Golden Blocks
Shore dive in Dahab with two golden coral towers wrapped in anthias, a slope cut by three sandy pathways and an optional drift to Moray Garden.
Last updated October 2026
The dive
The walk in is easy: a sandy slope runs down from the beach with a wide seagrass meadow on the right. Turning north with the reef on your left leads to the two towers, which anthias have wrapped so thickly that the fish give the blocks their outline. At low tide the tops can show from the surface, and the route one operator describes picks them out at 16 to 20 m, marked by a big gorgonian at 18 m.
Table corals spread across the slope around the towers, with groupers and nudibranchs tucked beneath them. From the towers you can swim back along the same line to the entry, or carry on to the pathways.
What makes it special
Two towers give the site its name, but the slope beneath them gives the dive its shape: three sandy pathways, each ending somewhere different. The first starts near 10 m and descends past 30 m. The second is a small canyon. The third finishes at a large gorgonian fan near 22 m.
The sandy start earns its own look: long double-ended pipefish and Moses sole sit there, a turtle shows up on lucky days, and a large Napoleon wrasse cruises the area. Operators use the site for training dives and as one stop on the southern day-trip loop, which suits a slope this gentle to enter.
Know before you go
The pathways pull downwards, so settle your turn depth with the guide before you enter, and keep to it on the way down. Two operators grade the site entry level, Open Water and Beginner, and that grading fits the shallow start; the deepest pathway belongs to divers with the depth training for it.
Dahab has its own recompression chamber, and one operator puts it 8 km and about 10 minutes from the neighbouring Moray Garden. Egypt's emergency number is 123, and the DAN Europe diving emergency line is +39 06 4211 8685.
If you drift between Moray Garden and Golden Blocks, keep an eye on your air: the link can make for a very long dive.
Why Dive Golden Blocks
What makes this dive site stand out.
- Golden coral towers
Two coral towers wrapped in anthias, sometimes visible from the surface at low tide
- Three sandy pathways
One drops past 30 m, one is a small canyon, one ends at a large gorgonian fan
- Easy walk-in entry
A sandy slope with seagrass, sheltered from waves
- Loop or drift
A loop round the towers, or a drift to or from Moray Garden
Depth & Profile
Location
28.4390°N, 34.4635°E
Conditions & difficulty
Two operators grade the site entry level, Open Water and Beginner, and the dive starts shallow. The first pathway runs past 30 m, beyond Open Water depth.
Summary
The difficulty comes from depth and not from current: the entry is an easy walk in over a protected slope, and the deeper pathways are where the dive gets harder.
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 first sandy pathway starts near 10 m and descends past 30 m, and operators quote the site's maximum anywhere from 25 to 45 m.Agree a turn depth with your guide before entering and track it on your computer.
- Depth: Drifting between Moray Garden and Golden Blocks can make for a very long dive.Plan gas against a turn pressure and keep checking consumption on the drift.
Marine Life
Rules and permits
- Conduct: no touching, no feeding, no taking anything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Golden Blocks named for golden coral or for golden fish?▾
Operators give both readings. Some describe the two hard coral towers as golden in colour; others say the name comes from the golden anthias that cover the towers. They agree on two towers with anthias on them, so the swarms are there whichever reading is right.
How deep do you need to go to see Golden Blocks properly?▾
The towers and the sandy slope are the heart of the dive, and the start is shallow. Operators quote the maximum at 25, 30 and 45 m, and the first pathway runs past 30 m, so the depth is set by which pathway you follow, and anything past 30 m is beyond Open Water. Agree your turn depth with the guide before you enter.
Can you start at Moray Garden and finish at Golden Blocks?▾
Yes. The dive can run as a loop from the beach round the towers and back to the entry, as a drift from Golden Blocks to Moray Garden, or the other way, starting at Moray Garden and finishing at the towers. The drift link can turn into a very long dive, so gas management decides how far you take it.
Every dive has a story. Share yours.
Log your dives - notes, photos, conditions and the marine life you saw - and share them as one public diver profile. What you share helps the next diver, too.
Log every detail
Depth, duration, conditions, gear, buddy, notes — all in one place. Import from Suunto and other dive computers.
Track marine life
Record species sightings on each dive. Build a personal catalogue of everything you've seen underwater.
Your public dive profile
Share your dive history, stats, and experiences with a profile page you control. Show the world where you've been.