Question 1

Is Utopia Beach House Reef South a separate reef from the North?

Accepted Answer

No. There is one house reef running along the beach at Utopia Beach Club, and divers split it into a south side and a north side because it is too long to cover in one tank. The two entries are about 270 m apart on the same stretch of reef, and the dive centre sits between them.

Question 2

How deep is the Utopia house reef?

Accepted Answer

The reef flat you walk over is 0.5 to 1 m. Past the edge it is sand and coral blocks running into a wall, and the maximum depth quoted for the house reef is 30 m. On the deeper south routes the landmark is a black coral bush at about 25 m. Most dives here work far shallower than that.

Question 3

How do you enter the water?

Accepted Answer

From the beach, through the pass to the left of the jetty where the boats are moored, then a turn along the reef edge. You cross the shallow reef flat with fins in hand, so booties matter, and divers say it takes a couple of goes to get comfortable with it. On the south side the entry is right in front of the dive centre.

Question 4

Is it good for beginners?

Accepted Answer

Yes, and it is used that way. The lagoon inside the reef is shallow and sheltered from waves and current, which makes it the training area, and the site is graded for beginners. The deeper south routes that use a zodiac or a boat, and the cave passages inside the reef, are the parts to do with a guide.

Question 5

Can you snorkel at Utopia Beach House Reef South?

Accepted Answer

Yes, this is a good snorkel. The reef flat off the beach is half a metre to a metre deep with pools cut into it and heavy hard-coral cover, and the water inside is normally flat. Go in through the pass by the jetty and follow the edge south. There is no lifeguard, and the current along the outer edge runs north to south.

Question 6

What will I see there?

Accepted Answer

Blue-spotted reef stingray and tentacled flathead on the sand, coral hind and coronation trout on the coral blocks, devil firefish, moray eels, twoband anemonefish, small giant clams, day octopus and turtles. On the shallow reef expect sohal surgeonfish, broomtail wrasse, royal angelfish, Red Sea bannerfish, butterflyfish and yellow boxfish. A longnose hawkfish lives in a black coral bush around 25 m.

Question 7

Is there current?

Accepted Answer

Not much. The inside of the reef is well protected and divers consistently report little current. Along the outer edge the set is predominantly north to south, so on this end it pushes away from the entry; that matters if you are swimming back rather than being collected, and the dive centre runs two of the south routes with a boat for exactly that reason.

Question 8

Can you night dive the house reef?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The sheltered shallow section is described as a very good night dive and the centre runs both night dives and early-morning dives. The same qualities that make it a training area, flat water and no real current, make it straightforward in the dark, though the reef-flat crossing at the entry needs more care with a torch.

Species	How often	Records
Zebrasoma desjardinii	occasional	10
Acanthurus sohal	occasional	9
Taeniura lymma	occasional	9
Naso unicornis	occasional	9
Cheilinus lunulatus	occasional	8
Balistapus undulatus	occasional	8
Arothron diadematus	occasional	8
Scolopsis ghanam	occasional	7
Pterois miles	occasional	7
Fistularia commersonii	occasional	7
Chlorurus sordidus	occasional	7
Heniochus intermedius	occasional	7
Pygoplites diacanthus	occasional	7
Amblyglyphidodon indicus	occasional	6
Coenobita scaevola	occasional	6
Abudefduf vaigiensis	occasional	6
Chaetodon austriacus	occasional	6
Pseudanthias squamipinnis	occasional	6
Parapercis hexophtalma	occasional	5
Ostracion cubicum	occasional	5
Thalassoma rueppellii	occasional	5
Zebrasoma xanthurum	occasional	5
Hipposcarus harid	occasional	5
Chromis viridis	rare	4
Chaetodon semilarvatus	rare	4
Chaetodon fasciatus	rare	4
Rhinecanthus assasi	rare	4
Tridacna maxima	rare	4
Variola louti	rare	4
Octopus cyanea	rare	4
Amphiprion bicinctus	rare	4
Pomacentrus sulfureus	rare	4
Oxycheilinus digramma	rare	4
Dascyllus abudafur	rare	4
Ctenochaetus striatus	rare	4
Chlorurus gibbus	rare	3
Diodon hystrix	rare	3
Echinometra mathaei	rare	3
Epibulus insidiator	rare	3
Cheilinus quinquecinctus	rare	3
Halichoeres hortulanus	rare	3
Lambis truncata	rare	3
Monotaxis grandoculis	rare	3
Mulloidichthys flavolineatus	rare	3
Naso elegans	rare	3
Pseudochromis springeri	rare	3
Cheilinus abudjubbe	rare	3
Pycnochromis dimidiatus	rare	3
Cephalopholis argus	rare	3
Chaetodon paucifasciatus	rare	3
Arothron hispidus	rare	3
Amblyglyphidodon flavilatus	rare	3
Hemiramphus far	rare	2
Hyrtios erectus	rare	2
Neoniphon sammara	rare	2
Amanses scopas	rare	2
Grapsus albolineatus	rare	2
Ocypode saratan	rare	2
Tripneustes gratilla	rare	2
Abudefduf sexfasciatus	rare	2

Utopia Beach House Reef South

Utopia Beach House Reef South

The dive

Please note before you go

Access & rules

Certification required

Getting there

Operator

Season

Conditions

Questions & answers

Life recorded at Utopia Beach House Reef South

Nearby sites in El Quseir

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