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Dive Site

Elphinstone

  • Visibility: J, F, M, A: 35–40 m; M, J, J, A: 30–60 m; S, O, N, D: 40 m
  • Temperatures: J, F, M: 24–24°C; A, M, J: 26–28°C; J, A, S: 28-28°C; O, N, D: 28-25°C
  • Depth: +100 m
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Dive Site

Overview

A reef with very steep slopes and two plateaus in the north and south. It is located 30 min east of Abu Dabab and is therefore an outer reef that drops well over 100m all around. Elphinstone is known for its whitetip sharks and notorious for the archway.

Description

From Marsa Alam the boat goes about one and a half hours north to Elphinstone Reef! The reef top of Elphinstone Reef lies at a depth of between one and three meters, depending on the water level. Strong surface currents and lots of boat traffic make snorkeling here impossible.

Divers, however, can dive right into a challenging treat! The reef is known for its exceptional biodiversity and, of course, sightings of large fish. In the north we dive on a sloping plateau from 18 to 40 meters and in the south on the underwater terraces. The west and east walls drop off steeply into the depths. The Elphinstone reef has a total length of about 600 meters and a width of 70 meters.
In large numbers we can see hard and soft corals in all colors. In addition, there are turtles, moray eels, loceanic white tip sharks, hammerhead sharks and pretty much everything that the Red Sea has to offer.

Hotspots

  • Southern plateau: The southern plateau attracts with magnificent gorgonian gardens and Longnose Hawkfish. Often you can also find the oceanic white tip shark here.
  • Northern Plateau: Very often you can see hammerhead sharks here.

map Dive Plans

Elphinstone

dropoff

Gorgonian garden in the morning or at midday

From the boat you can dive over the south plateau to the east side. Over the edge you reach the gorgonian garden at about 25m. Here you can also meet the famous longnose hawkfish. The reef edge offers many soft and hard corals. Always keep an eye on the current during the dive to be able to turn back early enough.

The deep north plateau in the afternoon

It is best to dive relatively shallow, but always with visual contact, along the plateau to the north. Only when you see the 40m gap, you should go deep. At 40m you will have shark contact with a little luck. When ascending, it is not recommended to stay deep for a long time, but to dive along the beautiful overgrown reef and to make a safety stop there. Occasionally there is a down current at the northern plateau.