Diving in Gota Kebir or "Gotta Kebir"
Gota Kebir is one of the most famous dive sites in the Red Sea, and for a good reason. It offers an incredible diving experience, and visitors can expect to see a wide variety of marine life, including large pelagic fish, reef sharks, and schooling barracuda.
The dive site is a large submerged reef with a plateau that drops off to a sandy bottom, creating a dramatic underwater landscape. The reef’s walls are covered in colorful corals, including gorgonian fans and soft corals, providing an ideal backdrop for underwater photography.
Diving in Gota Kebir suits intermediate to advanced divers due to the depth and sometimes strong currents. The plateau is around 18-24 meters (60-80 feet), while the drop-off goes down to more than 50 meters (160 feet).
One of the highlights of diving in Gota Kebir is encountering sizeable pelagic fish, such as tuna, trevally, hammerhead, and thresher sharks. Divers may also see schooling barracudas, snappers, and colorful reef fish, such as angelfish, butterflyfish, and parrotfish.
Diving in Gota Kebir is an unforgettable experience, offering divers the chance to see some of the Red Sea’s most magnificent marine life while exploring a beautiful and diverse underwater landscape.
Liveaboard trips to Gota Kebir
Liveaboard trips to Gota Kebir, located within the St. John’s reef system in the Red Sea, offer divers a chance to explore one of the most iconic dive sites in the region. The journey to Gota Kebir from the nearest ports of Marsa Alam or Port Ghalib takes around 11 hours, but the stunning underwater scenery and diverse marine life make it well worth the trip.
Upon arrival at Gota Kebir, divers are treated to an impressive wall dive with depths ranging from 5 to 40 meters (16 to 130 feet). The wall is covered in vibrant corals and sponges, providing a colorful and textured backdrop for divers to explore. The site also features a variety of swim-throughs and canyons, adding to the excitement of the dive.
Gota Kebir is home to a wide range of marine life, including schools of barracuda, snappers, and trevallies. Divers may also encounter reef sharks, tuna, and even the occasional hammerhead shark. The reef is also teeming with smaller creatures such as nudibranchs, shrimps, and crabs.
The visibility at Gota Kebir is usually excellent, ranging from 20 to 40 meters (65 to 130 feet), and the water temperature is warm and comfortable year-round, ranging from 23 to 29°C (73 to 84°F).
Dive Tips:
To make the most of your dive at Gota Kebir, here are some tips to keep in mind:
- Watch your depth and air consumption; some areas can be pretty deep.
- Bring a dive light to explore the swim-throughs and canyons.
- Please be aware of the current, which can be strong and change direction quickly. recommend having your own (SMB)
- Look for the more significant marine life, and appreciate the smaller creatures hiding among the corals.
- Follow the guidance of your dive guide and respect the delicate ecosystem.
In conclusion, liveaboard trips to Gota Kebir offer divers a unique and thrilling dive experience. The stunning underwater scenery, diverse marine life, and exciting wall dive make it a must-visit destination for any diving enthusiast.
Conclusion
Gota Kebir is a must-visit destination for any diving enthusiast looking to experience the beauty and diversity of the Red Sea. This premier dive site is known for its stunning coral formations, rich marine life, and exhilarating drift dives. It is easily accessible through liveaboard diving tours that depart from Marsa Alam or other nearby ports. With its warm waters, clear visibility, and diverse marine life, Gota Kebir is an unforgettable diving experience.
Where is Gota Kebir ?
Gota Kebir is located in the southern Red Sea; The dive site is part of the St. John’s Reefs.
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The cave and reef system at St. Johns is awesome with the tops being open, sunlight glistens into the narrow canyons making diving there amazing!
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One of the most amazing islands in Egypt and a very good diving spot
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The best 15 days in my life
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A beautiful divesite
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About 70 kilometers from the Egyptian coast of the Red Sea in the Ras Banas area, south of Marsa Alam, there is the Egyptian “Zabargad” Island, with its conical shape and a sand tongue extending 3 kilometers in length, with a width ranging from 15 to 300 meters, and over an area of 4 and
