Gota Abu Nugar is an isolated coral pinnacle 55 minutes south of the marina, sitting in 24 m of water and rising to 8 m below the surface. Smaller than its more famous neighbour Gota Abu Ramada (the Aquarium), but with denser sweetlips schools and softer coral cover on the windward face. We dive it as the second site after a deeper morning at El Aruk or Carless, when the boat is already heading south.
- Depth
- 8-24 m
- Visibility
- 20–25 m
- Season
- Jan - Dec
- Boat ride
- 55 min
- Difficulty
- Open Water+
Gota Abu Nugar
On the chart
Gota Abu Nugar
55 min from the marina
Topography and dive profile
Single oval coral pinnacle 80 m long by 50 m wide, isolated on a sandy bottom at 24 m. The structure is essentially a swim-around · one circumnavigation is 50-60 minutes at a slow pace. The southern face has the densest sweetlips school in our southern rotation · 30-40 fish hanging together at 14-16 m. Stingrays on the sand around the base. Photographers love the clean blue-water backdrop for fish-school shots.
What you'll see
- ◇Big sweetlips schools
- ◇Stingrays on sand
- ◇Lionfish
- ◇Soft coral
- ◇Reef octopus
Who it suits
PADI Open Water and above. Gentle, shallow, no current. Suits any level.
When the captain runs this site
When the captain commits to the southern rotation (typically a southern day with El Aruk or Gota Abu Ramada), Gota Abu Nugar is often the third site in the rotation. Standard 2-tank day rate.
Frequently asked
Both are isolated coral pinnacles in the southern Hurghada area. Gota Abu Ramada (the Aquarium) is bigger, shallower (max 18 m), and more famous · so more boats. Gota Abu Nugar is smaller, slightly deeper (max 24 m), with denser sweetlips and fewer boats. We pair them on the same southern day so you don't have to choose.
Almost always · the school of 30-40 oriental sweetlips parks on the southern face of the pinnacle year-round. They've gotten used to divers and won't bolt if you maintain distance. Best photographed on the second pass of the dive when you've found the angle that puts the school against the blue-water background.
Yes · the gentle profile and shallow safety-stop area work well for PADI Open Water dives 3 and 4 (the deeper pair of training dives, with the maximum depth set to 18 m for OW students).