A T-shaped reef and small island about 12 km north of Hurghada, Sha'ab Umm Gammar is one of the area's premier dive sites — and one of the few that combines an interesting wall, three small caves on the northern face, and good chances of encountering reef sharks, eagle rays and large tuna. Visibility is consistently good and the soft coral on the eastern wall is among the densest in the region. Strong currents are possible on the corners, which is part of why the pelagic species turn up; not a first-dive site. Most Hurghada operators include Umm Gammar on a regular weekly rotation.