Um Hal Hal
26.7002°N 34.1109°E · reef
Um Hal Hal (also known as Um Halhala) is a reef dive site in the central Red Sea, with coordinates (26.700°N, 34.111°E) placing it in the Safaga or northern El Quseir area. It is described as a hidden gem in this part of the Red Sea, valued for calm conditions, healthy coral formations, and a rich diversity of reef fish and invertebrates.
Overview
The site lies in an area of the Egyptian Red Sea between the busy resort areas of Safaga/Hurghada to the north and the quieter southern region around El Quseir. The reef is noted for its peaceful atmosphere and relatively undisturbed coral formations. A mix of dive types is offered — the PADI site lists it as supporting drift, reef, and ocean diving.
The reef structure consists of hard and soft corals with a sandy bottom interspersed among the coral heads. Reef fish diversity is high: butterflyfish, angelfish, parrotfish, and anthias are consistent throughout, while groupers, trevally, and barracuda appear at depth. Blue-spotted stingrays rest on sandy patches, moray eels occupy crevices, and octopus are found among the corals. The site’s clean water and good visibility make it popular with underwater photographers seeking a calmer alternative to busier northern sites.
Dive Profile
- Depth range: 5–20 m (maximum depth 20 m per PADI data)
- Entry: Boat dive (the area has no accessible shore entry for this reef)
- Currents: Generally mild; drift diving is possible when current is present
- Visibility: 15–25 m
Marine Life
Butterflyfish, angelfish, parrotfish, anthias, groupers, trevally, barracuda, blue-spotted stingrays, moray eels, octopus. Hard and soft corals with colourful invertebrate life. Suitable for underwater photographers at all levels.
Photography
The combination of calm conditions, good visibility, and diverse reef life makes Um Hal Hal particularly rewarding for photography. The sandy patches with stingrays and the coral heads with schooling reef fish are the primary subjects.
Site Information
- Location: Safaga / El Quseir area, central Red Sea (approx. 26.7°N)
- Entry Type: Shore entry
- Site Type: Reef
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Maximum Depth: 20 metres
Sources: PADI — Um Halhala Dive Site. No additional site-specific sources were located. Last updated 2026-05-17.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
13 verified species observations (9 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 1921 and 2010, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Stenella longirostris · Spinner dolphin
- Tursiops aduncus · Indian ocean bottlenose dolphin
- Tursiops · Bottlenose dolphins
- Pseudorca crassidens · False killer whale
- Nerita sanguinolenta
- Littoraria scabra
- Clypeaster humilis
- Tetrachthamalus
- Chthamalus
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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