Aruk Abu Nugar

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Aruk Abu Nugar, also called Shaab Iris, is about 50 minutes away from north Hurghada by boat. It is a part of the Shaab Abu Nugar reef complex and west of Umm Gamar.

Aruk Abu Nugar is a dive site because that is a little further away from Hurghada and the boat trip can sometimes be a little bit rough but the dive site is protected from the wind.

Your dive, at Aruk Abu Nugar, starts at the mooring point where 2 coral towers arise from the sandy bottom with coral heads covered with soft corals, hard corals, and beautiful table corals are scattered around as in a garden.

Often you will spot large schools of Fusiliers in the open water. The depth here at the dive site is between 10 and 14 meters. To continue the dive you will keep the reef on your right side till you reach the west end of the reef. The south side of the reef is almost a straight wall while the north is divided by a crack.

Lots of small caves and overhangs, where you often find a big grouper hanging around, are waiting to be explored.

The coral towers are filled with aquatic life.

Here, at Aruk Abu Nugar, you will find lionfish, stonefish, scorpionfish, octopus, moray eels, turtles passing by and sometimes a big Napoleon fish. Different kinds of snails and a large variety of reef fishes are also inhabitants of this reef. Pufferfishes and blue spotted stingrays are hiding under the table corals. From time to time, if you are lucky, you can even encounter small pods of dolphins.

Large schools of glassfish and silversides are spectacularly dismembered by hunting mackerels.

The current here is usually mild, so it is suitable for most levels of divers, from beginners until advanced levels.

Because Aruk Abu Nugar is a shallow dive site, you can see the corals an all the beautiful colors optimally.

Digital underwater photographer will be enchanted here, the light and topography are fantastic.

Aruk Abu Nugar is an incredibly superb dive site and worth going for diving.