El Gilwa East

El Gilwa East is a reef dive site on the Red Sea coast near the Hurghada / El Gouna area, with coordinates placing it along the central Egyptian Red Sea coastline. “El Gilwa” is likely a local place name referring to the embayment or bay (gilwa) in this area. The East designation suggests this is the eastern section of a two-part reef or bay system.

Overview

Shore reefs in the Hurghada coastline zone follow a characteristic pattern: a shallow sandy flat transitions to a fringing reef running parallel to the coast, with a wall or slope dropping to 20–25 metres. The East section of this reef likely refers to the eastern side of the headland or bay, which may receive different current and visibility conditions than a western counterpart.

Marine Life

Coastal reefs in this part of the Egyptian Red Sea support typical Red Sea reef communities. Parrotfish, wrasse, groupers, moray eels, lionfish, and crocodilefish are standard residents. Blue-spotted stingrays (Taeniura lymma) rest on sandy patches. Schools of fusiliers and damsels populate the water column above the reef. Octopus and cuttlefish are common on night dives. The Red Sea in this zone hosts over 200 coral species and around 1,000 fish species across the broader reef system.

Dive Profile

Shore or boat entry depending on access; the east-facing aspect of this reef section may offer good morning light conditions. Depths run from the shallows down to around 25 metres on the outer reef slope.

Site Information

• Location: El Gouna / Hurghada area, Red Sea coast, Egypt
• Entry Type: Shore entry
• Site Type: Reef
• Maximum Depth: 25 metres
• Difficulty: Intermediate

Additional Resources

• Last Updated: 2026-05-17

No site-specific dive sources for “El Gilwa East” by that exact name were found in major English-language dive databases. This is likely a locally named reef section in the Hurghada area. Description based on regional diving characteristics of central Egyptian Red Sea coast reefs. Last updated 2026-05-17.