St John’s Reef

Also known as Rocky Islands area, Fury Shoals to the north

A scattered complex of reefs near Egypt’s southern border — caves, coral gardens and the best-preserved hard coral in the country.

Depth

5–30m across a wide spread of sites

Access

Liveaboard only, from Port Ghalib or Hamata in the deep south

Best season

March to November; the deep south stays warm late

Level

Intermediate

Conditions

• A spread of many separate sites rather than one reef, so there is usually something sheltered
• Generally gentler current than the offshore pinnacles
• Remote: the nearest chamber is a long way away, which changes how conservatively you should dive

What you are likely to see

• Hard coral in exceptional condition — the reason this area matters
• Swim-throughs and cathedral-like cave systems at Umm Kharerim
• Reef sharks, occasional oceanic whitetips at the outer sites
• Dolphins around Satayah reef to the north

What to watch out for

• The caves at St John’s are genuinely enclosed in places. They are dived by recreational divers with guides, and they are still an overhead environment — go with someone who knows the exits.
• Remoteness is the real risk factor. You are further from a recompression chamber here than anywhere else in Egypt; dive well inside your limits.

This is planning information, not a dive briefing or a substitute for one. Conditions change; your guide on the day is the authority. Diving emergency numbers and the coast’s recompression chambers are on our emergency contacts page.