Deep South: St John’s & Fury Shoals

Egypt’s Deep South covers Fury Shoals, Sataya, St John’s, Rocky Island and Zabargad from Hamata, Port Ghalib or a liveaboard. Fury Shoals includes relatively sheltered coral gardens and swim-throughs; St John’s, Rocky and Zabargad add remote walls and stronger ocean exposure.

Best time
Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov
Certification
Advanced open water
Budget
$$ · $2,000–4,000
Trip length
5–10 days
Trip style
Liveaboard, Land based, Day trip
Access
Moderate

The short version

Known forRemote St John’s reef system.

Main tradeoffThe full region requires long transfers or a liveaboard.

Deep South: St John’s & Fury Shoals dive region

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Your outlook

Explore 4 dive sites

Browse the map and wildlife below, or add an optional preference to narrow Deep South: St John’s & Fury Shoals.

Most relevant wildlife

  • Grey reef sharkJan–Dec
  • Hawksbill turtleJan–Dec
  • Dogtooth TunaJan–Dec
  • Green sea turtleJan–Dec

Plan the trip

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4 sites shown.

Conditions referenceSeason, water and visibilityBest Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov · Moderate current · 21.5–29.5°C (coldest Feb, warmest Aug)
Best months Operating
Current
Moderate
Water temperature
21.5–29.5°C (coldest Feb, warmest Aug)
Visibility
15–40m: Outer reefs can be clear; lagoons and windy shallows carry more suspended material.
Experience
Some Fury Shoals reefs suit newer divers, but the remote full circuit, wall dives and blue-water pickups justify an Advanced regional minimum.

01 · Marine life

What you may see

rareoccasionalcommonly seenpeak seasondestination closed

Sightings are never guaranteed. The bars show typical likelihood by month.

Grey reef sharkCarcharhinus amblyrhynchos
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Hawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricata
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Dogtooth TunaGymnosarda unicolor
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

Green sea turtleChelonia mydas
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Possible in suitable habitat; no unsupported monthly peak is applied.

See all 8 species

02 · Dive sites

Dive sites worth knowing

A starting point, not a ranking. Conditions decide what works on the day.

See all 4 dive sites
03 · LogisticsGetting there and costsModerate. Fly to RMF. Typical trip $$.

Route overview

Moderate

Reachable but with some friction: a 3.5h overland transfer, a 8h boat crossing.

Airport options

RMF

Marsa Alam International Airport

About 2.5–4 hours by road to Hamata, or transfer to Port Ghalib for a liveaboard

Typical trip cost

$$

$2,000–4,000

Per person, excluding international flights.

  • Full St John’s itineraries are generally seven-night liveaboards around USD 1,300–2,500 before mandatory fees, tips, equipment and flights.

Permit or park fee

What you pay

Port, park and fuel charges vary by liveaboard and are often excluded from the headline price. Obtain the mandatory total in writing.

How it works

Licensed operators arrange coastguard notifications and protected-area access.

Sources & last checked

Checked September 2026

Research is source-backed, but conditions and fees should still be confirmed locally.

View 4 sources and checking notes

Note on the data: The region is large and exact route coverage changes with weather. Dolphin likelihood is kept rare because tourism encounters are normally surface snorkelling and daily presence varies. Water temperature: Rounded far-southern Red Sea surface bands. Access: Hamata is a long road transfer from RMF. Full St John’s routes involve overnight or multi-hour offshore passages.