The Deep South of the Egyptian Red Sea holds some of the country's most pristine and least-crowded diving — and a St John's and Fury Shoals liveaboard is the only way to reach it. Sailing from Port Ghalib or Hamata, these trips pair the hard-coral gardens and easy caverns of Fury Shoals with the remote walls, submerged pinnacles and light-filled caves of St John's, close to the Sudanese border. Expect superb visibility, healthy soft and hard corals, and the chance of grey reef, silvertip and hammerhead sharks out in the blue — plus Sataya's resident spinner dolphins. Browse the dive sites below, or ask us to match you to the right itinerary and dates.
Dive sites in this collection
Sataya Reef (Dolphin Reef)
A vast horseshoe-shaped reef at the southern edge of Fury Shoals, known as the "Dolphin House" for the resident pod of spinner dolphins that often visits its lagoon — perfect for snorkelling between dives, with coral drop-offs for scuba.
Claudia Reef
Also called Sha'ab Claude, this shallow Fury Shoals reef is loved for its easy, sunlit cavern swim-throughs and giant porites coral heads — a relaxed, photogenic dive that suits every level.
Abu Galawa
A hard-coral playground in Fury Shoals, home to the coral-encrusted Tien Hsing tugboat wreck and a smaller sailing-boat wreck full of glassfish, with swim-throughs and rich macro life for photographers.
Sha'ab Maksour
A long, Elphinstone-like reef with steep walls and plateaus at each end, best dived early on the current for sharks, turtles, rays and big fish cruising the blue — one for confident divers.
St. John's Cave
A shallow, wonderfully photogenic site where light pours through cracks and chambers in the reef, making the topography and play of light — rather than the marine life — the star of the dive.
St. John's Caves
A network of tunnels, caverns and overhangs (Umm Kharariem) laced with dramatic shafts of light and easy swim-throughs — an atmospheric, camera-friendly Deep South classic.
Habili Ali
A deep submerged reef on the eastern edge of St John's, draped in giant gorgonians and black coral, where grey reef, silvertip and schooling hammerhead sharks patrol the walls — an advanced, current-swept highlight.
Gota Kebir
A large, surface-breaking reef famous for its tunnels and twin plateaus — gentle enough for newer cavern divers, while offering whitetips, jacks, barracuda and the occasional passing manta.
Good to know before you book
When to go
The Deep South dives best from roughly March to May and September to November, when the sea is calm, visibility often tops 25–30 m and shark chances are high. Summer is warm and diveable but hot on deck, while winter is cooler and quieter.
Experience level
Sites range from easy coral gardens and caverns to current-swept walls and deep pinnacles. Advanced Open Water (or equivalent) and comfort with drift dives are recommended for the St John's sites, and many operators ask for a minimum number of logged dives.
Getting there
St John's and Fury Shoals are reachable by liveaboard only, sailing from Port Ghalib or Marsa Alam (some routes from Hamata). Arrive at least a day before departure to allow for any travel delays.
Book or customise your trip
Pick any dive site or itinerary above, or tell us your dates, experience level and must-see sites and we'll match you to the right boat. Reach our team through the website or on WhatsApp for a fast, no-obligation quote.