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Ras Disha
Egypt · reef · beginner
9–18 mbeginnerOWboat entry
Ras Disha
The headland between Sahl Hasheesh and the Abu Hashish bay, where a sand plateau carries three coral towers and a glassfish cave, and the main reef behind them is the least interesting part.
Max depth9–18 m
Required levelbeginner
Entry typeboat
Visibilitynot sourced
The dive
Ras Disha is the headland that closes the south-east corner of Sahl Hasheesh and forms the northern edge of the wide bay with Abu Hashish island in the middle of it. From central Hurghada it is about 90 minutes by boat; from the Makadi Bay and Sahl Hasheesh bases it is a short hop, and one Sahl Hasheesh operator also runs a shore-entry version off the peninsula with a gradual slope and a small wreck on the sand. The underwater shape is simple: the main reef runs along the headland, a plateau of sand runs parallel to it with a drop-off edge, and the plateau widens and gets more coral blocks the further south you go. Depths on the plateau are usually given as 9 to 18 m; below the drop-off the sand keeps going, one operator quoting 25 m as the site maximum and another describing a slope between 20 and 27 m with a garden of tube anemones on it. The conservative planning figure is the plateau.
The part worth the dive is the ergs. Three coral towers stand off the sand rising 10 to 12 m, and two German sources that describe this site in detail both say the same blunt thing: skip the main reef, which is largely dead, and spend the dive working around the ergs. The northernmost one holds a cave packed with glassfish, and the glassfish are what brings in the jacks, lionfish, snapper and grouper that hunt them. Schools of young barracuda hang in the water between the towers. Further north there is a narrow ledge that turns into a steep wall, and a wide coral ledge jutting out of the main reef at 12 to 15 m carries branching fire coral; a Makadi operator reports whitetip reef sharks resting on the sand below it, and the German accounts mention a reef shark said to live along the northern wall, which is worth treating as a rumour until you see it.
Sand is the other reason to come. Crocodilefish, flatfish and stonefish lie on it, blue-spotted ribbontail rays and torpedo rays forage across it, Moses sole turn up, and partner gobies and their shrimps hold burrows. Eagle rays and turtles are described as frequent by more than one centre. The OBIS record for the pin lines up: blue-spotted ribbontail ray, giant moray, day octopus, Guenther's sweeper, coral hind, redmouth and greasy grouper, giant trevally, devil firefish, branching fire coral, tube and toxic finger sponges.
The dive is run three ways depending on conditions: stationary from the mooring as a circular tour over the plateau, one-way, or as a drift pick-up starting at the beacon and running along the northern wall. Reports on current disagree — two sources call the bay well sheltered from the waves and current that come from the north, a third warns that current here can be strong — so ask at the briefing which version you are getting and carry a marker buoy for the drift.
- Three ergs rising 10 to 12 m off the sand — the part of the site everyone agrees is worth diving
- A cave in the northernmost erg packed with glassfish, with jacks, lionfish, snapper and grouper working it
- A wide coral ledge jutting from the main reef at 12-15 m, with whitetip reef sharks reported on the sand below
- Tube-anemone garden on the sand slope between 20 and 27 m
- Crocodilefish, stonefish, blue-spotted ribbontail and torpedo rays, Moses sole and partner gobies on the plateau
- Schools of juvenile barracuda holding between the towers
Please note before you go
- Branching fire coral on the wide ledge at 12-15 m, on a site that is often dived close to the reef with a camera
- Stonefish, crocodilefish and flatfish lie on the sand plateau, and torpedo rays forage across it
- Current can run strong here despite the bay's shelter; one of the standard dive plans is a drift pick-up along the northern wall, so carry an SMB
- Sources place the site anywhere from 90 minutes off Hurghada to a short hop from Makadi — check what your boat is actually doing before committing to a long day
Access & rules
Mandatory requirementsGetting there
Boat dive: about 90 minutes south of central Hurghada, and much shorter from the Makadi Bay and Sahl Hasheesh bases. Boats either moor over the plateau or drop divers at the beacon for a drift along the northern wall with a pick-up. A Sahl Hasheesh operator also lists a shore-entry version off the peninsula, with an easy walk-in, a gradual slope, a small wreck on the sand and 18 m maximum — worth confirming with them which part of the headland that covers.
Operator
Access to the site runs through a local operator.
Season
Nothing in the sources rules out a month. Ten-year Hurghada averages run from about 22.3 degrees in March to about 29.1 degrees in August, and the site's position in a bay sheltered from northerly wind and swell means it stays on the programme when the exposed offshore reefs come off it.
