Ben El Gebel ('between the mountains' in Arabic, named for its position between Big Giftun and Small Giftun) is a small cluster of coral heads sitting in the protected channel between the two main Giftun islands. The diving is gentle · max 20 m, no current, sheltered conditions year-round. The signature feature is two short swim-throughs at 12-14 m where glassfish swarm in numbers. Suits every certification level.
- Depth
- 8-20 m
- Visibility
- 18–25 m
- Season
- Jan - Dec
- Boat ride
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- Open Water+
Ben El Gebel
On the chart
Ben El Gebel
50 min from the marina
Topography and dive profile
Three connected coral heads forming a rough triangle, the largest 20 m tall. We drop on the southern coral head, swim through the first short channel (8 m long, daylight visible) into the central head, around its perimeter, then through the second swim-through to the northern head and back to the start. The whole route is about 200 m of dive distance, completed in 50-60 minutes at a slow pace.
The swim-throughs are the highlight · both short, both with daylight visible from the entry, both packed with glassfish that part as you swim through. No proper penetration training required (these are pass-throughs, not enclosed spaces). Resident reef octopus tucked into the central head's coral crevices.
What you'll see
- ◇Glassfish in the channels
- ◇Trumpetfish
- ◇Reef octopus
- ◇Stingrays
- ◇Schooling fusiliers
Who it suits
All certification levels. The shallow profile and sheltered conditions suit beginners. The swim-throughs are the kind of thing AOW Peak Performance Buoyancy students love practising on · slow, controlled, easy depth.
When the captain runs this site
When the captain runs the central Giftun rotation, Ben El Gebel is one of the gentler alternatives to the bigger named sites. Standard 2-tank day rate.
Frequently asked
No · both are short (8-10 m), both have daylight visible from the entry the whole way, both wide enough that you don't need to angle your tank to fit. We brief 'one diver at a time, slow, no fin-kicking against the bottom' before each swim-through. Most divers ask to do them again on the return leg.
Yes · gentle, sheltered, shallow. The swim-throughs are an easy first taste of overhead environments without any of the risk · they're really just narrow channels with a roof, not actual penetration. We sometimes use Ben El Gebel as the second day after PADI Open Water graduation for that reason.
Smaller, gentler, the swim-throughs are the differentiator. Banana Reef has the soft-coral cover and the named pinnacles; Ben El Gebel has the glassfish-packed swim-throughs in shallower water. Different vibes; both worth diving on a multi-day trip.