Pharao Housereef
26.0922°N 34.2911°E · reef
Pharao Housereef is the house reef associated with the Pharaoh Dive Club in El Quseir, a small historical port town on Egypt’s Red Sea coast approximately 85 kilometres south of Safaga. El Quseir is known for relaxed, uncrowded diving with pristine reefs accessible as shore dives directly from beach or jetty. The Pharaoh Dive Club is a well-established BSAC-affiliated centre operating in the area.
Overview
The house reef at El Quseir is one of the most colourful and varied reefs in the Red Sea, with easy shore entry and exit directly from the dive centre. The reef extends from the shore, dropping through a coral slope to the fringing reef wall. Average depth is around 15 metres, with the maximum reaching approximately 35 metres along the wall sections. Visibility is typically 10–30 metres.
Marine Life
El Quseir’s reefs are known for their rich, intact coral communities and diverse fish life. The house reef hosts a variety of species typical of healthy southern Egyptian Red Sea reefs: large batfish, clownfish in anemones, ghost pipefish, seamoth, moray eels, groupers, and a resident population of colourful reef fish including anthias, wrasse, and butterflyfish. The relatively low boat traffic in El Quseir compared to northern resorts contributes to the reef’s pristine condition.
Dive Profile
Direct shore entry from the Pharaoh Dive Club. The reef can be dived at multiple profiles: a shallow reef-top exploration at 5–10 metres, a mid-wall dive at 15–20 metres, or a deeper wall section pushing to 35 metres. The site suits all certification levels; beginners can explore the shallows while more experienced divers work the wall.
Entry / Exit
Shore entry from the Pharaoh Dive Club / El Quseir dive area. Multiple entry and exit points available along the beach.
Site Information
- Location: El Quseir, Red Sea, Egypt (approximately 85 km south of Safaga)
- Entry Type: Shore entry
- Site Type: Reef
- Maximum Depth: 35 metres
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Dive Centre: Pharaoh Dive Club (BSAC-affiliated)
Additional Resources
- Last Updated: 2026-05-17
Sources: BSAC — Pharaoh Dive Club, Regaldive — El Quseir Diving, Euro Divers — Diving in El Quseir. Last updated 2026-05-17.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
350 verified species observations (323 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 1962 and 2016, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Tursiops aduncus · Indian ocean bottlenose dolphin
- Istiblennius rivulatus
- Haliophis guttatus
- Bathygobius fuscus
- Eviota prasina
- Thalassoma rueppellii
- Aphanius
- Plectroglyphidodon
- Stethojulis albovittata
- Cirrhitidae
- Halichoeres marginatus
- Lutjanus ehrenbergii
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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