Conditions
Hazards & safety
Strong unpredictable currents
Depth temptation at the arch
Open-water exposure and boat traffic
Oceanic whitetip sharks
Conditions & forecast
Diving: Good
Wind
3 km/h S
Air
32.3°C
Water
29°C
Waves
0.2 m
Tide
↓ Falling
High 09:00 · Low 04:00
Next 24 hours
22h
32°
8 km/h
23h
31.3°
9 km/h
00h
30.9°
9 km/h
01h
30.4°
10 km/h
02h
30.5°
13 km/h
03h
31.2°
19 km/h
04h
31.4°
22 km/h
05h
30.6°
19 km/h
06h
29.8°
20 km/h
07h
30.7°
19 km/h
08h
33.8°
14 km/h
09h
36.2°
11 km/h
10h
35.9°
11 km/h
11h
35.6°
14 km/h
12h
35.3°
19 km/h
13h
34.6°
24 km/h
14h
34.7°
24 km/h
15h
35°
20 km/h
16h
35.1°
14 km/h
17h
34.9°
9 km/h
18h
33.8°
11 km/h
19h
32.3°
13 km/h
20h
31.7°
11 km/h
21h
32.2°
7 km/h
Fri
37.8° / 30.1°
24 km/h · 0.4 m
Sat
36.2° / 29.8°
24 km/h · 0.2 m
Sun
36.1° / 28.4°
17 km/h · 0.1 m
Mon
37.4° / 29.3°
30 km/h · 0.4 m
Tue
36.9° / 31.6°
36 km/h · 1 m
Wed
37.3° / 31.1°
33 km/h · 0.7 m
Thu
38.2° / 30.7°
23 km/h · 0.6 m
About this site
Elphinstone (Sha'ab Abu Hamra) is a long, narrow offshore reef about 12 km from Marsa Alam whose sheer walls plunge well past 100 m on both flanks. The north and south plateaus draw schooling fish, grey reef and hammerhead sharks, while autumn brings the famous oceanic whitetip encounters. A deep, much-mythologised arch sits at around 55 m at the southern tip.
What you'll see
Marine life
HighModerateLow
Giant TrevallyCaranx ignobilisHighOceanic Whitetip SharkCarcharhinus longimanusHighRed Sea (Scalefin) AnthiasPseudanthias squamipinnisHighDogtooth TunaGymnosarda unicolorModerateGrey Reef SharkCarcharhinus amblyrhynchosModerateNapoleon (Humphead) WrasseCheilinus undulatusModerateScalloped Hammerhead SharkSphyrna lewiniModeratePelagic Thresher SharkAlopias pelagicusLow
Giant Trevally
Caranx ignobilis Year-round0.8–1.7m
Oceanic Whitetip Shark
Carcharhinus longimanus Oct–Dec1.8–3.0m
Red Sea (Scalefin) Anthias
Pseudanthias squamipinnis Year-round0.07–0.15m
Dogtooth Tuna
Gymnosarda unicolor Year-round0.8–2.0m
Grey Reef Shark
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos Year-round1.5–2.0m
Napoleon (Humphead) Wrasse
Cheilinus undulatus Year-round1.2–2.0m
Scalloped Hammerhead Shark
Sphyrna lewini Jun–Sep Early morning2.5–4.0m
Pelagic Thresher Shark
Alopias pelagicus Year-round Early morning3.0–3.5m
Probabilities are aggregated from verified sightings by Dive Plaza divers. They are guides, not promises — the sea is the sea.