Shaab Maxsur

This is an elongated drop-off reef. On the east and west sides of the reef, the walls drop off steeply; the first 10 meters of the reef are very rugged and feature a varied array of marine life, but starting at a depth of 20 meters, the vegetation becomes more monotonous.   The southern plateau begins at about 17 meters and ends at a depth of 33 meters. It’s best to start the dive at the edge of the drop-off, looking around, searching, and hoping to spot large fish. Most of the time, however, only a small whitetip reef shark or a sea turtle will swim by.   Then head over to the truly beautifully vegetated plateau, to three coral boulders on the sandy bottom at a depth of 20 meters. The ergs, lushly covered with soft corals, end at approximately 7 meters, 9 meters, and 14 meters below the water’s surface. Two of the coral mounds have small, hole-like openings that are home to glassfish. This is the perfect spot to complete your dive by spiraling upward around the mounds at various depths and then making your safety stop.   Due to the wind, it’s rarely possible to anchor at the North Plateau. Most divers opt for a one-way dive. The North Plateau begins at 20 meters and ends at 35 meters. Schools of red-toothed triggerfish and a shoal of barracudas are regularly found at the North Plateau. Unfortunately, they’re less common, but you can still spot gray reef sharks patrolling the open water along the western drop-off edge or a manta ray majestically circling above the North Plateau from time to time.   On the other hand, a small canyon at the northeastern end of the plateau is always there. It lies below the depth limit for recreational divers and is suitable only for technical divers with the appropriate certification, the necessary equipment, and the required experience.   The wall of the main reef on the northern plateau is ideal for finishing a dive. Magnificently colored soft corals, huge schools of harem wrasse. The reef top at the northern end of Shaab Maxsur ends approximately 2–6 meters below the surface. When the water is calm—that is, with little wave action—this is the perfect spot for a safety stop.