Gotta Kebira
23.4100°N 35.9307°E · wall
Gotta Kebira (Gota Kebir — “the big gota”) is the largest reef in the St. John’s reef system, located in the extreme southern Red Sea in Foul Bay, south of the Ras Banas peninsula. The reef stretches approximately 840 metres long by 400 metres wide, making it one of the largest individual dive sites in the southern Egyptian Red Sea. It is accessible primarily by liveaboard.
Overview
Gotta Kebira presents sheer coral walls that plunge from just below the surface to well beyond 40 metres on all sides. The reef’s size means diver groups spread out across its various sections, providing a relatively uncrowded experience at each face. Strong winds affecting nearby sites often leave Gotta Kebira well-sheltered, making it a reliable alternative in poor conditions. Its northern tip, where currents split, is the most productive zone for big-fish encounters.
Marine Life
- Whitetip and grey reef sharks on the northern plateaus
- Pelagic sharks including hammerheads and oceanic whitetips at the northern tip
- Large schools of snappers patrolling the walls
- Hunting jacks working along the reef edges
- Swim-throughs and hidden cave entrances on the eastern face harbouring reef fish
Dive Profile
Boat dive only; liveaboard access. The reef is circumnavigated in sections — one dive per face is typical. Wall drops from surface to 20–40+ metres, with a ledge around 25–30 m on the southern side. The northern tip offers the best shark action but requires monitoring of splitting currents. Not suitable for beginners due to depth and current. Night diving is not advised.
Tips
- Northern tip is the highlight: position yourself to drift with the split current
- Eastern side has small cave entrances worth investigating shallowly
- Multiple dives needed to fully explore — plan to cover different faces
- Strong conditions at other nearby sites often mean calmer conditions here
Site Information
- Location: St. John’s reef system, southern Egyptian Red Sea (Foul Bay)
- Entry Type: Boat dive
- Site Type: Wall dive
- Maximum Depth: 40 meters
- Difficulty: Advanced
Sources: redsea-diving.com – Gota Kebira, St. John’s Diving – Dive The World. Last updated 2026-05-17.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
26 verified species observations (5 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 2005 and 2012, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Stenella longirostris · Spinner dolphin
- Stenella attenuata · Pantropical spotted dolphin
- Tursiops truncatus · Common bottlenose dolphin
- Grampus griseus · Risso's dolphin
- Tursiops aduncus · Indian ocean bottlenose dolphin
Scientific survey records skew toward sampled taxa (molluscs, corals) and do not reflect what you are guaranteed to see on a dive.
Source: OBIS (obis.org), aggregated Darwin Core occurrence records.
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