Elphinstone

The Elphinstone Reef is called "Abu Hamra" by the Egyptians. Abu Hamra means "Father of the Red Rock." The name refers to a red rock formation located directly across from Elphinstone on land. This rock formation was once used by captains as a visual reference to locate Elphinstone. Nowadays, no Egyptian captain uses this navigational aid anymore, since all boats are equipped with GPS, and besides, there are almost always a few boats to be found at Elphinstone. Elphinstone is one of the highlights of the southern Red Sea.

The steeply sloping walls of the main reef are striking for their colorful soft coral growth. On the eastern side of the main reef, near the southern plateau, at a depth of 25 meters in a massive gorgonian fan, lives a long-nosed wrasse.

The South Plateau begins at 18 meters and ends at a depth of 38 meters. A large Napoleon wrasse is a resident here; with a bit of luck, you might spot oceanic whitetip sharks (Longimani) in the shallow waters of the South Plateau. Far below the depth limit for recreational divers—and of interest and accessible only to technical divers—the “Sarcophagus,” also known as the “Arch,” is located at the southern end of the South Plateau. Since the Arch begins at approximately 52 meters and ends at about 62 meters, it should only be dived with the necessary technical training and the correct gas mixture.

The North Plateau begins at a depth of 25 meters and continues down to approximately 53 meters. At times, the currents on the North Plateau can be very strong and change very quickly. The North Plateau is beautifully covered with soft corals. A large number of red-toothed triggerfish can be found there. Despite the heavy traffic at the Elphinstone dive site, hammerhead sharks and gray reef sharks are frequently spotted on the North Plateau. When standing in front of the reef wall to the north, the many harem-banded wrasses give the impression that the reef wall is trembling.

Less well-known than the arch on the southern plateau, but no less spectacular, is the passage on the northern plateau. Just before the erg, at about 50 meters, you’ll see three large fan corals—they serve as your guide. From there, the route takes you across the entire northern plateau at a depth of about 48 to 53 meters. This passage is also well below the depth limit for recreational divers and may and should only be dived with the necessary technical training and the correct air mixture.