In the light of the COVID-19 outbreak all over the world, the whole globe is in lockdown and almost all the international flights have been cancelled! Yet, we still have the opportunity to read, know and discover new things and places, which we hope to visit one day.
Marsa Alam, Egypt’s Red Sea features over 400 species of coral and reefs, in addition to hundreds of magnificent fish species, sea animals, anemones, urchins, and more. Here we are going to highlight the ultimate beauty of Marsa Alam’s diving spots.
Marsa Alam is perfectly located on the western shore of the Red Sea, Egypt. Recently, it is chosen as one of the best diving spots in the world, from which you can completely explore the southern Red Sea’s wonders. In addition to that, Marsa Alam offers several world-class resorts that line the coastlines charming beaches, and what makes it more interesting, it is only about 4 hours’ drive away from Hurghada.
Marsa Allam makes a perfect diving spot for those who are looking for new challenging dives and unique wildlife experiences. Its sites offer a real opportunity to dive with unique species of sea turtles, cute dolphins, dugongs, and manta rays.
Actually, the diving season in Marsa Alam is year-round, yet the perfect time to dive in Marsa Alam is from May through August. We recommend visiting Marsa Alam in autumn when it is quieter and the water temperature is still balmy. You should expect water visibility up to 100 feet (30 m), but make sure to ask an expert about the perfect local dive sites and sea conditions before diving unguided. Pack a 3 mm or 5 mm wetsuit; depending on your cold tolerance, and always carry a dive knife, torch, and DSMB.
Best diving spots in Marsa AlamAbu Dabab Beach
Diving depth: Up to 25 meters
Location: 30 km north of Marsa Alam.
Water visibility: 5-20 meters; better in the deeper areas
Suitable for: All diving levels.
Abu Dabab is considered one of the most popular beaches in Marsa Alam; it features many turtles and dugongs. It is also a dive site suitable to all skill levels, although it doesn’t contain any coral reefs and not infrequent poor visibility. Professional divers count it as the best place to get close to sea turtles and the dugong.
Fortunately, the bay has recently been closed to boats making both snorkeling and scuba diving easier and more relaxing. You can divide among a group of the imperiled shark species – one of the world’s rarest sharks. It has bizarre but beautiful looks as if a stingray had been crossed with a real shark. Nothing to worry about, it’s not aggressive at all. However never touch them as a flip of its tail could dislodge your mask.
Elphinstone Reef (Sha’ab Abu Hamra)
Diving depth: From 20 up to 70 meters (60 – 200ft)
Location: 50km northeast of Marsa Alam, and 10km from the shore.
Water visibility: 20-30 meters
Suitable for: Experienced divers only
Amazing reef line lies in the open ocean, a little over seven miles (12 km) from the Marsa Abu Dabbab coastline. It takes around 20 minutes to get there via Zodiac from Marsa Alam. It is considered as one of the top reef plateaux in The Red Sea; it’s about 300 meters long, 30 meters wide, and 40 meters deep. Yet, at its edges, there are near-vertical cliff walls. The west drop off is a little less vertical than the east and sandier with some overhangs and small caves.
Elphinstone makes a perfect option if you are looking for shark encounters, particularly the large and usually solitary oceanic whitetip. Many divers report up to four sitings on a single dive! Please be cautious of these magnificent animals and never feed them. You can see sharks year round, but they are most numerous from October to December.
The reef there attracts an enormous variety of sea life including jacks, tuna, blue lunar fusiliers, black snapper, and lone giant barracuda. So, it’s better to watch the reef from a distance.
Sataya Reef
It is still not yet as well-known as other diving spots in Marsa Alam; few of the tour operators currently visit it. Yet, this gave it an additional privilege that makes of it a special reef to visit. You probably stand a better chance of swimming close to dolphins as contrary to what you might believe, these friendly but easily stressed animals. So, try to avoid areas where there are too many people and boats.
Samadai Reef (Dolphin House)
Diving depth: from 10 up to 15 meters (32 – 49 ft)
Location: approx. 20km SE of Marsa Alam
Suitable For: All diving levels
It is one of the most popular reefs in Marsa Alam; you can consider it one of the world’s most important dolphin habitats. It’s home for a large family of around sixty spinner dolphins. They are nocturnal animals and return every morning to the shallow waters of the reef to rest. It’s better not to feed or play with the dolphins as it is not natural for them and may cause distress.
Samadai Reef is crescent-shaped with a small lagoon of sand and sea-grass within, which is rich in marine life including the usually elusive sea horses. You can also explore some underwater caves and at least twelve coral towers! Remember, you should only explore the caves with an experienced guide.
Hamada Wreck (Abu Gosoon Shipwreck)
Diving depth: from 0m up to 18m
Location: 68km SSE of Marsa Alam
Water visibility: 15 to 30m
Suitable for: all diving levels
The Hamada sank off a secluded shoreline south of Wadi El Gamal National Park in 1993. The wreck is unique as it’s suitable for snorkelers, as well as experienced and novice divers.
