rare | 4 |
| Anampses meleagrides | rare | 4 |
| Hipposcarus harid | rare | 4 |
| Variola louti | rare | 4 |
| Thalassoma rueppellii | rare | 3 |
| Abudefduf vaigiensis | rare | 3 |
| Callyspongia (Callyspongia) siphonella | rare | 3 |
| Chromodoris quadricolor | rare | 3 |
| Diodon hystrix | rare | 3 |
| Lethrinus nebulosus | rare | 3 |
| Pygoplites diacanthus | rare | 3 |
| Chaetodon larvatus | rare | 3 |
| Cheilinus lunulatus | rare | 3 |
| Cheilinus quinquecinctus | rare | 3 |
| Coris aygula | rare | 3 |
| Sufflamen albicaudatum | rare | 3 |
| Zebrasoma xanthurum | rare | 3 |
| Hexabranchus sanguineus | rare | 2 |
| Cheilio inermis | rare | 2 |
| Cheilodipterus macrodon | rare | 2 |
| Chlorurus sordidus | rare | 2 |
| Platax orbicularis | rare | 2 |
| Dascyllus trimaculatus | rare | 2 |
| Epibulus insidiator | rare | 2 |
| Grammistes sexlineatus | rare | 2 |
| Neoniphon sammara | rare | 2 |
| Papilloculiceps longiceps | rare | 2 |
| Parupeneus macronemus | rare | 2 |
| Rhinecanthus assasi | rare | 2 |
| Sargocentron caudimaculatum | rare | 2 |
| Scorpaenopsis diabolus | rare | 2 |
| Amblyeleotris steinitzi | rare | 2 |
| Calotomus viridescens | rare | 2 |
| Balistapus undulatus | rare | 2 |
| Arothron diadematus | rare | 2 |
| Canthigaster cyanospilota | rare | 2 |
| Canthigaster margaritata | rare | 2 |
| Cephalopholis argus | rare | 2 |
| Chaetodon austriacus | rare | 2 |
| Chaetodon fasciatus | rare | 2 |
| Amblyglyphidodon indicus | rare | 2 |
Nearby sites in Hurghada
Explore all sitesEl Fanadir, South1.2 km
HurghadaThe southern end of the long El Fanadir reef, where the sandy plateau widens out before the second wall drops away.
Gotha Abu Galawa4.5 km
El GounaA small round gota on the Abu Galawa reef south of El Gouna: shallow coral banks in the northeast, stony-coral canyons through the middle, and free-standing ergs on sand to the southwest.
Marsa Abu Galawa5.2 km
El GounaThe bay dive on the Abu Galawa reef: a seagrass lagoon at 5 m behind a coral drop-off, worked slowly for small camouflaged things.
Shaab Iris5.8 km
El GounaA shallow sand plateau studded with coral ergs in the Abu Nugar complex, swum slowly between 9 and 16 m.
El Sakhwa5.9 km
El GounaThe northernmost of the named dives on the Abu Galawa reef: a drift along the wall onto a small plateau, with glassfish and anthias packed onto the coral towers.
El Mina wreck7.9 km
HurghadaAn Egyptian T-43 minesweeper bombed at anchor off Hurghada in February 1970, lying on her port side with her guns, screws and blast hole still in place between 19 and 32 m.
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