Ras Ghozlani

A reef wall drops from the surface to 14 metres, where it opens onto a sandy plateau studded with coral pinnacles. Each pinnacle is its own small world. Glassfish swarm the surfaces in such density that the rock beneath disappears. Beyond this plateau, the main drop-off at 20 metres tips into deeper blue past 40 metres.

Most groups drift along one side of the reef, left or right. The sandy slope from 6 metres hosts the table corals that define this site. Large Acropora formations rise from the sand in shapes that look engineered, their surfaces healthy and intact. Between them, crocodilefish lie motionless on sand patches, and blue-spotted stingrays shuffle away from approaching fins.

The overall impression is one of health. Where Sharm's busier reefs show the wear of decades of daily diving, this one looks like a reef that has been left alone. It has.

Ras Mohammed is a park of wall dives and current channels. Ras Ghozlani offers something else entirely: a protected coral garden where the reef was accidentally restored by its own closure. The turtle nesting beach nearby kept divers away for years, and the hard corals responded. The Acropora coverage here is described by local operators as extraordinary within the park.

An experienced ScubaBoard member ranked this site third in their personal Sharm top 10, behind only Shark and Yolanda Reef and Jackfish Alley. That a reef-only site without a wreck, wall drama, or big pelagics holds that position says something about the coral quality.

It is also one of the few Ras Mohammed sites where Open Water divers and snorkellers can fully enjoy the experience. The sheltered bay and gentle conditions make it accessible in ways that the park's headline dives are not.

Green and red markers on the reef indicate open and restricted zones. The inner bay near the turtle nesting beach remains closed. Stay in the permitted areas.

Buoyancy control matters more here than at most Sharm sites. The table corals are fragile, and the reef's condition exists precisely because it has not been damaged by diver contact. Treat it accordingly.

Conditions are generally calm, though occasional currents can develop. The site is diveable year-round, with summer surface temperatures around 27-29C and winter around 20-23C. A 3mm suit works in summer; 5mm in winter.