Wadi El Gimal
24.3628°N 35.2996°E · reef
Wadi El Gimal is a protected marine area in the southern Red Sea, situated within the Wadi El Gemal National Park between Marsa Alam and Hamata — one of the few diving destinations in Egypt with direct beach access to pristine reefs inside a national park boundary.
Overview
The Shams Alam Hotel (formerly Wadi Gimal Diving Centre) has operated in the area since 1999 and maintains the only dive resort with direct access to the Wadi El Gemal National Park. The park encompasses both terrestrial and marine zones, protecting some of Egypt’s least-disturbed reef systems. The park is named after the valley “Wadi el Gemal” (Valley of the Camels) that cuts westward from the coast to the Saharan mountains.
The house reef is accessible directly from a diver’s platform on the beach. Shore dives cover a sheltered reef with sandy bays and diverse coral gardens at depths of 5–17 m. Zodiac transfers access 10 outer reef sites reaching 40 m, including platforms, pillar formations, and deeper wall sections.
Marine Life
Documented residents include napoleons (humphead wrasse), white-tip reef sharks, turtles, barracudas, tuna, and varied stingray species. The site has numerous cleaning stations where groupers and snappers queue for attention from cleaner shrimps and wrasses. Nudibranchs, crocodile fish, and scorpionfish are regularly seen on the reef substrate. The protected status of the park has helped maintain healthy fish populations.
Dive Profile
Shore entry from a dedicated diver’s platform. The house reef extends across three sandy bays at accessible depths. Outer reef sites (50–90 minutes by zodiac) are dependent on sea conditions and are suitable for divers comfortable with open water. Total logged sites: 29 plateau sites plus 10 outer reef locations.
Tips
- The house reef is ideal for a relaxed first dive or training dives
- Outer reef conditions are weather-dependent; check with guides before committing
- The park setting means reduced diver numbers compared to northern Red Sea sites
Sources: Sportifdive — Wadi Gimal Dive Site, TheRedSeaDiver — Wadi El Gemal. Last updated 2026-05-17.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
351 verified species observations (207 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 2000 and 2026, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Tursiops aduncus · Indian ocean bottlenose dolphin
- Sousa chinensis · Chinese white dolphin
- Negaprion
- Stomatella auricula
- Jactellina clathrata
- Vasticardium marerubrum
- Fibularia ovulum
- Oceana serrulata
- Halodule pinifolia
- Halophila stipulacea
- Cymodocea rotundata
- Halodule uninervis
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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