Moray Garden, Dahab: dive site guide

Updated October 2026 · by Mohamed Fathy, PADI & SSI dive instructor in Dahab

Depth

5–20 m

Level

All levels

Entry

Shore

Area

South

Moray Garden dive guide: what to expect

Moray Garden Dahab is the heart of the Southern Oasis, the stretch of coast about 10 km south of town in the Wadi Gnai area. It sits between Golden Blocks to the north and Three Pools to the south, right in front of a handful of beach restaurants with Bedouin-style shade, so the surface interval comes with sea views, mountains behind you and a cold drink. As the name promises, the coral heads here are riddled with holes and crevices, and those holes are full of moray eels.

Diving Moray Garden Dahab is about as relaxed as Red Sea shore diving gets. You enter from the beach over sand onto a shallow plateau of around 5 metres, then follow a sandy, seagrass-covered slope down to about 9–12 metres where the coral starts. From there the reef rolls gently downward through pinnacles, table corals and small coral blocks towards a drop-off around 30 metres. Along one edge of the bay a small wall keeps on dropping, but nobody needs to go that deep to enjoy this site.

The bay is sheltered from the big northerly waves and strong currents, which makes Moray Garden one of the go-to sites for training dives, refreshers and windy days. That does not mean it is only for beginners. Look closely and you will find giant, undulated and geometric morays, nudibranchs, scorpionfish and crocodilefish in the sand, clownfish in their anemones, and blue-spotted stingrays on almost every dive. Green turtles are regular visitors, giant pufferfish hang under the overhangs, and the seagrass patches sometimes hide seahorses and pipefish if you are patient.

Most guided dives go out over the slope, turn south along the reef and come back shallower, ending in a sheltered sandy area that is perfect for the safety stop. When conditions line up, the reef also connects north to Golden Blocks and south to Three Pools, so Moray Garden is a natural start or finish for a long drift dive.

It is equally good as a first dive after a break, a second dive of the day or a night dive, when octopus and morays come out to hunt. Bring a torch even in daytime: the colours under the table corals are worth it.

Moray Garden dive map

The dive, step by step

1. Entry

   Easy beach entry over sand onto the shallow plateau at about 5 m in front of the restaurants. Do your buddy check and descend together.

2. Sandy slope

   Follow the seagrass and sand slope down to 9–12 m, scanning the seagrass for pipefish and the sand for stingrays and crocodilefish.

3. Coral garden

   Reach the coral heads and pinnacles at 12–18 m and turn south with the reef on your right, peeking into the holes for morays.

4. Deepest point

   Drop to a maximum of around 20 m along the edge of the slope, where turtles and giant pufferfish are often seen. Turn back on air or time.

5. Return and exit

   Come back shallower over table corals at 6–10 m into the sheltered sandy area for a 5 m safety stop, then walk out at the beach.

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Conditions

Max depth

18–20 m typical (recreational; drop-off reaches 30 m+)

Dive time

50–65 min

Current

Usually none or very mild; sheltered from waves and strong current

Visibility

Typically 20–30 m

Best time

All year, any time of day; a top choice on windy days and for night dives

Requirements

All levels; widely used for Open Water training and refreshers

What you'll see

• Giant, undulated and geometric moray eels
• Blue-spotted stingrays
• Green turtles
• Clownfish in anemones
• Nudibranchs
• Scorpionfish and crocodilefish
• Octopus
• Giant pufferfish
• Pipefish and occasional seahorses in seagrass
• Table corals and coral pinnacles

Guide's tips

• Look into the coral heads for morays
• Great second dive of the day

Snorkeling at Moray Garden

A sheltered, easy beach entry onto a 5 m plateau, but most of the coral and morays start at 9-12 m.

Snorkeling guide →

Safety notes

• Morays are shy but can bite if hands go into holes: look, don't touch.
• Scorpionfish, stonefish and fire coral on the reef; keep off the bottom and watch your fins.
• The small wall and the outer slope drop past 30 m; stay on the planned profile.
• Drifts to Golden Blocks or Three Pools run long, so watch your air.

Questions about Moray Garden