Abu Ghalawa

Overview

Abu Ghalawa is a cluster of sheltered reefs in the heart of the Fury Shoals, the maze of coral in Egypt's deep south, around 30km off the coast between Marsa Alam and Hamata. Its best-known corner, Abu Galawa Kebir, pairs a shallow lagoon and lush coral garden with one of the prettiest small wrecks in the southern Red Sea — the coral-smothered Chinese tugboat Tien Hsing. It's an easy, photogenic site that makes a relaxed counterpoint to the big walls and shark reefs further offshore.

The Dive

Abu Galawa Kebir is a horseshoe of reef enclosing a small lagoon, with the moorings tucked on its sheltered southern side. The seabed sits at a gentle average of around 20m — sandy bottom studded with coral towers — so the diving is forgiving and easily within recreational limits, with the outer reef edge sloping into a drop-off for those who want a little more depth. The signature feature is the wreck of the Tien Hsing, a 34m harbour tug resting against one of the smaller coral heads near the moorings, now so completely overgrown with soft and hard coral that the hull reads more as reef than metal. You can circle it, peer into the open structure and shoot it from every angle in good light. A typical plan loops out along the coral garden and drop-off — watching the sand and blue for turtles, rays and octopus — then comes back to spend the second half of the dive on and around the wreck. Currents are usually mild and the lagoon offers an easy entry and exit. Because the moorings sit close to the wreck, Abu Galawa Kebir is also a superb night dive.

Marine Life

The coral garden is the draw as much as the fish: dense thickets of soft coral, table corals and anemones in classic Fury Shoals condition. Among them you'll find clouds of anthias and glassfish, clownfish in their anemones, and macro subjects — nudibranchs, shrimps and crocodilefish — tucked into the coral and the wreck's plating. Out on the reef's outer edge and over the sand, look for turtles, blue-spotted rays, octopus and the occasional reef shark or barracuda passing through, with spinner dolphins a regular sight in the wider Fury Shoals area.

Good to Know

This is an all-levels site in calm conditions — the shallow average depth, mild current and sheltered lagoon make it comfortable for newer divers, while the wreck and macro keep experienced divers and photographers happy. Visibility is typically very good, in the 15–25m range and often better. Like everything in Fury Shoals, Abu Ghalawa is liveaboard territory: it's reached on southern Red Sea safaris out of Marsa Alam, Hamata or Port Ghalib, frequently paired with Sataya (Dolphin House) and the wider Fury Shoals reefs over a multi-day trip.