Elphinstone Reef

Elphinstone is a narrow offshore plateau reef whose sheer walls drop into 200 m of open blue water, creating a natural corridor for oceanic predators passing between the Gulf of Suez and the wider Red Sea. The north and south plateaus are famous for oceanic whitetip sharks in autumn and winter, while scalloped hammerheads patrol the deeper blue year-round at the southern tip. Soft coral coverage on the walls ranks among the best in the Egyptian Red Sea, with multicoloured gorgonians and sea fans coating every surface from 10 m down.