Ras Abu Soma

The dive

Ras Abu Soma is the headland at the northern end of Safaga Bay, the point that closes Soma Bay, and the reef system around it is the largest single dive area in the bay. PADI describes it as about 2 km of reef sloping out from shore with more than five distinct dive spots along it, so 'Ras Abu Soma' on a boat manifest can mean several different dives.

The head itself is a steep wall that ends to the south on a plateau at around 25 m, with the drop-off generally found between 25 and 30 m. The wall gives way to a shallower sandy plateau studded with coral blocks, and the southern side runs into an extensive coral garden - the same system as Abu Soma Garden and the Breakers house reef. Ancient table corals up to about 4 m across are the feature people remember. Overall the site is quoted at 5 to 40 m, which is why it gets sold as an all-rounder.

Current comes mainly from the north and is usually slight; when it runs, the dive becomes a gentle one-way drift along the point. The headland shape means one side is normally sheltered whatever the wind is doing.

OBIS records for this stretch are ordinary northern Red Sea reef fauna and are essentially the same list as the neighbouring Soma Bay sites: bluespotted ribbontail ray, two-band anemonefish, giant moray, common lionfish, sailfin tang, bullethead parrotfish, giant clam, scalefin anthias, masked butterflyfish and Red Sea bannerfish. Dive-centre accounts add eagle rays and cuttlefish.

• Roughly 2 km of reef with more than five separate dive spots along it
• Steep wall ending on a plateau at about 25 m
• Table corals up to about 4 m across
• Gentle one-way drift when the northerly current runs
• A sheltered side whatever the wind does

Conditions

Sheltered from the wind on one side of the headland. The wall ends on a plateau at about 25 m and the drop-off sits between 25 and 30 m; the shallow plateau above is dotted with coral blocks. Current sets from the north and is usually slight, sometimes enough for a gentle one-way drift. Visibility is described as excellent but no figure is published, so none is recorded.

On current: Sources agree the main current sets from the north and is usually slight, occasionally enough for a gentle drift. No source publishes a visibility figure for the site - it is described qualitatively as excellent - so none is recorded. Depth quotes vary: 5-40 m overall with the plateau at 25 m and the drop-off between 25 and 30 m in one account, surface to 12 m on the plateau with a 35 m-plus drop-off in another. We record the wider 5-40 m band and note that most of the diving happens far shallower.

Dives & underwater footage