Small Giftun - Gorgonia Garden

A.k.a Small Giftun Drift
A little bit deeper on this wall you find a spectacular tunnel. This is a fantastic dive for anyone who likes soft corals and gorgonias. The wall is covered with both and the mixture of colours and shapes waving in the current gives it a magical impression.
It is recommended to make a drift dive here and just follow the current which usually comes from the north. You will see a shelf appearing on the wall, getting wider and wider until the top reef wall is turning to the west and the plateau begins. Now you know that the boat is straight to the right and that you may have to swim against a mild current to get there. Keep this in mind for your decision when to turn around. A couple of minutes later you find a small "peninsula" on 27 meters. This is where the tunnel runs through about 15 meters further down. Now, the law in Egypt says that the maximum depth for recreational diving is 40 meters without special training and education in deeper dives. The tunnel’s ceiling is at 43 meters and the floor at 55 meters. This means that for most divers this is out of reach.
On the way back to the main reef and the boat you swim over a beautiful plateau with coral blocks under which you may find rays and scorpionfish, free swimming moray eels and a big napoleon wrasse. It is a good idea to know to which mooring line the boat will go after dropping you off, since this is a popular dive site and you’re likely to have quite a few boats to choose from. If you’re diving without a guide you may even have to ascend close to the reef to locate the boat and swim the last bit on the surface.
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Big thanks to Anders "Samaka" Jälmsjö (https://www.facebook.com/redsea.equalizer) for the site map and description.