Bluff Point

Overview

Bluff Point is the most popular dive at Gubal Island, guarding the eastern entrance to the Strait of Gubal where the current accelerates around the island's wall. It is a two-in-one site: a vibrant, current-fed drift along a coral wall by day, and one of the Red Sea's best-loved night dives over the "Barge" wreck after dark. Sitting at a natural overnight mooring on the busy northern liveaboard route, Bluff Point gets crowded with boats precisely because it is so good.

The Dive

By day, Bluff Point is a drift along the steep eastern wall of Gubal, which is smothered in soft and hard coral, overhangs and unusual topography. The wall runs from the shallows down past 25–30m, and dives ride the current along the coral face — the same turbulence that gives the point its name (the "bluff" of water beaten up by the current) is what keeps the reef so rich. The famous feature is the Barge, a small wreck lying in shallow water (around 5–18m) just off the point, broken open and encrusted, which transforms after sunset into a celebrated night dive. The wreck's skeleton shelters a remarkable concentration of nocturnal life and is one of the most reliable critter dives in the north.

Current at Bluff Point can be strong, so day drifts are timed and DSMB ascents are standard; the night dive over the shallow Barge is far calmer and suits all levels. Advanced Open Water is comfortable for the wall in current; the Barge night dive is accessible to Open Water divers with a guide.

Marine Life

The wall is alive with soft coral, anthias, butterflyfish and reef fish, with the current drawing in jacks, snapper and the occasional pelagic. The Barge is the real treasure, especially at night: resident moray eels, lionfish, crocodilefish, scorpionfish, stingrays, octopus, Spanish dancers and hunting crustaceans crowd the wreckage, and a friendly resident moray is a long-standing fixture. Turtles and napoleon wrasse pass along the wall.

Good to Know

Bluff Point sits at Gubal Island in the Strait of Gubal and is reached on Gubal day trips and northern Red Sea liveaboards, where it is the standard overnight stop, usually combined with the Ulysses wreck and Abu Nuhas. Diveable year-round; visibility is typically 15–25m. Plan for two very different dives — a brisk coral drift along the wall by day, and a slow, magical mooch over the Barge by night — and expect company, because this is one of the most frequented anchorages in the northern Red Sea.