Everything I Saw Diving Umm Gamar

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Umm Gamar translates to "Mother of the Moon" in Arabic, as the island has a large crescent shape.

The reef sits roughly 10 miles offshore from Hurghada in the northern Egyptian Red Sea and is a standard stop on most liveaboard itineraries running the northern circuit.

It is a horseshoe-shaped reef with a wall on the outer edge dropping to over 100 ft and a shallow coral plateau on top that averages 20 to 30 ft.

Dive Log · Hurghada, Egypt

Umm Gamar

Garmin Descent MK3I
Max Depth
85ft / 26m
Avg Depth
38ft / 12m
Dive Time
44min
Water Temp
77°F / 25°C
Visibility
100ft
Gas Mix
EANx30%
Entry
Boat
Current
Little to None
Certification
Open Water
Dive #
#428
Safety Note
Umm Gamar is a liveaboard-access reef around 90 minutes from Hurghada. The south plateau at 14 to 24m is accessible to Open Water divers and holds turtles, Napoleon wrasse, and moray eels. The east wall drops dramatically into the blue and requires advanced certification. Strong currents are possible on the north side. EANx 30 keeps your MOD comfortable for the plateau profile and extends your bottom time versus air.
Reef Wall Red Sea Egypt 27.3529, 33.9081

Marine Life

Clownfish pair hanging out in their anenome.
Parrotfish running across the reef.
Schools of goat fish at the top of the reef.
Colorful titan triggerfish approaching me.
White striped lionfish hanging at the top of a coral pinnacle.
Large spotted jack swimming by me.
Lionfish at a depth of 78 ft.
Royal Angelfish on a coral pinnacle.

Conditions

Endless patches of rainbow hard corals.

Visibility on my dive was 100 ft.

This is one of the clearest reefs I have dived.

Water temperature ranged from 75.2 to 78.8°F.

Current was little to none, making it a relaxed, drift-free dive. A 5mm wetsuit is comfortable in May.

Getting Here

Me with Batista, a well dressed dive guide.

Umm Gamar is a boat-only site as it's over 10 miles away from shore.

I dove it through All Star Liveaboards out of Hurghada, which includes it on their northern Red Sea itinerary.

Day trip operators in Hurghada also run it regularly if you are not on a 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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