Dive Site: Bluff Point / Gubal Barge
Location: 27°40’07″N; 33°48’32″E
Description: Reef / wreck
Depth: 14 metres (46 feet)
Visibility: 30 metres (100 feet)
Bluff point is a steep wall dive that follows the coastline. Bluff Point is one of the most popular night dive spots for almost all safari boats coming from the South to stop at before crossing the Straits of Gubal and heading further north to Sha’ab Ali and the S.S. Thistlegorm. Located on the east of Gubal Island, Bluff Point is secluded from the surface conditions and allows boats to moor in preparation for an early start across the Straights, or a quick attempt at the crossing when the weather breaks. In the mid 1990’s the crossing is one of the highlights of my week due to its rough conditions. Diving the Thistlegorm is worth it! Make no mistake though this crossing can be rough and not being in the habit of missing out on diving the Thistlegorm. For anyone doing a North Safari from Hurghada they are likely to moor at Bluff Point and cross from here, however the weather is not always rough and one might bypass Bluff Point if the sea is calm.
One disadvantage of Bluff Point is that being an ideal place to wait to cross the Straights is gets busy – very busy! Once the safari boats are moored they tend not to want to move until they leave for the crossing and this does limit you to diving the Gubal Barge. Diving Big Gubal Island is another attraction. Located about 10 mins boat ride to the SW of Bluff Point it is a deeper sloping wall dive with a lovely eel garden at around the 22m mark . Another alternative is the wreck of the Ulysses located around the SE tip of Bluff Point. This doesn’t require the main boat to be moved once moored for the night. Bluff Point rests right at the side of the Gubal Straights and the north to south current can be horrendous. The Gubal Barge tends to be protected from this, but once round the corner the current runs. The Ulysses is pretty smashed up and starts just below the surface and slopes down to around 15m. It’s a nice dive and you can still see the boilers. You can also use Bluff Point as an overnight stay point before heading around to the other side of Big Gubal and the S.S Rosalie Muller (sister ship of the S.S Thistlegorm). There are plenty of small passages and inlets in the rock that hide away life. The reef is full of glassfish, butterflyfish, crocodilefish and a flat-headed scorpionfish. The wreck itself isn’t much to look at, but it serves as an attraction for sealife. Keep an eye out for turtles.
Scubster 