Panorama Reef

Overview

Panorama Reef — known locally as Abu Alama — is the standout wall dive of the Safaga region and earns its name honestly: from its broad plateaus and vertical drop-offs you look out over some of the most expansive blue-water vistas in this part of the Red Sea. A large oval reef set out in open water about an hour from Safaga, it combines gentle coral plateaus with sheer walls and enough current to bring in the bigger fish, making it a satisfying dive for a wide range of experience levels.

The Dive

The reef is rimmed by north and south plateaus that sit in the 18–32m range, with steep walls falling away on the eastern and western sides past 40m into deep water. A typical dive drops onto a plateau, works along the wall, and lets the prevailing current — usually from the north and generally light to medium, though it can pick up to strong on windy days — carry you along the reef. The south-west wall is home to "Nemo City," a shallow coral-and-anemone garden in 5–20m that makes a colourful, relaxed end to the dive and a fine spot to spend your safety stop.

With a working maximum around 40m on the walls and plenty to see in the shallower plateau range, the site suits Advanced Open Water divers, while the busier current days are best left to those comfortable with drift conditions.

Marine Life

The plateaus and walls are carpeted in healthy soft and hard corals, with anemone gardens, anthias and fusiliers in constant motion. The current draws in pelagics: tuna, barracuda, jacks and Napoleon wrasse are regulars, and divers have good chances of grey reef sharks, the occasional hammerhead, turtles and — in season — passing manta rays out in the blue.

Good to Know

Panorama dives well year-round, though spring through autumn offers the warmest water and most settled conditions; visibility is typically very good, often 20–40m. Access is by day boat from Safaga, around 60 minutes, and the reef is frequently paired with nearby sites such as Abu Kafan or Middle Reef. The current can be sharp and the open-water setting unforgiving in wind, so check conditions, carry a surface marker, and plan the wall sections conservatively.