When to dive in Safaga and Soma Bay?

Safaga and Soma Bay occupy two adjacent sectors of the Egyptian coast and share a large part of their diving areas.

The particularity of the region comes mainly from the contrast between the relatively protected inner reefs and the large reefs located further out. Around Soma Bay, Ras Abu Soma and the various Tobia offer, in particular, landscapes of blocks and coral gardens, while Panorama Reef, Middle Reef or Abu Kafan are more exposed to the open sea.  

This opening to the open sea gives Safaga a slightly different personality from Hurghada. Dives can take on a more oceanic dimension, with very deep drop-offs, more current and the possibility of seeing larger animals on certain reefs.

The region also has one of Egypt's most famous wrecks, the Salem Express, whose tragic history gives diving a very different meaning from the military or commercial wrecks generally explored in the Red Sea.

Climate and seasons

Safaga benefits from an extremely dry desert climate, with very little precipitation and practically all the sun all year round.

Winter is mild, with average maximum temperatures around 21 to 23 °C in January and February. From April, temperatures rise rapidly and regularly exceed 35 °C in the middle of the summer. July and August are the hottest months, with average maximum temperatures close to 36 to 37 °C.  

Water temperature varies from approximately 22 to 23 °C during the coolest months to approximately 28 to 29 °C in July and August. May generally marks the beginning of a noticeable warming of the sea, while the water remains pleasantly warm in October and November.  

Diving is therefore possible all year round. April, May, October and November generally offer a particularly pleasant compromise between outdoor temperature and water temperature. Summer is very suitable for those who prefer a warm sea, at the price of much higher temperatures on land.

Diving conditions

Conditions depend heavily on the reef position.

The sectors located inside Soma Bay benefit from better protection against waves and wind. As one moves further towards the outer reefs, the environment becomes more exposed and currents become more important.  

Panorama Reef and Abu Kafan illustrate this difference particularly well. Their ends are extended by plateaus, then their walls plunge rapidly into the blue. Dives are often made in drift and conditions can require more experience when the current strengthens.

Visibility is generally very good, as in much of the Egyptian Red Sea, but the main factor to consider in this region is more exposure to wind and current than visibility itself.

Marine life and fauna

Safaga and Soma Bay offer a typical Red Sea reef fauna all year round: butterflyfish, angelfish, clownfish, moray eels, lionfish, blue-spotted rays, napoleons and turtles accompany coral gardens and various pinnacles.  

The outer reefs, however, change the physiognomy of the encounters. The drop-offs of Panorama Reef and Abu Kafan open directly onto the blue and allow, in particular, to observe schools of barracudas or tuna, eagle rays and occasionally different sharks.  

Sharks and large pelagics

Safaga does not offer the same regularity for large sharks as Brothers, Daedalus or Elphinstone, but some outer reefs are sufficiently isolated and deep to create real possibilities for encounters.

Various shark species can occasionally be observed on the outer reefs such as Panorama Reef and Abu Kafan. 

Where to dive in Safaga and Soma Bay ?

Soma Bay and the Tobia

Several reefs near Soma Bay benefit from better protection than the large offshore reefs of Safaga

Around Ras Abu Soma, the various Tobia form a set of pinnacles and coral gardens separated by sandy areas. Tobia Arbaa, often nicknamed “Seven Pillars”, is made up of several coral pinnacles standing on a sandy bottom, is part of the most characteristic sites of this area.  

It is especially this succession of coral formations that differentiates the Tobia from the large outer reefs of Safaga.

Panorama Reef

Panorama Reef is one of the large offshore reefs of Safaga.

It is distinguished by its long drop-offs, its plateaus at the ends of the reef and its large gorgonians. Its exposure to the open sea favors drifts and gives more opportunities to observe the largest in the blue.  

It is one of the sites that best materialize the passage between coastal reef diving and a much more oceanic atmosphere.

Abu Kafan

More narrow and very elongated, Abu Kafan emerges from extremely deep waters.

Its steep walls and its northern and southern plateaus remind some aspects of the large offshore reefs located further south in Egypt. Barracudas, tuna, turtles and different sharks can accompany dives when conditions allow.  

Its morphology and isolation are enough to give it a clearly different identity from the inner reefs of Soma Bay.

Middle Reef and Shaab Sheer

Middle Reef and Shaab Sheer complete the large reefs located offshore.

Middle Reef associates, in particular, a main wall, a deeper plateau and large detached coral formations. Its exposure allows you to meet more current and a fauna more turned towards the open sea.

They thus allow to extend the dives beyond the two most famous names, namely Panorama Reef and Abu Kafan, without having to leave the Safaga region.

The Salem Express

The Salem Express lies to the south of Safaga, on the side, between approximately 12–14 meters in its least deep part and a little over 30 meters at the bottom. The ferry is one of the most imposing wrecks accessible in the region.

But this dive is especially inseparable from its history. The ship sank in December 1991 with several hundred people on board, and the exact number of victims remains uncertain. It is therefore not a wreck that is approached exactly like the Thistlegorm or the Abu Nuhas cargo ships.

Some divers choose to visit it, others prefer not to. In any case, it deserves to be approached as a memorial site, with the respect that this implies.

Under any circumstances, the rules concerning the penetration of the wreck must be respected.

FAQ

What is the best time to dive in Safaga and Soma Bay ?

Diving is possible all year round, but spring and autumn probably offer the best compromise.

In April and May, temperatures become pleasantly warm and the sea warms up gradually. September, October and November allow you to enjoy a still warm water with less extreme temperatures than in the middle of the summer.  

Winter remains perfectly feasible, but the water temperature drops to around 22 to 23 °C and the wind can accentuate the feeling of coolness between dives.

What is the difference between diving in Safaga and Soma Bay ?

The border is mainly geographical and logistical, as the two areas share part of their sites.

Soma Bay immediately gives access to protected inner reefs and the various Tobia. Safaga is more associated with the large offshore reefs like Panorama Reef or Abu Kafan and the Salem Express.

In practice, according to the place where you stay and the organization of the center, the diving programs can largely overlap.

Is Safaga more interesting than Hurghada for diving ?

Not necessarily, as the two destinations do not have exactly the same character.

Hurghada has a very large choice of reefs spread around the Giftun islands and to the north. Safaga is distinguished more by its large outer reefs, its drop-offs and a more open atmosphere towards the open sea.

The choice therefore depends less on knowing which one is "better" than on the type of diving sought.

Can we see sharks in Safaga ?

Yes, particularly on the outer reefs like Panorama Reef and Abu Kafan, where grey sharks and occasionally other species are observed.  

But these are not regular enough encounters to choose a specific week only for this purpose. To organize a trip mainly around large sharks, other Egyptian sectors are more suitable.

Should we dive on the Salem Express ?

This is a very personal question.

The Salem Express is both a spectacular wreck and the site of a recent human tragedy. Some divers consider that a respectful visit allows them to understand its history, while others believe that this site of drama should not be visited and do not wish to dive there.

The choice is therefore personal, always is it that there is no reason to make it a compulsory passage if you do not want to: the region has enough reefs for a stay in Safaga to be perfectly complete without this dive.