outcropping coral pinnacles extends east-west for about 1.5 miles on the southern edge of Sha’ab el-Utah, flanking a large sandy lagoon with an average depth of about ten meters. Local fishermen call this site Saba Erg (the ‘Seven Pinnacles’) while divers have renamed it Alternatives’ because, as it is so well sheltered, it offers the opportunity to make alternative dives when conditions in the open sea are prohibitive. The classic dive goes around

the two middle pinnacles which are in line with a fixed mooring. Due to its position

this site has tidal currents that greatly influence visibility, which can be quite poor when the current comes from the south, especially if accompanied by wind and waves. If, on the other hand, the sea is calm and the current is either lacking or is coming from the north, you can enjoy Alternatives swarming with fauna where you can find numerous coral genera, large groupers (Epinephelus malabaricus, E. tauvina), Bluespotted stingrays (Taeniura lymma), squids, nudibranchs and even Leopard sharks