| Good visibility and excellent corals are a safe bet in R.E.T. and there
is always the chance to see turtles, rays and even sharks. Sites include:
Etnin
Galawa - The 'two lagoons' are poised between beds of some of the most intact coral
you will see. Being a dive on the east facing wall this is often achieved by a boat
drop and zodiac pickup, using the drift to explore the reef wall. Hawksbill turtles
are regular visitors and there is a pinnacle infested with boxer shrimp for the macro
lovers, but the coral is the star with beds of goniopora mixing it with huge salad
corals.
Abu Siyal - The boat moors in a natural lagoon that forms the most northern
part of a sprawling bay. Here a sand strip that starts at 5mt separates the main
reef from a series of beds that form a drop-off. Pufferfish and goatfish can be found
on the sand patch and the drop off is covered in anthias and other small fish life.
Exploring further south you could spot a turtle or two, but on the way back watch
out at 9mt for one of the most picturesque pinnacles in this area, complete with
a totally undamaged table coral that plays host to the secretive lemon coral goby.
Kora Kebir - For advanced divers only, seeing the 'big ball' loom out of the distance
at a depth of 25mt is a memorable experience. On the outer edge of this unique coral
formation the drop off extends below 50mt and you are right out in the blue, meaning
big life encounters are possible. Coming across a deep sand plateau back to the main
reef you may encounter a large resident school of barracuda before exploring the
shallows of the reef wall to end your dive.
Shaab Salata - Named after some very
large and vivid salad corals, this dive is usually done by zodiac one-way. In amongst
the coral beds you can find hawksbill turtles and all the usual red sea fish, but
the lucky few may well spot the resident black-tip reef shark. It pays to keep your
head up on this one!
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