Erg Abu Ramada is the big three-peaked erg off the middle of the Abu Ramada reef, which is why some boats call it Camel Reef. The peaks rise from a sandy floor to within 10 m of the surface, with a coral garden spreading north of them. The whole set can be dived on one tank, which is the appeal · three separate structures rather than one long wall.
- Depth
- 10-30 m
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Season
- Jan - Dec
- Boat ride
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- Open Water+
Erg Abu Ramada
The plan of the reef
On the chart
Erg Abu Ramada
60 min from the marina
Topography and dive profile
Three coral towers rising from sand, the tops within about 10 m of the surface and the base around 30 m, with clean sand between them that makes navigation obvious. North of the towers the ground opens into a coral garden at easier depth.
Each peak carries its own soft coral and its own resident crowd. Glassfish stack against the overhangs, anthias hang over the tops in clouds, groupers hold the deeper corners and morays sit in the structure. The sand between the towers is worth a look on the way past.
What you'll see
- ◇Glassfish on the peaks
- ◇Anthias
- ◇Groupers
- ◇Moray eels
- ◇Soft coral on the ergs
Who it suits
Open Water and above. The tops sit at 10 m and the coral garden is shallower still, so an Open Water diver has a full dive here without going near their limit. The base of the towers is around 30 m, which is where an Advanced certification earns its keep, but nothing forces you down there.
When the captain runs this site
About an hour out, one of the three Abu Ramada sites the captain rotates between. Often the second dive of the day after the deeper northern plateau, because it works as a shallower profile. Standard 2-tank day rate.