Shaab Sabina lies in the Giftun archipelago, about 50 minutes out, where the reef breaks into successive ridges of coral garden separated by clean sand. Nothing on the site is deeper than about 14 m and the current is usually absent. Erg Sabina, a separate and smaller site, sits roughly 150 m away, so the two make a natural pair on one day.
- Depth
- 8-14 m
- Visibility
- 15–25 m
- Season
- Jan - Dec
- Boat ride
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- All levels
Shaab Sabina
The plan of the reef
On the chart
Shaab Sabina
50 min from the marina
Topography and dive profile
Successive ridges of hard coral running across a sandy floor, each one a garden in its own right, with clean sand between them that makes the site easy to navigate. A lagoon sits at about 3 m on the sheltered side. The deepest sand is around 14 m.
Because the ridges break the water there is almost always a calm side. Stingrays settle on the sand at the base of the ridges, trumpetfish hang vertically against the coral heads, and a resident octopus works the eastern blocks. Turtles pass through rather than live here.
What you'll see
- ◇Stingrays
- ◇Trumpetfish
- ◇Reef octopus
- ◇Anthias
- ◇Occasional turtles
Who it suits
Every level. The depth never asks anything of you, the current is usually nothing, and the ridge-and-sand layout means you can always find your way back. A good first boat dive, a good training site, and a good macro dive on the sand between the ridges.
When the captain runs this site
One of the Giftun-strait picks, about 50 minutes out. The captain often pairs it with Erg Sabina, which is only about 150 m away, so the two make a natural 2-tank day. Standard day rate, no supplement.
Frequently asked
No, though the names and the coordinates are close enough to confuse. They are two separate sites about 150 m apart in the Giftun strait. Shaab Sabina is the ridged coral garden; Erg Sabina is a small isolated erg sitting on sand at 10 to 12 m. We often dive both on the same day.
About 14 m at the sand, and most of the dive sits between 8 and 14 m. There is a lagoon at roughly 3 m on the sheltered side that we use for the safety stop and for skills on training days.
Usually none, or very little. The strait can push water on some days because of the way it narrows, so we brief for it, but on a normal day this is still-water diving.