Small Crack is the more southerly channel of Sha’ab Mahmud. Its central body is divided by a large coral formation into two secondary channels from 5 to 8m deep with tidal currents that can become extremely strong. When the tide is flooding and the current it generates moves northwards, you are pushed from the lagoon out towards the open sea. If on the other hand the tide is ebbing, the current runs south towards the lagoon: it is therefore preferable to dive then, so that you can drift back to your boat moored inside the lagoon. Obviously a zodiac would be ideal for dives in Small Crack. On the outer reef wall, which descends to a sandy floor around 20m, you will see gorgonians, Alcyonarians and large table corals. Often there are turtle and also Leopard sharks and Whitetip reef sharks. In the summer there are schools of barracuda and jackfish, and near the mouth of the channel there is an abundance of fire coral.