Giftun Island is the first nature reserve in the Red Sea and is one of the most important natural habitats for seagulls, as it is home to about 50% of the world's seagulls, Browse all Red Sea trips by , in addition to other species of birds and reptiles.
The Red Sea islands can be divided into oceanic islands that have the characteristics of islands that form at the bottom of the ocean at great depths due to the accumulation of volcanic eruptions whose level rises until it reaches the mountains, while the second type of islands are coastal islands that are located close to the western coast, such as Safaga, Giftun, Shadwan, and the Strait of Jibal Islands, which are located in front of the southern end of the Gulf of Suez.
The island of Giftun has been separated by rifting processes into: Greater Giftun Island: It is the largest of the islands of the Giftun group with an area of 18 km2, extending in a longitudinal form at a distance of about 11 km from the coast of Hurghada, with a coastline length of 34 km at a rate of 1.9 per km2 of its total area.
Small Giftun Island, with an area of 3 km2, is located to the southeast of the large Giftun Island, and its coastline is 8 km long and wider in the south than in the north. Tourism importance of the island Giftun is considered the first in terms of importance to the tourism sector, More at Egypt Day Tours, as it is the only island allowed to disembark only on it, characterized by its location near the city of Hurghada, its soft sand, and the surrounding diving sites. “Al-Jafton” includes 14 of the most beautiful diving sites in Hurghada, in addition to the multiplicity of its natural resources, starting from soft sand and beautiful beaches.
Due to its great tourism importance, the island is one of the pillars of the Red Sea economy and the national economy due to its high economic values, which in turn generate large cash flows. Official statistics indicate that Greater Giftun is economically and touristically important, as tourists around the world are increasingly interested in increasing the less developed and more pristine places, as they prefer to enjoy them and their resources and landscapes in their pristine state. Consequently, the area declared as nature reserves has increased to more than 40,000 km2 in the Red Sea Governorate, in addition to declaring 22 islands protected out of a total of 40 islands.
The law also specifies a number of prohibitions that must not be practiced within the scope of these islands, prohibiting fishing, transporting, killing, disturbing marine and terrestrial creatures or carrying out actions that would eliminate them.