Gabr el Bint
Also known as: Gabr El Bint, Gabr El-Bint, Gabu El Bint, Grave of the Girl, Grave of the Little Girl, Tomb of the Girl
Wall and gorgonian reef about 20 km south of Dahab, dived on both sides of a hard coral buttress and reached by day boat or by camel.
Last updated October 2026
The dive
A hard coral buttress divides Gabr el Bint, and the day is two dives, one on each side of it. One is the wall dive. The top of the wall starts at 8 to 20 metres and the face drops past 50, broken by chasms, sandy ravines and overhangs, with table corals on the ledges and cave entrances at about 22 metres. Out in the blue, reef sharks and milkfish may pass.
The other is the gorgonian and lagoon dive. A wide sandy lagoon sits among coral heads, with crocodilefish on the sand and rays beside them. The reef slope above fills with soft corals and gorgonian sea fans between 12 and 30 metres, and at the end of the lagoon ledge a shoal of black-and-white snappers hangs at 5 to 10 metres, which makes a slow finish to the dive. Extra drift dives can be added on the way out or on the way back to Dahab.
What makes it special
Distance sets the character of Gabr el Bint: it is reckoned the southernmost of Dahab's dive sites, about 20 km down the coast, so the trip out is part of the day. The two sides of the buttress could hardly differ. The wall is steep and dark and opens onto the blue, while the lagoon side is colourful and slow, with turtles a frequent sight.
For a different way to start the day, the site can also be reached by camel as a mini safari from the shore. The Arabic name means Grave of the Girl.
Know before you go
Current varies from day to day, so ask the guide which way it runs before you drop in. Open Water divers have a shallow start to work with, while the face below falls to 60 metres: agree your depth at the briefing and hold it.
Plan for a full day. The boat takes about an hour each way, and there are no facilities at the site, so food, water and sun cover come aboard with you. The cave entrances at 22 metres are for cave-trained divers with the right equipment; for everyone else the open wall alongside them is the dive.
Why Dive Gabr el Bint
What makes this dive site stand out.
- Two dives, one buttress
A deep wall dive on one side and a gorgonian and lagoon dive on the other
- Gorgonian forest
Sea fans and soft corals cover the upper reef slope between 12 and 30 m
- Deep wall with caves
The wall is cut by chasms and overhangs, with cave entrances at about 22 m
- Lagoon snapper shoal
Black-and-white snappers hang at 5 to 10 m at the end of the lagoon ledge
- Boat or camel access
About an hour by boat from Dahab, or by camel as a mini safari
Depth & Profile
Location
28.3534°N, 34.4336°E
Conditions & difficulty
Open Water divers can dive the top of the wall, which begins at 8-20 m. The wall falls to 60 m and the cave entrances sit at about 22 m: stay within your certified depth and leave the caves to cave-trained divers.
Summary
Operators grade it moderate. Current varies from day to day, so the briefing decides the plan.
Safety considerations
What can go wrong here, and what divers do about it. Conditions change - take the briefing from the operator on the day.
- Depth: The wall falls to 60 m, well past Open Water limits.Agree a maximum depth at the briefing and keep to it.
- Overhead: Cave entrances on the deep wall at about 22 m.Stay on the open wall; penetration needs cave training and equipment.
- Current: Current varies and can run along the wall.Ask the guide about direction at the briefing and keep buoyancy and buddy contact tight.
- Remote location: About an hour by boat from Dahab, with no facilities at the site.Confirm boat oxygen and crew emergency contacts before departure.
Marine Life
Rules and permits
- Conduct: no touching, no feeding, no taking anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do the gorgonians grow on the north or the south side of the buttress?▾
Local operators describe it in opposite ways. One puts the gorgonian wall and the sandy lagoon on the north dive and the dark wall falling to 60 m on the south dive. Another sends the first dive north along a wall that passes 50 m, and the second south over a lagoon and a forest of soft corals and gorgonians at 12 to 30 m. Both agree on the pairing: a deep wall on one side, a lagoon and gorgonian reef on the other. The order of the two dives differs from boat to boat, so the briefing is the place to confirm which side opens your day.
How far is help if something goes wrong at Gabr el Bint?▾
This matters more here than at Dahab's shore sites, because the site is a deep boat dive about an hour from the marina. Dahab has its own hyperbaric chamber (the Hyperbaric Medical Center, Dahab), and the larger DAN-network facility is in Sharm el-Sheikh, roughly 90 km south. The emergency number in Egypt is 123 and the DAN Europe diving-emergency line is +39 06 4211 8685. Before departure, confirm that the boat carries oxygen and that the crew has these contacts.
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