Ras Abu Galum: dive safari from Dahab

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

Depth

5–30 m

Level

Open Water and up

Entry

Camel trek, 4x4 or boat

Area

Day trip

Ras Abu Galum dive guide: what to expect

Ras Abu Galum Dahab is the wild coast north of the Blue Hole, where the road ends and the Abu Galum Protected Area begins. Declared a protectorate in 1992, the reserve covers around 400 square kilometres of mountains, wadis and sea, with a small Bedouin fishing village on the beach and no hotels in sight. It sits roughly 8 km north of the Blue Hole, and getting there is half the fun.

Diving Ras Abu Galum Dahab usually starts at the Blue Hole car park. From there you either ride a camel along the coastal path for about an hour and a half, with your dive gear carried alongside, or hop on a Bedouin speedboat for a 20-minute trip. On calm days some centres also sail up directly from Dahab. Day trips normally include two dives and a fish lunch in the village, while overnight safaris add a night dive, dinner cooked by the Bedouin and an early-morning dive before heading back.

There is not one single site here but around six, spread between the village and the Blue Lagoon further north, with names like The Rocks, Abu Ouda, Haggar and Khoramat. Which ones you dive depends on the sea and on how long you stay. The typical profile is a sandy slope running out from the beach, with reef walls on either side going down to about 30 metres, a shallow hard-coral plateau and plenty of pinnacles and rock formations. The northern part of the area is known for its coral gardens.

Because the reserve sees so few divers, the reefs are among the healthiest you will find around Dahab, and the shallows are bright and full of colour. The pinnacles work as cleaning stations, attracting turtles, eagle rays and big barracuda that come in from the open sea to visit the cleaner wrasse. On the reef you can expect clownfish, triggerfish, lionfish, pufferfish, morays and blue-spotted stingrays, plus big schools of reef fish over the shallow coral.

Conditions are usually calm and the best reefs are shallow, so the dives suit a wide range of levels, from newly certified divers to old hands. Bring a hat, sunscreen and plenty of water for the trek, and leave room on your camera card for the mountains as well as the reef.

Ras Abu Galum dive map

The dive, step by step

1. Entry

   Shore entry from the beach near the camp or village (or a short boat drop), descending onto the sandy slope at 5–8 m.

2. Sandy slope

   Follow the sand down between the two reef walls to about 15 m and choose a side for the dive, usually with the current.

3. Reef wall and pinnacles

   Run along the wall past pinnacles and rock formations at 15–22 m, pausing at the cleaning stations for turtles, barracuda and eagle rays.

4. Turn point

   Turn at a maximum of about 25 m (30 m recreational limit) on air or time and start working back shallower.

5. Coral plateau and exit

   Return over the shallow hard-coral plateau at 5–10 m for a long safety stop among the reef fish, then exit on the beach.

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Conditions

Max depth

25 m typical, 30 m recreational limit

Dive time

50–60 min per dive; usually 2 dives (day) or 4+ (overnight)

Current

Usually calm; some sites are done as gentle drifts

Visibility

Typically 25–30 m

Best time

All year; calm-wind days for the boat option; mornings for the best light

Requirements

Open Water and up; snorkellers welcome on the shallow reefs

What you'll see

• Pristine hard and soft coral gardens
• Turtles
• Eagle rays
• Giant barracuda at cleaning stations
• Cleaner wrasse
• Clownfish
• Moray eels and pufferfish
• Blue-spotted stingrays
• Triggerfish
• Lionfish and parrotfish

Guide's tips

• A full day that mixes desert trekking and diving
• Bring sun protection for the trek

Snorkeling at Ras Abu Galum

Protected, uncrowded fringing reef with healthy shallow coral right off the beach; reached by boat, jeep or camel trek.

Snorkeling guide →

Safety notes

• Remote protected area with no road access and no facilities beyond the Bedouin camps: dive conservatively, carry an SMB and bring water and sun protection.
• The camel trek and heat add fatigue before you dive; hydrate well.
• Boat transfers depend on wind and sea state and can be cancelled at short notice.
• Protected area rules apply: no touching, collecting or feeding marine life.

Questions about Ras Abu Galum