Abu Kifan

Overview

Abu Kifan is Safaga's signature wall dive — a long, thin spine of reef stranded in open water about two hours offshore, often described as a smaller, more intimate version of Elphinstone. Its name translates roughly as "the deep one," and the vertical walls that fall away into the blue on either side make the reason obvious. It's an exposed, current-fed site that rewards experienced divers with soft-coral walls, big schooling pelagics and a real chance of sharks.

The Dive

The reef runs north to south for around 300m, breaking the surface at the top and shouldering a plateau at each end before the sides drop into sheer wall. A colourful erg (coral pinnacle) at the southern end connects to the main reef at about 18m and trails off southward. The classic plan is a drift: start on the northern plateau, then follow whichever wall the current and sun favour, hanging over the edge to watch the open water. The walls are the highlight — sheer faces in the 20–30m range upholstered in soft corals, black coral and big gorgonian fans, with the drop-off continuing far below into technical depths that are best left as scenery rather than a target. The southern plateau is a quieter alternative when weather closes the exposed sides, with its own pinnacles and a sheer drop-off from 25–30m. Current originates from the northwest and ranges from mild to strong, so this is a site to dive with the conditions rather than against them.

Marine Life

The pull here is the combination of healthy soft-coral walls and serious pelagic traffic. The plateaus draw big schools of barracuda and tuna, dense aggregations of snapper, bannerfish and sweetlips fighting the current, and the famous shoals of bright-red bigeyes that hover over the flats. Grey reef sharks and the occasional silvertip cruise the walls, turtles are regular, and in late summer hammerheads move through. The walls themselves are a photographer's wall-garden of gorgonians and soft coral, with reef fish working every ledge.

Good to Know

Abu Kifan is an advanced, current-aware site — strong drift, deep walls and an exposed offshore position mean it suits confident Advanced Open Water divers and up, not newcomers. Visibility is typically very good at 25m or more. The crossing from Safaga (around 90 minutes to two hours) can be choppy even though the reef itself is reasonably protected, so trips are weather-dependent; it's run as a day-boat dive from Safaga and as a stop on Safaga–Brothers–Elphinstone liveaboard routes.