ABU HASCHISH

Location -

Abu Haschish is the island at the centre of a wide bay 90 minutes south of Hurghada. The island was once used as drop-off point for smugglers bringing hash into the country. A tongue of reeef extends about 1km south of the island. The dive site is at its southernmost tip. There is a shelf between 15 and 22m outside, and beyond that a steep, but fairly bare, drop-off, usually with superb visibility. Inside the tongue of reef is a scattering of long ergs.

Sea Conditions

- Rough seas often make this site inaccessible from Hurghada although the site itself is well protected. Current is mainly north to south and strongest along the drop-off.

Dive Plan -

Leave the lagoon through an obvious channel filled with table corals, cross the shelf to the drop-off and follow it north. There are some beautiful caves in the 30m region. Return along the inside of the shelf and finish the dive back in the lagoon amongst the ergs.

Marine Life -

Along the drop-off pelagics such as jacks, barracuda, Spanish mackerel, whitetips and, now and then,

hammerheads and feathertail rays. On the shelf, turtles, bluespotted rays, Spanish dancers, morays, lunartail and leopard groupers. In the lagoon, squid and baby barracuda schools.