It is home to young corals, while the wreck itself is home to a number of species, including hump head wrasse, lionfish, butterflyfish, and moray eels. It is fringed with some of the most beautifully colorful coral reefs in the world due to its sandy white beaches. It’s an enchanting site for diving that is perfect for experience the delicate harmony and balance between man and nature.
Sherif Khalil is Owner of Dunes & Beyond. Dunes & Beyond offers luxury tours, Nile cruises and desert safaris in Egypt.If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.
Sherif Khalil is the Chairman and Founder of Dunes & Beyond, a company he established after spending 11 years in the field of luxury tourism. Dunes & Beyond is a travel company that provides luxury tours, where tourists are sure to experience excitement and thrills, but with a 'five star' attitude. Egypt is one of the main destinations alongside Jordan, Sudan and Morocco. When tourists book with Dunes & Beyond, they gain access to private guided tours, the best Egyptologists, luxury accomodations and more. Dunes & Beyond is the first travel company in Egypt to offer glamping; having the fun of camping in the deserts, but in a more luxurious form. Having spent a lot of time with international VIPs, organizing and arranging high-end journeys, Sherif Khalil is set on a vision to fill the gaps left by other travel companies and is determined to provide the highest quality services to all travelers and tourists.
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11 Comments
One of the things that the Covid – 19 virus has done is given us time to sit down and think about what we want to do, made us focus on our bucket lists. After reading this it is definitely time that I dipped my toe in the water and learnt to scuba dive.
This is absolutely true and not a bad way of looking at things. I’m not much of a scuba diver. But the pictures that come from these kinds of excursions are nearly always fascinating to observe.
Hi Bob & Kyle,
Very pleasant to know you liked the article
Best,
Sherif
You know, of all the places I’d never thought of the Red Sea for scuba diving. I can see the allure and it’s good the season for it is year round because there’s no saying how long until the current coronavirus pandemic will start to level out. Dolphin House sounds really sweet, I’d love to swim with dolphins or even just get an up close look at them. The shipwreck would be amazing to explore as well. Is it possible to hire gear and get lessons? I’ve only been scuba diving once and that was a a long, long time ago and it was pretty brief. I always thought I’d go elsewhere and try it but never have. I’ll have to remember Marsa Alam, I can picture that becoming quite a popular premium destination in future.
Very persuasive. Very helpful and informative piece. I’ll have to remember Marsa Alam for my next diving trip. From what my friends tell me The Red Sea gives good value for money.
Scuba diving is an activity that everyone should get into pronto! It is something that you wouldn’t want to miss on a beach getaway if you do know how to scuba or enjoy seeing underwater creatures. Whenever I travel to beach destinations, I would always look for diving spots near it. A beach vacation isn’t complete if there isn’t any scuba diving spots in it. I love getting into deep waters and look at the vast blue oceans that seem to have no end. It really calms me down, the quietness, as if you’re in an empty space and you think what other creatures does the ocean hide. The adrenaline-filled experience always keeps me going, also looking at different species of fish is really extraordinary. I remember the time when I visited the Philippines, me and my colleagues went on a dive site called Tubbataha Reef. The marine life there is amazing! The reef is also beautiful and the people who accommodated us were very friendly. I hope that I can visit some of these dive sites soon.
Hi E. Chaves,
Very pleasant to know you liked the article
Best,
Sherif
Sataya Reef sounds good if you want something a little quieter and more exclusive, and I think it’s better that it’s not overloaded with tourists and divers because I’d hate to think the wildlife are getting stressed out. I’ve never tried scuba diving but it’s something I wouldn’t say no to doing one day, especially if I could get a lesson or two first. Do you think you could easily take an underwater camera while diving to get photos? That would be pretty cool. There are so many animals I’d never even heard of here like the hump head wrasse and butterflyfish, I feel like I’ve not lived.
Fortunately, the bay has recently been closed to boats making both snorkeling and scuba diving easier and more relaxing. You can divide among a group of the imperiled shark species – one of the world’s rarest sharks. It has bizarre but beautiful looks as if a stingray had been crossed with a real shark. Nothing to worry about, it’s not aggressive at all. However never touch them as a flip of its tail could dislodge your mask.
Elphinstone Reef (Sha’ab Abu Hamra)
Diving depth: From 20 up to 70 meters (60 – 200ft)
Location: 50km northeast of Marsa Alam, and 10km from the shore.
Water visibility: 20-30 meters
Suitable for: Experienced divers only
Amazing reef line lies in the open ocean, a little over seven miles (12 km) from the Marsa Abu Dabbab coastline. It takes around 20 minutes to get there via Zodiac from Marsa Alam. It is considered as one of the top reef plateaux in The Red Sea; it’s about 300 meters long, 30 meters wide, and 40 meters deep. Yet, at its edges, there are near-vertical cliff walls. The west drop off is a little less vertical than the east and sandier with some overhangs and small caves.
Fortunately, the bay has recently been closed to boats making both snorkeling and scuba diving easier and more relaxing. You can divide among a group of the imperiled shark species – one of the world’s rarest sharks. It has bizarre but beautiful looks as if a stingray had been crossed with a real shark. Nothing to worry about, it’s not aggressive at all. However never touch them as a flip of its tail could dislodge your mask.
