Welcome to the region at the border with Sudan.
Zabargad Island owes its name to the 235-meter-high mountain on this small island, located about 71 km off the Egyptian mainland. In the past, mining was carried out here due to the belief that the island held rich sapphire deposits. Even today, there is plenty of activity on the water’s surface—but not by humans. Zabargad serves once a year as a nesting site for many Sea Turtle.
On the northeast side lies an unnamed wreck. The approximately 70-meter-long ship rests at a depth of 24 meters. The entire stern stands out with its intact superstructures—stairs, railings, davits, as well as portholes, hatches, and the bridge—making it a picture-perfect wreck.
On the southeast side, the upper reef area features numerous swim-throughs and small caves where, with a bit of luck, you can find Nudibranch and flatworms.
On the western side of Zabargad, alongside beautiful hard coral gardens, divers can explore the remains of the safari boat Neptuna, which sank here under mysterious circumstances in 1981. Originally used as a minesweeper, the vessel was later converted into one of the first liveaboard safari boats in the Red Sea.
On April 29, 1981, serious seamanship errors while relocating the vessel to another anchorage caused the Neptuna to collide with the reef and sink stern-first within a very short time.
Now comes the mysterious part: the wreck has been considered lost ever since. Only scattered traces of the accident—such as a generator, several suitcases, a radar device, and a scuba tank—can be found on the sandy seabed at around 24 meters. As the reef at this point slopes only gradually, the vessel could not have slid far into deeper water, suggesting that the Neptuna must still lie somewhere nearby.
It remains one of the many enduring mysteries of the Red Sea.
Rocky Island (often simply called “The Rock”) is a rather inconspicuous small island. Its walls drop off steeply and are covered in a stunning display of soft corals, gorgonians, sponges, black corals, and fan corals. The site is teeming with life: nudibranchs, longnose hawkfish, shrimps, and much more make it a paradise for macro lovers.
Rocky is often exposed to strong currents, which in turn attract larger pelagic species such as Hammerhead Shark, Manta Ray, and Dolphin, all drawn in by the abundant feeding opportunities.
The exact route and dive sites are subject to weather conditions and may differ from the planned itinerary.
