Diving Big Brother Island (El Ikwha)

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Austin Tuwiner

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September 1, 2026

I dove Big Brother Island in May 2026 on the Allstar Liveaboard Scuba Scene.

Big Brother is the larger of the two Brothers Islands, a protected marine reserve about 150 kilometers southeast of Hurghada in the Egyptian Red Sea.

It is one of the best dive sites in the Red Sea, known for two things: world-class shark encounters and back-to-back historic shipwrecks on the same dive.

Austin in front of small brother island, Big Brother Island (El Ikwha), Hurghada, Egypt — Austin in front of small brother island.

Most liveaboard itineraries that include Big Brother also stop at Small Brother Island and Daedalus Island on the same trip.

The two wrecks are the Numidia and the Aida and you can hit both in a single dive.

Dive Log · Big Brother Island, Egypt · May 2026

Big Brother Island

Dive Data from my Garmin Descent MK3i

Max Depth

108ft / 33m

Avg Depth

53ft / 16m

Dive Time

42min

Water Temp

75°F / 24°C

Visibility

80ft / 24.4m

Entry

Boat

Recommended Certification

Advanced Open Water

Wreck Reef Red Sea Egypt 📍 26.3069, 34.8556

How to Get There

Big Brother's reef wall has two wrecks on the same slope, both sitting near the island's northern tip below its historic Victorian-era lighthouse — Big Brother Island is pretty much only reachable by a Red Sea liveaboard.

Big Brother is pretty much only reachable by liveaboard, Big Brother Island (El Ikwha), Hurghada, Egypt — I went on the Allstar Liveaboard Scuba Scene, which runs out of Hurghada.

Once on-site, you reach the water via zodiac, Big Brother Island (El Ikwha), Hurghada, Egypt — Once on-site, you reach the water via zodiac.

Entry is done with negative buoyancy to avoid being swept away by currents, Big Brother Island (El Ikwha), Hurghada, Egypt — Entry is generally done with negative buoyancy to avoid being swept away by currents.

The Dive

Big Brother's reef wall has two wrecks on the same slope, both sitting near the island's northern tip below its historic Victorian-era lighthouse.

The Numidia is a 150-meter British cargo ship that sank in 1901 on just its second voyage to India.

Her top sits at around 8 meters; her stern drops to 80 meters, putting the lower sections into technical diving territory — Her top sits at around 8 meters (26 ft); her stern drops to 80 meters (262 ft), putting the lower sections into technical diving territory.

View of the Numidia's top deck, Big Brother Island (El Ikwha), Hurghada, Egypt — View of the Numidia's top deck.

The Aida is a 75-meter Italian military vessel that went down in 1957. She rests shallower, between 15 and 45 meters, and is more structurally intact — The Aida is a 75-meter Italian military vessel that went down in 1957. She rests shallower, between 15 and 45 meters (148 ft), and is more structurally intact.

Both wrecks are fully encrusted in soft coral and surrounded by fish life, Big Brother Island (El Ikwha), Hurghada, Egypt — Both wrecks are fully encrusted in soft coral and surrounded by fish life.

I maxed at 114 feet (35 m) and hit both wrecks in the same dive.

What Marine Life I Saw

Grey shark checking us out at the top of the reef, Big Brother Island (El Ikwha), Hurghada, Egypt — Grey shark checking us out at the top of the reef.

School of dark fish streaming along the edge of a reef wall in clear blue water, Big Brother Island (El Ikwha), Hurghada, Egypt

Purple and yellow fish feeding in the shallows above a steep coral wall, Big Brother Island (El Ikwha), Hurghada, Egypt

Diver holding a long pole spear above the reef, Big Brother Island (El Ikwha), Hurghada, Egypt

Dive Conditions

Conditions at the surface can range from flat calm to significant swell depending on the day, and rough surface conditions can make the zodiac pickup challenging.

We did a loop around the island, ending back at the lighthouse and liveaboard, Big Brother Island (El Ikwha), Hurghada, Egypt — We did a loop around the island, ending back at the lighthouse and liveaboard.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Austin Tuwiner

I'm a PADI Divemaster based in South Florida.

With over a decade of diving experience, I help readers become better divers, buy their next piece of gear, and plan their dream dive vacation!

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