Andrea L.
GermanyOpen Water Diver
May 1, 2026
Currents were ripping but the rewards were worth it. Saw 4 different shark species.
21 people found this helpful
Marsa Alam North · Boat Dive
Elphinstone Reef
The icon of Marsa Alam diving. A long, narrow plateau (around 300 m by 30 m) running roughly north–south in open water 30 km north of Marsa Alam town and 12 km off the coast.
Depth
5-70m
Level
Advanced
Access
Boat Dive
Visibility
25-40m
Current
Strong current
About this site
The icon of Marsa Alam diving. A long, narrow plateau (around 300 m by 30 m) running roughly north–south in open water 30 km north of Marsa Alam town and 12 km off the coast. The plateau tops out at 5–8 m and drops away on both sides as sheer walls; the southern tip plunges into the famous arch at 55–80 m. Soft-coral curtains, schooling fusiliers, and the Red Sea's most reliable shark action — oceanic whitetips in late autumn, hammerheads in summer.
Highlights
- Vertical walls plunging past 70 m
- Oceanic whitetip sharks Oct–Dec
- Hammerheads Jun–Sep
- Southern arch at technical depth
- Dense soft-coral curtains and fan gardens
Marine life
Oceanic whitetip sharkScalloped hammerheadGrey reef sharkSilvertip sharkTunaBarracudaEagle rayNapoleon wrasse
Location
25.3086°N, 34.8603°E · ~30 km north of Marsa Alam
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Real reviews . Real divers
What divers say about Elphinstone Reef
4.8/5. 19 curated reviews
Google
Jakub M.
PolandRescue Diver
Mar 28, 2026
Hammerheads at the cleaning station in the morning. Magical.
35 people found this helpful
Sabine W.
Germany
Mar 17, 2026
Hammerheads on the plateau, oceanic whitetips on the wall, soft corals curtaining down. Iconic.
49 people found this helpful
Page 1 of 7 . 19 total reviews
Reviews are sourced from publicly available Google Maps and TripAdvisor entries for Elphinstone Reef. We have not edited the substance, only formatted for readability. Click "View all on Google Maps" to read every review and post your own.
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Shark Dive2 dives
Elphinstone Reef
A world-class Red Sea shark dive: oceanic whitetips, seasonal hammerheads, reef mantas, and sheer blue walls.
Elphinstone Reef, 30 km north of Marsa Alam (12 km offshore)
9hMax 10Certified
2 tanksDive guideHotel pickup & drop-off