Hungarian dive group above the reef top of the Small Giftun wall in the Red Sea

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Small Giftun fal

Hurghada's classic drift dive: a sheer wall with gorgonian fans, eagle rays and a coral-tower plateau at 20–30 metres.

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Depth

8–30 m

Visibility

20–30 m

Current

Moderate to strong, drift dive

Level

Advanced (AOWD)

Boat ride

~50 min by boat

Area

Giftun National Park

Quick answer:The Small Giftun wall is Hurghada's most famous drift dive, about 50 minutes by boat: you glide along a steep, gorgonian-covered wall between 8 and 30 metres, ending on a coral-tower plateau in the south. Expect eagle rays, barracuda and napoleon wrasse. AOWD certification is recommended due to the depth and current.

Dive profile

Small Giftun fal

Your level

Reef

8–30 m

Your dive

18 m

Level needed

Advanced Open Water

The eastern wall of Small Giftun (Giftun Soraya) is one of Hurghada's most iconic dives. You drop in over the reef top, and then the wall simply falls away beneath you into deep blue nothing – from here the current does the work while you glide along the coral face as if you were flying.

The wall is covered in soft corals and sponges, and below twenty metres ever-larger gorgonian fans open into the current. Keep one eye on the blue: eagle rays sail past the wall, schools of barracuda glitter near the surface, and it is not unusual for a curious napoleon wrasse to join the group. Morays wait out the day in the cracks.

At the southern end the wall eases into a plateau at 20–30 metres, broken up by coral towers and clouds of glassfish – a perfect finale before you rise to your safety stop above a reef top vibrating with anthias. Because of the depth and the current we recommend this dive with an AOWD certification or equivalent experience.

What makes Small Giftun fal special?

Where the sheer wall, the current and the blue water meet, diving turns into flying – many of our returning guests call this their favourite Hurghada dive.

Highlights

A dramatic wall dropping into deep blue
Gorgonian fans below 20 metres
Eagle rays and barracuda from the blue
A plateau dotted with coral towers at 20–30 m

Frequently asked questions

The upper section of the wall can be dived with an Open Water certification, but for the full experience – the 20–30 m plateau and the big gorgonians – we recommend AOWD or equivalent experience.

Typically moderate, with stronger days too – that is exactly what makes it a drift dive. You never swim against the current; you let it carry you, and the boat picks you up wherever you surface. Your guide covers the day's conditions in the briefing.

A wall covered in gorgonians and soft corals, eagle rays and barracuda in the blue, napoleon wrasse, morays, and glassfish-shrouded coral towers on the plateau. Visibility is often around 30 metres.

The wall itself suits divers rather than snorkelers because of its depth and current, but the sheltered bays around Giftun give snorkelers beautiful reef tops during the day.