Turft El Shahed

A shallow channel leads in a westerly direction from the mooring to the pinnacles that are the main attractions here. Northwest of the channel there is a mainly flat sandy bottom that is scattered with random coral blocks. If you continue to head north, you will reach a beautiful erg perforated by cavities and overhangs. Closer to the mooring, on the south side of the main reef the corals are not in such a good condition. A stonefish encounter makes the safety stop here worthwhile. Another option is to drift all the way to the neighbouring Banana Reef but this requires good air consumption and navigation skills. The pinnacles are full of soft corals and the sandy bottom is inhabited by numerous gobies living in symbiosis with shrimps. Crocodilefish lure under table corals together with moses sole. Eagle rays are quite common here, as are feather tailed rays. Turtles are known to feed in the soft corals spread over the sea floor so keep an eye out for them in the blue.