function click { if 1 && ;return false} if 1 && ;return false} } if 1 } document onmousedown click; Dive spot SHAAB SHEER Map Site On sea charts the reef is registered as Hyndeman Reef and the name Shaab Sheer leads back to Abu Kafan These names come from fishermen and are older than the oldest sea charts therefore you can forget the maps The reef has a horseshoe form and is over 1km long It offers an excellent mooring place with three beautiful diving spots and a further six which can be easily reachedb with a life boat The picture shows the east end of Shaab Sheer where three Ergs form a channel together with the main reef Outside is an extensive brain coral garden where the atmosphere is similar to the moon and in the three Ergs are a few unusual beautiful caves and grottos Diving conditions The north side of the reef faces the sea and can become rough the south side however is almost a lagoon and always well protected Currents can be also somewhat stronger on the north side They divide themselves in the centre of the reef and flow past on the east and west side The west side faces the deep South Safaga Channel and there is the current at its strongest but also in the shallow channel between the three Ergs and the eastern reef can the current become stronger from time to time Dive plan You have here three possibilities A drift dive along the northern plateau and steep drop offs dive the west side from the moorings or dive the eastern side with the brain coral garden Dive from the moorings between the channel at 12m Cross over the coral garden on the way to the northern reef The steep drop off is too far away and therefore not worth diving to from here but the plateau is very photogenic with schools of banner fish red tooth triggers and single mackerels Make sure that you have enough air on the return in order to visit the grottos and the small channels at the Ergs The middle one is the best one of all Underwater life The dive spot is dived because of the unique moon like landscape and not because of the fish life Nevertheless there are all kinds of trigger fish which can be observed picasso red tooth giants orange strips and yellow seam trigger fish Multicoloured parrot fish writing file fish and snub mouth lip fish come in masses At the northern plateau and the steep drop off are breams large eyed streetcleaners mackerels red and black snappers are often seen Schools of tuna and barracudas visit this area from time to time