Also known as: Gordon reef, Gordon Reef Tiran
Southernmost Tiran reef: shallow sandy plateau, drop-off, an amphitheater where whitetip reef sharks are often seen and a 1981 hull above water.
Last updated October 2026
Boats tie up on the southern plateau, where sand and coral heads sit at about 8 metres. From the mooring the dive heads east to the drop-off, which begins around 16 metres, and the reef can also be done as a drift.
The amphitheater, a round sandy depression on the plateau that operators also call the shark pool, lies between about 10 and 25 metres. Whitetip reef sharks rest there and eagle rays pass along the reef. Midway along, metal drums lie scattered on the seabed, with octopus and morays among them.
The rusting hull of the Loullia stands on the northern edge, above water. There is no wreck dive here; the hull is a marker you can see from the boat.
Gordon is the southernmost of the four Tiran reefs, which makes it a common first stop in the strait from Sharm.
The shallow plateau and the amphitheater give the shark area a gentle way in, since the sand begins at about 8 metres and the bowl reaches down to about 25. The drop-off and the 30-metre limit leave more for divers certified to go deeper.
On the ascent along the right bank the current can start to build. Tuck in towards the reef, move up the slope early and deploy an SMB if you drift from the boat; the guide's briefing on the day sets the plan.
What makes this dive site stand out.
A sandy depression where whitetip reef sharks are often sighted resting
The 1981 wreck stands above the surface, a landmark and not a wreck dive
Moorings at about 8 m, with the drop-off from about 16 m
Drums scattered midway along the reef shelter octopus and morays
27.9845°N, 34.4532°E
Warmest water in summer, clearest water in winter.
The mooring plateau lies around 8 m and the drop-off starts near 16 m, so the upper dive sits within Open Water depth; one operator grades the whole site Intermediate.
Summary
Moderate: the plateau is easy going, and current that cuts across it or builds on the ascent is what raises the grade.
Safety considerations
What can go wrong here, and what divers do about it. Conditions change - take the briefing from the operator on the day.
Multi-day safari boats with this site on their itinerary.
41m, 26-guest wooden liveaboard running Master Liveaboards' full Egyptian Red Sea catalogue from Hurghada and Port Ghalib, from northern wrecks and Tiran through the offshore Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone to the far-south Rocky, Zabargad and St John's reefs.
26-guest sister of Superior with Junior and Executive suites, ranging across Emperor's Egypt catalogue from northern wrecks and offshore Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone to the Deep South.
13-cabin, 26-guest wooden liveaboard running Emperor's northern Red Sea wreck-and-reef weeks from Hurghada, plus offshore Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone.
Red Sea Explorers' largest liveaboard: 37.5m, 28 guests across 14 cabins, running the same GUE-leaning offshore and deep-south Egypt route catalogue.
Red Sea Explorers' tech flagship: a 37m, 22-guest steel liveaboard with a full trimix/CCR fill station and scooters for offshore and deep-south Egypt safaris.
44m, 28-guest wooden liveaboard and the Sea Serpent Fleet's technical flagship, running the fleet's shared Egyptian Red Sea route pool: offshore Brothers-Daedalus-Elphinstone, northern wrecks and the Strait of Tiran, and southern St John's and Fury Shoals.
Teak-finished 42m, 24-guest liveaboard running Seawolf's full Egypt catalog from Hurghada and Port Ghalib, from northern wrecks and the Strait of Tiran to the Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone and the Deep South.
40m, 26-guest wooden liveaboard (SS Glorious Miss Nouran) running the Sea Serpent Fleet's shared Egyptian Red Sea pool: Brothers-Daedalus-Elphinstone, northern wrecks and Tiran, St John's and Fury Shoals, with a panoramic suite and rebreather support.
Descriptions pull in two directions. Some operators and travel writers report a usually strong current on the southern plateau or at the north and south ends. An older magazine account says the southern edge is never that strong, though current can cut across the plateau. One operator adds that on the ascent along the right bank the current can start to build. Plan for variable conditions: follow the briefing, tuck in towards the reef and make your way shallower if it picks up.
One account places old oil barrels at about 15 m and says they came from the cargo of the Loullia. The wreck record has the ship sailing in ballast from Aqaba to Suez, which conflicts with that origin, so where the drums came from is open. Operators describe them lying midway along the reef, where octopus and moray eels use them as shelter.
Launched as the Antonina in 1952, the motor bulk carrier ran aground on the northern edge of Gordon Reef on 29 September 1981 and was abandoned on 2 October after a failed attempt to refloat her. Her size depends on who is asked: wreck records give 2,479 GRT, a dive operator's site list gives 3,461 tonnes, and the two figures are not reconciled. The hull still shows above the waterline, though an operator notes that weather has left little of her.
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