Conditions
Visibilitynot sourced
Currentmoderate
Surgenot sourced
WaterSalt water
Depth range9–18 m
Environmentreef
Coralnot sourced
Crowdsnot sourced
A sand plateau along a headland, with coral towers standing off it and a drop-off to deeper sand. Most of a dive here happens between 9 and 18 m on a multi-level profile. The bay is described as sheltered from the north, though current can still run. Hurghada water sits at about 22.3 degrees in March at its coldest and about 29 degrees in August, on ten-year monthly averages.
On current: The sources disagree and the cautious reading has been taken here. Two German site guides say Ras Disha is well protected from the waves and current, which come predominantly from the north; a Makadi operator calls conditions typically calm; but the operator with the most specific numbers warns that current at this site can be strong, and one of the standard ways of diving it is a drift pick-up along the northern wall, which is not something you plan for slack water. Depth is the other disagreement: the plateau is consistently given as 9 to 18 m, while one operator quotes 25 m as the site maximum and another describes the sand slope running from 20 to 27 m. The 18 m plateau is used here as the planning depth.
Questions & answers
How deep is Ras Disha?
The working part of the site is a plateau at 9 to 18 m, which is the figure two operators give. Past the drop-off it goes deeper: one Makadi centre quotes 25 m as the site maximum, and a German guide describes the sand slope running from 20 down to 27 m with a tube-anemone garden on it. The coral towers that make the dive rise 10 to 12 m off the sand, so a normal dive here is a shallow multi-level profile.
Where is Ras Disha and how do you get there?
It is the headland at the south-east corner of Sahl Hasheesh, forming the north side of the wide bay that has Abu Hashish island in the middle. From central Hurghada it is about 90 minutes by boat; from Makadi Bay and Sahl Hasheesh it is much closer. One Sahl Hasheesh operator also offers it as a shore dive with no boat time at all, so ask what your centre means by the name.
Is Ras Disha suitable for beginners?
Yes, with a caveat. Two operators grade it beginner-friendly or suitable for any level, and the plateau sits inside Open Water depth limits on a gentle multi-level profile. The caveat is current: while most sources call the bay well sheltered from northerly wind and swell, one warns it can run strong, and the site is regularly dived as a drift pick-up rather than from a mooring.
What will I see at Ras Disha?
The ergs hold a cave packed with glassfish and the predators that work them: jacks, lionfish, snapper and grouper, with schools of juvenile barracuda hanging between the towers. The sand is where the site really pays, with crocodilefish, flatfish and stonefish lying on it, blue-spotted ribbontail and torpedo rays, Moses sole, and partner gobies with their shrimps. Eagle rays and turtles are described as frequent, and OBIS records for the pin add giant moray, day octopus, Guenther's sweeper, coral hind, redmouth and greasy grouper and giant trevally.
Is the coral at Ras Disha in good shape?
It depends which part, and the sources do not agree. Two German site guides say bluntly that the main reef is largely dead and advise spending the dive on the ergs instead, where the coral cover is good. A Makadi operator describes a wide ledge at 12-15 m with hard and soft corals, sponges, sea fans and branching fire coral. None of these accounts is dated, so treat reef condition here as unverified and the ergs as the safer bet for a good dive.
Are there sharks at Ras Disha?
Occasionally, and the reports are not consistent. A Makadi operator says whitetip reef sharks rest on the sand below the ledge, while two German site guides refer to a reef shark said to live along the northern wall in terms that read as hearsay. Nothing here suggests a reliable shark dive; take a sighting as a bonus.
Can you snorkel Ras Disha?
You can, but you will not see what the site is known for. The ergs, the glassfish cave, the sand fauna and the coral ledge all sit between 9 and 18 m, and the shallow main reef a snorkeller would be looking down at is the part two guides describe as largely dead. If you want a snorkel out of this headland, the Sahl Hasheesh shore-entry version is the one an operator actually recommends for it.
When is the best time to dive Ras Disha?
Any month works. Ten-year Hurghada averages put the water between about 22.3 degrees in March and 29.1 degrees in August, and the bay's shelter from northerly wind and swell means the site tends to stay on the programme on days when exposed offshore reefs are cancelled. Conditions on the day matter more than the calendar.
