Daedalus & Fury Shoals

Dive areas you may visit on this itinerary:

Daedalus: This huge tear-drop shaped reef rises from the sea bed in the middle of the Red Sea, 80km offshore and more than 300km south of Hurghada. Easily recognised by its zebra-striped lighthouse, this reef offers some of the most amazing dives in the Red Sea. The sheer walls are covered in over-grown hard coral formations and a variety of reef fish. Napoleon wrasses and turtles are often cruising by, but make sure you keep your eyes open on the blue! Daedalus is one of those places where anything can happen ... oceanic white tip, grey reef and thresher sharks are often sighted, but Daedalus is most famous for its scalloped hammerhead sharks which can often be seen in large schools out in the blue during the summer months. The sheer size of this reef means that you can do several dives here and never get bored.

Fury Shoals: This large cluster of reefs offers unforgettable and easy dives. From the northern site of Small Abu Galawa to its most-southern site of Sataya, Fury Shoals can prove to be surprising and diverse. Each dive site has its particularity: from dolphins, to stunning hard coral formations and not forgetting the two little wrecks "Tug Boat" and the "Yacht".

The Wadi Lahami reef system offers sites such as Abu Galawa Soraya, a stunning reef with a small wreck of a 17m sailing boat sitting at 18m depth offers a lot of fish life while still remaining intact after more than 25 years. Soft and hard corals abound in sections of the reef, and there are plenty of pinnacles to explore offering dive options at depths down to 24m. Also, Abu Galawa Kebir, is close to its smaller sister Abu Galawa Soraya and is famous for its tunnels and south plateau. The Tien Hsing Chinese tugboat boats some stunning soft and hard coral bouquets running its 34m length. But the wreck is not the only reason to visit, as the large reef provides plenty of opportunity for other dives along the walls and pinnacles.

Sha’ab Maksour is a large and varied reef that is often compared to the Red Sea classic Elphinstone with steep drop-offs and strong currents make it a dive where some diver experience is beneficial. North and South plateaus start at around 20 meters and extend to around 40 meters, although the plateau has some pinnacles on that can be enjoyed on the ascent and safety stop. On the plateaus and drifting down the east wall, you can encounter some species that make a proud entry in your log book, hammerheads, reef sharks, mantas and whale sharks have all visited Maksour!

Moving further south towards the Fury Shoals system, the Sha’ab Claudio captivates divers and enthrals photographers with its shallow swim-thru system perfect for leisurely exploration. With 5 entrances and exits and shallow in depth, you’re never ‘lost’ and you can just enjoy the shafts of light dancing through the caverns. Rays, nudibranchs, large napoleon wrasse and morays are all frequently spotted here you may even see a White Tip Reef shark or turtle pass by.

Sha’ab Sataya is situated at the very south of Fury Shoals, this huge natural lagoon is formed by a massive reef (sha’ab) rising from the depths. The fame of Sataya is rising, with steep drop-offs along with pelagic sightings and protected pinnacles smothered in soft and hard corals. But the real stars can be the huge pods of spinner dolphins that frequent here, meaning Sataya has become the ‘Dolphin House’ of Hamata.

Elphinstone Reef (not part of all itineraries): Elphinstone is a Red Sea legend, and sometimes visited on this itinerary. A finger shaped reef, with north and south plateaus covered in hard and soft corals, Elphinstone is an unpredictable and exciting dive where hammerhead sharks are regularly spotted in the summer and oceanic whitetip sharks are known to congregate in numbers during late autumn.

Please note that night diving and snorkelling will only be allowed on some parts of this itinerary as it includes marine parks where this is prohibited. To get the most out of these superb dive sites, several dives will be from a RIB.

EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: You must be an Advanced Open Water diver or equivalent and have logged a minimum of 30 dives to join this safari.