Umm Gamar

Umm Gamar, "mother of the moon", is a crescent-shaped island about an hour and a half north of Hurghada, built on an underwater mountain that makes for a more advanced, more dramatic dive. A coral garden plateau on the south sits between roughly 14 and 24 metres, studded with big pinnacles that form canyons and swim-throughs. There is real variety in a single dive here: coral gardens, a steep wall, caves and ledges, and the open blue off the drop-off. Inside the caves and under the overhangs, clouds of glassfish shimmer and draw in hunting trevally, while the wall attracts schools of yellowtail barracuda and batfish. It is one of the better sites near Hurghada for bigger encounters. Hawksbill turtles cruise the plateau, large morays and lionfish work the coral, and grey reef sharks are seen along the wall from time to time, more often later in the day. The depth and the occasional current make it best suited to experienced divers.

Highlights

• ✓Pinnacles, canyons and swim-throughs
• ✓Glassfish caves and hunting trevally
• ✓Barracuda, batfish and hawksbill turtles
• ✓A chance of grey reef sharks

Wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed. Final dive sites depend on weather, sea conditions, certification level and the daily operation plan - we never promise an exact site in advance, and neither should anyone else.