Life recorded at Ras Disha
60 species within 1.5 km · OBISTaeniura lymmaoccasional · 5 recordsGymnothorax javanicusrare · 2 records
Amphiprion bicinctusoccasional · 7 records
Pterois milesoccasional · 6 records
Arothron diadematusoccasional · 6 records
Chlorurus sordidusoccasional · 6 records
All 60 species recorded in this area
| Species | How often | Records |
|---|---|---|
| Amphiprion bicinctus | occasional | 7 |
| Pterois miles | occasional | 6 |
| Arothron diadematus | occasional | 6 |
| Chlorurus sordidus | occasional | 6 |
| Callyspongia (Callyspongia) siphonella | occasional | 6 |
| Thalassoma rueppellii | occasional | 6 |
| Amblyglyphidodon indicus | occasional | 5 |
| Taeniura lymma | occasional | 5 |
| Arothron hispidus | rare | 4 |
| Cephalopholis miniata | rare | 4 |
| Epinephelus fasciatus | rare | 3 |
| Mulloidichthys flavolineatus | rare | 3 |
| Paracirrhites forsteri | rare | 3 |
| Parapercis hexophtalma | rare | 3 |
| Pomacentrus sulfureus | rare | 3 |
| Ostracion cubicum | rare | 3 |
| Coris aygula | rare | 3 |
| Chaetodon fasciatus | rare | 3 |
| Tridacna maxima | rare | 3 |
| Pseudanthias squamipinnis | rare | 3 |
| Acanthurus sohal | rare | 3 |
| Neoniphon sammara | rare | 3 |
| Arothron stellatus | rare | 3 |
| Cassiopea andromeda | rare | 3 |
| Abudefduf vaigiensis | rare | 3 |
| Parapriacanthus guentheri | rare | 2 |
| Aethaloperca rogaa | rare | 2 |
| Caesio striata | rare | 2 |
| Caranx ignobilis | rare | 2 |
| Cheilinus lunulatus | rare | 2 |
| Coenobita scaevola | rare | 2 |
| Dascyllus abudafur | rare | 2 |
| Diodon hystrix | rare | 2 |
| Epinephelus tauvina | rare | 2 |
| Fistularia commersonii | rare | 2 |
| Gymnothorax javanicus | rare | 2 |
| Lethrinus nebulosus | rare | 2 |
| Millepora dichotoma | rare | 2 |
| Myripristis murdjan | rare | 2 |
| Negombata magnifica | rare | 2 |
| Octopus cyanea | rare | 2 |
| Parupeneus forsskali | rare | 2 |
| Priacanthus hamrur | rare | 2 |
| Pygoplites diacanthus | rare | 2 |
| Scarus ferrugineus | rare | 2 |
| Chaetodon lineolatus | rare | 2 |
| Dascyllus trimaculatus | rare | 2 |
| Callyspongia crassa | rare | 1 |
| Amblyeleotris steinitzi | rare | 1 |
| Lambis truncata | rare | 1 |
| Clypeaster humilis | rare | 1 |
| Scolopsis ghanam | rare | 1 |
| Millepora platyphylla | rare | 1 |
| Siganus luridus | rare | 1 |
| Stenopus hispidus | rare | 1 |
| Tridacna squamosa | rare | 1 |
| Ocypode saratan | rare | 1 |
| Grammistes sexlineatus | rare | 1 |
| Chromis flavaxilla | rare | 1 |
| Cheilodipterus quinquelineatus | rare | 1 |
Nearby sites in Hurghada
Explore all sitesEl Malek1.9 km
HurghadaA coral plateau and drop-off north of Makadi Bay that two of the three operators who dive it also put a small sunken vessel on — and they disagree about the boat.
Ras Abdallah2.2 km
HurghadaA quiet point dive on the headland north of Makadi Bay: coral blocks over sand and seagrass, dived for the small things rather than for depth.
Abu Hashish Lagoon4.1 km
Makadi BayThe sheltered inside of the Abu Hashish reef: a sand-floored lagoon in 3 to 12 m where Makadi Bay runs its check dives.
Abu Hashish Sud Ergs4.2 km
Makadi BayThe erg field on the south side of Abu Hashish: two big coral blocks with a scatter of smaller ones around them, worked down to about 30 m.
Oberoi House Reed4.5 km
HurghadaA kilometre of private hotel frontage at Sahl Hasheesh, entered from a jetty and cut into more than five separate routes.
Grand Coral Makadi Bay4.9 km
Makadi BayA long jetty in Makadi Bay that drops you straight onto the reef edge at 5 to 6 m, then a gently sloping wall you follow north or south.
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