Garden Reef and surroundings from Sofitel to Domina Coral Bay. Reef overview.
We stayed at the Continental Garden Reef for two weeks. We swam with a mask throughout the bay, and also swam into neighboring bays. I would like to write a short report on the condition of the reef and the snorkeling facilities of these places.
The Continental Garden Reef Hotel is located in the very center of the bay, snorkeling is interesting in both directions, while the bottom topography, coral species composition and snorkeling conditions will be different.
Directly near the pontoons of the Continental Garden Reef hotel, the reef is in good condition, but the core of the reef - petrified corals is quite clearly visible.
Right side of the bay.
If you sail to the right side, past the beaches of the Hyatt hotel, you can admire even more beautiful living corals.
Opposite the Hyatt beaches, the reef wall (escarpment) crumbles into numerous underwater hills, the reef platform has "canyons" with a sandy bottom. The dominant species of coral (Porites sp. ) forms large convex velvety surfaces of lilac, yellow and bluish. It is very pleasant to swim above these coral hills. It should be noted that Hyatt guests are not interested in the beauties of the underwater world (there are few people on the beaches), and vacationers from other hotels almost never swim there. Sometimes ships stop, but drivers and tourists are bathed next to the ship and they create the effect of crowding. Perfect place.
If you sail further than the Hyatt beaches, a desert section begins. With a high water level, you can swim up to small wild beaches, with coral sand and almost no garbage. In addition, sailing over the coral platform in this area is very interesting, as small corals, both calcareous and soft, create a magical effect of flying over another planet.
The extreme right underwater point of the bay is very beautiful and rich in fauna. It should be borne in mind that there is a current near the protruding extreme point, sometimes a strong and gaping swimmer without fins can carry him into the "open" sea (although few people will swim there without fins).
If you sail further along the next bay towards the Sofitel hotel, then there is always a current in this area, and the reef slope in some places is “polished” by waves and has small corals only near the surface. We reached Sofitel beach from the Continental Garden pontoon in 1 hour and 20 minutes. In the Sofitel area, the reef wall is not high, but quite alive.
Left side of the bay.
If you sail from the Continental Garden Hotel to the left, then the nature of the underwater relief is different. Starting from the Sharm Plaza hotel close to the shore, "the depth approaches. " It is very beautiful, the reef slope is alive, but it is really possible to swim only very early in the morning when vacationers are sleeping. In this area (Sharm Plaza, Reef Oasis Blue Bay) there are a lot of pontoons, near which vacationers flounder tightly, motorboats with "bananas" swim up. So we had to swim around this area in “depth”.
Where the Reef Oasis Blue Bay ends and the Villa area begins, there is a massive iron pontoon that looks like a fragment of a railway bridge. A long beach begins without people and without umbrellas with untrimmed palm trees. In this place, the reef can be called chic, primarily due to the fact that there are practically no people around this reef. It must be borne in mind that when you swim to the Domina Coral Bay hotel, the current in the back and return will be more difficult.
Especially noticeable is the current near the beach with palm trees (the most protruding point, the transition from one bay to another). Often there is excitement in this place, even when there are no waves in the bay.
We reached the main pontoon of the Domina Coral Bay hotel in 1 hour and 50 minutes. In the bay of the Domina Hotel, the reef wall is not high, but in good condition and in some areas it is completely alive. There are few fish. Oh very crowded. In order to swim along the wall, you have to stand in line.
The composition of the fish on the right and left sides is slightly different. On the right side, where the Hyatt beaches end, there are places where, against the background of a deep sandy bottom, groups of large and medium-sized fish stand or swim slowly. If you look towards the sea, it seems that the whole sea is in fish.
On the left side "above the abyss" blue Cesia fish swim and swift predators rush by - Carancas, which in this bay are not afraid of people and swim close.
Of the meetings with fish, which are especially memorable, it should be noted, first of all, Napoleons. There are several of them in the bay, small ones do not stand in a particular place. Sometimes they swim 2 pieces at once. Only once, we saw Napoleon, who seemed huge to us. It was not possible to lure him to the very surface. There are photos from afar.
There are two (or maybe more) giant moray eels in the bay, which actively swim, but do not lie down.
Liked the barracuda. Gorgeous, black, no smaller than a human. She stood at the cleaning station with her mouth open, and behind her stood a large carancas in line. You could swim close. I didn't have a camera with me. The photographs that are available are of smaller barracudas.
In the last hours before departure, we managed to see a real show. A large eagle stingray swam close to the shore. We followed him at a close distance for about 20 minutes. The stingray sometimes touched the sand with its wings, then it turned towards us and surfaced, showing a white belly with two sticky fish. The stingray swam into the canyons between the corals, swam out, walked over the surface of the reef platform (the water level was low) tacking between the ledges of the relief.
Summer is a very good time for swimmers. We spent 7 hours a day in the water, even without a wetsuit (but only with clothes on). This is not possible at other times of the year. Swimming is interesting not only next to the reef wall. You can swim in the sea, above the depths.
It is no less interesting to swim above the reef platform, where you can meet interesting sea inhabitants among beautiful small corals.
I have not analyzed all the photos yet, but I will try to illustrate my story with the most characteristic photographs that reflect the state of the reef in different parts of the bay. Hope the photos don't get moved
places, as their sequence is important.
