Tucked inside Ras Mohammed National Park at the northern tip of Marsa Bareika Bay, Ras Ghozlani is often called one of the hidden gems of Ras Mohammed National Park — and with good reason. Having been closed to divers for many years due to a turtle nesting beach close by, this site has developed an extraordinary array of beautiful table corals, glassfish-covered pinnacles, and an overall stunning landscape. The result is a reef that feels genuinely wild and largely untouched.
Topography & Dive Profile
The route winds along an extensive sandy slope starting at a depth of around 6 metres, descending to the drop-off situated at around 25 to 30 metres. A series of coral pinnacles, often covered in red and pink soft corals and populated by dense schools of anthias, together with huge Acropora table and branching corals, rise up from the sand — especially towards the drop-off. There are lots of gorgonians, with macro life tucked in around them, making slow, methodical exploration richly rewarding.
Drift Diving & Conditions
Fixed moorings were removed from the site, so today Ras Ghozlani is always dived as a drift. The boat drops divers at a sandy bowl or canyon, and depending on the direction of the current, you drift either way along the reef. Sometimes the current is gentle — especially good for photographers — but if the current is strong, you can simply glide along and watch the show. The site sits in the Ras Mohammed area, reachable in around one and a half hours by daily boat from Sharm El Sheikh. Late afternoon is considered the best time to visit, when the low-angle light floods into the coral gardens and brings the colours to life.
Marine Life
Expect many different hard coral species, red anemones, table corals, pinnacles with shoals of fish, sea turtles, and all the typical Red Sea fish species. While gliding along the drop-off, keep a watchful eye on the blue — there's a chance to encounter magnificent creatures like manta rays or even the elusive whale shark. Colourful soft corals line the reef edge, and stingrays are occasionally spotted resting at the sandy margins.
Recommended ISC Certifications
Ras Ghozlani is accessible to a wide range of divers, but the drift format and deeper drop-off mean the right training makes all the difference. We recommend:
ISC Open Water Diver — the minimum entry-level certification for guided boat dives on the shallower reef sections.
ISC Advanced Diver — broadens your skills across navigation and deeper diving, ideal for getting the most from the full reef profile here.
ISC Deep Diver — the drop-off descends well past 30 m; this specialty prepares you to explore those deeper reaches safely.
ISC Drift Diver — ISC's Drift Diver course covers critical topics such as buoy deployment, reel and line use, and buoyancy control — all essential skills for reading and riding the currents that shape every dive at Ras Ghozlani.