Most popular are Magawish Shadwan & Giftun
Before the 2 islands Sanafir and Tiran grabbed all public’s attention, most citizens did not know much about the Egyptian islands in general. But, the recent controversy prompted many to learn more about them.
Egypt has 40 islands on the Red Sea alone, not to mention these in the Gulf of Aqaba, most popular of which are Magawish, Shadwan, Giftun, Abu Hashish, Abu Monkar and Wadi el Gamal. There are also protruding rocks surrounded by coral reefs.
Environmental Researcher Dr. Mohammed Abdel Ghani says that the Red Sea islands can be divided based on their areas. 10 islands are very small, no more than 10-acre wide, like Om Kamar and Fanadir, while there are 11 islands whose areas range from 10-100 acres. There are 9 big islands that stretch from 100-1000 acre wide, and another 9 islands, which extend beyond 1000 acres, are described as very huge, like Shadwan and Giftun.
Dr. Abdel Ghani added these islands have 4 key functions, including fishing for the shoals and schools found there. There are 13 islands that fall under this category, most of which are not conserved. 22 islands are used as tourism resorts where diving is a popular activity, since the surrounding water is rich in coral reefs. The third type of them plays a key role in navigation, with the lighthouses built on these 11 islands. Finally, there are 6 islands that host security forces.
Omar Ali, CEO of Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA), explains the significant environmental benefits of such islands as they shelter many terrestrial animals. Moreover, there are 10 islands registered as the home of 35-40 different bird species.
Dr. Mohammed Ismail, Assistant Professor at Suez Canal University’s Marine Science Faculty, said field studies show coral reefs in north and south islands are similar. Although they are comparatively higher in these islands than in coastal areas, we can say that 15 islands are very rich in them and another 15 where reefs are moderately abundant.