Erg Somaya
Also known as: Erg Sabina
A soft-coral pinnacle near Small Giftun that erupts with colour and clouds of anthias — a compact, current-fed site that photographers love.
Photo: Derek Keats (CC BY 2.0) · Wikimedia Commons
- Max depth
- 30 m
- Visibility
- 28 m
- Current
- strong
- Difficulty
- advanced
- Boat time
- 60 min
- Suitable for
- advanced
Depth profile
Location
Erg Somaya is a coral tower near Small Giftun, smothered in soft corals that open and feed in the current. Swarms of anthias hang above it and the colour, when the sun is out and the water moving, is hard to beat. It is small enough to circle in a dive and exposed enough to need current — which is exactly what keeps it so vivid.
Site highlights
- Vivid soft-coral pinnacle
- Dense clouds of anthias
- Current that keeps the corals feeding and open
- Compact, photogenic profile
Marine life on this site
Nearby dive sites
Shaab Sabina
A maze-like coral garden between the Giftun islands, all swim-throughs and labyrinthine channels in shallow water — easy to dive, hard to leave, and an easy drift when the current is up.
Small Giftun
The dramatic eastern side of Small Giftun island — a steep wall and plateau swept by current, with gorgonian fans, big Napoleons and the chance of tuna and sharks in the blue.