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Scuba Diving in the Red Sea
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Dive Site: Gabr el Bint
Location: South Dahab, 28°21.211N; 34°25.999E
Description: Boat dive / coral garden / drop off
Depth: 1 - 30 metres (3 - 100 feet)
Visibility: 30 metres (100 feet)
Rating: *****
Gabr el Bint ranks among one of the most attractive sites of North Sinai. With the access by boat, 4x4 or by camel, it is less frequently dived than the other dive sites in Dahab which has left this site in pristine condition. Gabr el Bint means 'The Grave of the Girl' in Arabic. There are two dives possible here. The right side, also known as the dark side, features a steep wall that drops down to about 60m cut by numerous chasms, sandy ravines and overhangs. The drop-off is adorned with healthy table corals. The left side is a far more colourful featuring a virtual forest of gorgonians. Usually drop down to about 20-25m swimming along massive boulders protruding from the drop-off which attracts dense shoals of anthias and glassfish. Keep a good eye on the blue where you will see trevallies hunting on the shoals of fusiliers. After about ten minutes you will find some of the healthiest gorgonian fan corals in the Red Sea. Here you start to ascend to about 10m and cross the saddle then start to head back along a sandy ledge which parallels to the shore. The ledge is riddled with exquisite coral heads that attract numerous reef species, including swarms of anthias, scorpionfish, parrotfish, crocodilefish, surgeonfish, triggerfish, trumpetfish, stingrays and very often a turtle. At the end of the ledge usually is home to a shoal of black and white snappers and twinspot snappers hang here between 5m and 10m. One of the truly breathtaking dives in Dahab.
I have just retuned from this site (Sept '06) and unfortunately the south reef looking onshore has been devastated from an underwater reef movement. This has resulted in a massive slide of rock killing all coral life in its path and leaving a crevice starting from two metres wide and opening to twenty five with a depth range from the surface to thirty / forty metres. The crevice although causing irreversible damage has its own diving merits, while diving across it and looking downwards it appears quite dramatic as the chalk like appearance seems far deeper than it really is. Both this reef and the north reef are still worth the camel/jeep or boat ride.
Nick Howell, PADI Rescue Diver
This was quite easily the most memorable dive in Dahab that I went on. The aforementioned damage is barely noticable now as the coral has just taken hold again and you can't really tell. Beautiful dive site, saw two sea turtles and the most active pair of octopus I have ever encountered. Really worth doing.
Olly Webster, PADI Rescue Diver
We did the left side with Sinai Divers yesterday (14 March 2008) and as we were returning the sky went dark and we looked up to see a 6m whale shark! Our instructor Hendrik, was delighted as he had never seen one in over 1000 dives. This was only my 14th dive so I consider myself very lucky. A beautiful dive sight. Also saw a yelow spotted ray on the Dark Side.
Virginia Burke
All of Dahab's dive sites are JUST AWESOME.
Lord Melch | 16/02/2009
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