Umm Gamar ('Mother of the Moon' in Arabic, named for its crescent shape) is a long thin coral reef 75 minutes north of Hurghada. The dive is a drift along the eastern wall in mild current, with soft-coral cover that rivals Carless Reef. Quieter on the boat count than the more famous northern names. Open Water and above.
- Depth
- 8-30 m
- Visibility
- 20–30 m
- Season
- Mar - Nov
- Boat ride
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- Open Water+
Topography and dive profile
Crescent-shaped reef 600 m long. Eastern wall drops from 5 to 30 m with dense red and purple soft coral on the ledges. Western (sheltered) side is a sandy plateau at 12 m with isolated coral heads. We typically dive the eastern wall as a one-way drift, with the boat following us along the surface, then second dive on the sheltered plateau.
What you'll see
- ◇Glassfish swarms
- ◇Big napoleon wrasse
- ◇Stingrays
- ◇Soft coral
- ◇Tuna in the blue
Who it suits
PADI Open Water and above. Mild current means it suits divers comfortable with gentle drift. The plateau side is fine for fresh Open Water graduates.
When the captain runs this site
Standard 2-tank day with €10 long-transit supplement when the captain commits to the northern run. Often paired with Carless Reef on the same long-day trip when conditions favour both.