What marine life can you see diving in Hurghada?

Divers in Hurghada can encounter the following species: Barred Moray, Bigeye Trevally, Black Durgon, Bluecheek Butterflyfish, Bluering Angelfish, Bluespotted Cornetfish, Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse, Blunt-head Parrotfish, Broomtail Wrasse, Bullethead Parrotfish, Clown Triggerfish, Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Ember Parrotfish, Emperor Angelfish, Fimbriated Moray, Garden Eel, Giant Moray, Giant clam, Great Barracuda, Green Sea Turtle, Grey Reef Shark, Harlequin Shrimp, Hawksbill Sea Turtle, Honeycomb Moray, Humphead Wrasse, Leaf Scorpionfish, Lionfish, Longhorn Cowfish, Mandarinfish, Moorish Idol, Oceanic Whitetip Shark, Ocellated Eagle Ray, Orange-lined Triggerfish, Painted Frogfish, Painted Spiny Lobster, Pennant Coralfish, Pharaoh Cuttlefish, Pinktail Triggerfish, Redtooth Triggerfish, Reef Manta Ray, Silver Sweeper, Snowflake Moray, Spot-fin Porcupinefish, Spotted Eagle Ray, Spotted Seahorse, Tawny Nurse Shark, Teira Batfish, Tentacled Flathead, Threadfin Butterflyfish, Tiger Shark, Titan Triggerfish, Whale Shark, White-spotted Pufferfish, Whitetip Reef Shark, Yellow Boxfish, Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish, Yellowfin Tuna, Yellowmargin Triggerfish, Yellowspotted Triggerfish.

What is the best time to dive in Hurghada?

The best months to dive in Hurghada are March, April, May, September, October, November, offering optimal visibility and conditions.

What is the water temperature in Hurghada?

Water temperatures in Hurghada range from 21°C to 30°C throughout the year.

Where is Hurghada located?

Hurghada is a dive destination located in Egypt, in the Red Sea.

Hurghada

Egypt · Red SeaTOP DESTINATION

OVERVIEW

Why dive in Hurghada?

Hurghada, a premier Red Sea diving destination, offers year-round warm, clear waters teeming with diverse marine life, including vibrant coral reefs, dolphins, turtles, and rays. Divers of all levels can explore numerous sites ranging from shallow coral gardens to dramatic walls and famous historical wrecks like the SS Thistlegorm and those at Abu Nuhas. The consistent conditions and rich biodiversity make it an unparalleled underwater experience.

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CURRENT STRENGTHLight – Moderate

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Frequent sightings

Bluecheek Butterflyfish

Chaetodon semilarvatus

The Bluecheek Butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus) is a striking golden-yellow fish with delicate red vertical lines and a distinctive blue patch around its eyes. Endemic to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, it typically inhabits coral reefs where it feeds on coral polyps, algae, and small invertebrates. This species is known for forming monogamous, long-term pairs that often patrol and defend their feeding territories.

Common Bottlenose Dolphin

Tursiops truncatus

The Common Bottlenose Dolphin is a robust dolphin characterized by its short, stocky snout and grey coloration with a paler underbelly. Highly intelligent and social, these dolphins form complex fission-fusion societies. They are found globally in temperate and tropical marine waters, and are known for their active swimming, leaps, and use of echolocation for hunting.

Giant Moray

Gymnothorax javanicus

The Giant Moray (Gymnothorax javanicus) is the largest moray eel by body mass, known for its powerful jaws and distinctive leopard-like spots behind its head in adulthood. It is a nocturnal predator, primarily feeding on fish and crustaceans within coral reef ecosystems. This species plays a crucial role as an apex predator and is often observed in cooperative hunting with groupers.

Great Barracuda

Sphyraena barracuda

The Great Barracuda is a large predatory fish known for its fearsome appearance and speed. It has an elongated body, pointed head, and large teeth, making it a proficient hunter in coastal and open waters.

Green Sea Turtle

Chelonia mydas

The green sea turtle is a large marine reptile distinguished by its heart-shaped carapace and a single pair of prefrontal scales.

Hawksbill Sea Turtle

Eretmochelys imbricata

The Hawksbill Sea Turtle is a medium-sized marine turtle recognizable by its distinctive hawk-like beak and overlapping scutes, which create a serrated edge on its carapace. Primarily found in tropical coral reefs, it plays a crucial role in these ecosystems by feeding mainly on sponges, which are toxic to most other animals. This species is critically endangered due to historical exploitation for its beautiful shell and ongoing threats like habitat loss and bycatch.

Humphead Wrasse

Cheilinus undulatus

The Humphead Wrasse is one of the largest reef fish, identifiable by a prominent hump on its forehead and thick fleshy lips. It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, meaning individuals are born female and some transition to males later in life. This carnivorous species plays a crucial role in coral reef ecosystems by preying on hard-shelled invertebrates and toxic animals like the crown-of-thorns starfish.

Lionfish

Pterois spp.

Lionfish (genus Pterois) are venomous marine fish native to the Indo-Pacific, characterized by their conspicuous warning coloration of red or black bands and fan-like fins tipped with venomous spines. They are opportunistic predators, feeding primarily on small fish and invertebrates. While typically solitary, they may aggregate for breeding or to share shelters, and are known for their nocturnal hunting behavior.

Ocellated Eagle Ray

Aetobatus ocellatus

The Ocellated Eagle Ray, also known as the Whitespotted Eagle Ray, is a large ray characterized by a dark greenish-grey to black dorsal surface covered with numerous white spots, and a white underside. It possesses a flattened, diamond-shaped body, a prominent snout, and a long, whip-like tail armed with venomous spines. This species primarily feeds on hard-shelled invertebrates, such as mollusks and crustaceans, which it crushes with its specialized dental plates.

Whitetip Reef Shark

Triaenodon obesus

The Whitetip Reef Shark is a slender, medium-sized shark easily identified by the distinctive white tips on its dorsal and upper caudal fins. Primarily nocturnal, it spends its days resting in caves and under ledges on coral reefs and hunts at night for bony fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods. These sharks are generally social, often found in groups during the day, but can hunt individually or cooperatively.