Elphinstone Reef (Sha’ab Abu Hamra)
Diving depth: From 20 up to 70 meters (60 – 200ft)
Location: 50km northeast of Marsa Alam, and 10km from the shore.
Water visibility: 20-30 meters
Suitable for: Experienced divers only
Amazing reef line lies in the open ocean, a little over seven miles (12 km) from the Marsa Abu Dabbab coastline. It takes around 20 minutes to get there via Zodiac from Marsa Alam. It is considered as one of the top reef plateaux in The Red Sea; it’s about 300 meters long, 30 meters wide, and 40 meters deep. Yet, at its edges, there are near-vertical cliff walls. The west drop off is a little less vertical than the east and sandier with some overhangs and small caves.
Elphinstone makes a perfect option if you are looking for shark encounters, particularly the large and usually solitary oceanic whitetip. Many divers report up to four sitings on a single dive! Please be cautious of these magnificent animals and never feed them. You can see sharks year round, but they are most numerous from October to December.
The reef there attracts an enormous variety of sea life including jacks, tuna, blue lunar fusiliers, black snapper, and lone giant barracuda. So, it’s better to watch the reef from a distance.
Sataya Reef
It is still not yet as well-known as other diving spots in Marsa Alam; few of the tour operators currently visit it. Yet, this gave it an additional privilege that makes of it a special reef to visit. You probably stand a better chance of swimming close to dolphins as contrary to what you might believe, these friendly but easily stressed animals. So, try to avoid areas where there are too many people and boats.
Samadai Reef (Dolphin House)
Diving depth: from 10 up to 15 meters (32 – 49 ft)
Location: approx. 20km SE of Marsa Alam
Suitable For: All diving levels
It is one of the most popular reefs in Marsa Alam; you can consider it one of the world’s most important dolphin habitats. It’s home for a large family of around sixty spinner dolphins. They are nocturnal animals and return every morning to the shallow waters of the reef to rest. It’s better not to feed or play with the dolphins as it is not natural for them and may cause distress.
Samadai Reef is crescent-shaped with a small lagoon of sand and sea-grass within, which is rich in marine life including the usually elusive sea horses. You can also explore some underwater caves and at least twelve coral towers! Remember, you should only explore the caves with an experienced guide.
Hamada Wreck (Abu Gosoon Shipwreck)
Diving depth: from 0m up to 18m
Location: 68km SSE of Marsa Alam
Water visibility: 15 to 30m
Suitable for: all diving levels
The Hamada sank off a secluded shoreline south of Wadi El Gamal National Park in 1993. The wreck is unique as it’s suitable for snorkelers, as well as experienced and novice divers.
It is home to young corals, while the wreck itself is home to a number of species, including hump head wrasse, lionfish, butterflyfish, and moray eels. It is fringed with some of the most beautifully colorful coral reefs in the world due to its sandy white beaches. It’s an enchanting site for diving that is perfect for experience the delicate harmony and balance between man and nature.
Sherif Khalil is Owner of Dunes & Beyond. Dunes & Beyond offers luxury tours, Nile cruises and desert safaris in Egypt.
If you would like to be a guest blogger on A Luxury Travel Blog in order to raise your profile, please contact us.
One of the things that the Covid – 19 virus has done is given us time to sit down and think about what we want to do, made us focus on our bucket lists. After reading this it is definitely time that I dipped my toe in the water and learnt to scuba dive.
This is absolutely true and not a bad way of looking at things. I’m not much of a scuba diver. But the pictures that come from these kinds of excursions are nearly always fascinating to observe.
Hi Bob & Kyle,
Very pleasant to know you liked the article
Best,
Sherif
You know, of all the places I’d never thought of the Red Sea for scuba diving. I can see the allure and it’s good the season for it is year round because there’s no saying how long until the current coronavirus pandemic will start to level out. Dolphin House sounds really sweet, I’d love to swim with dolphins or even just get an up close look at them. The shipwreck would be amazing to explore as well. Is it possible to hire gear and get lessons? I’ve only been scuba diving once and that was a a long, long time ago and it was pretty brief. I always thought I’d go elsewhere and try it but never have. I’ll have to remember Marsa Alam, I can picture that becoming quite a popular premium destination in future.
Hi Cara,
Very pleasant to know you liked the article
Best,
Sherif
Very persuasive. Very helpful and informative piece. I’ll have to remember Marsa Alam for my next diving trip. From what my friends tell me The Red Sea gives good value for money.
Hi Ed,
Very pleasant to know you liked the article
Best,
Sherif
Scuba diving is an activity that everyone should get into pronto! It is something that you wouldn’t want to miss on a beach getaway if you do know how to scuba or enjoy seeing underwater creatures. Whenever I travel to beach destinations, I would always look for diving spots near it. A beach vacation isn’t complete if there isn’t any scuba diving spots in it. I love getting into deep waters and look at the vast blue oceans that seem to have no end. It really calms me down, the quietness, as if you’re in an empty space and you think what other creatures does the ocean hide. The adrenaline-filled experience always keeps me going, also looking at different species of fish is really extraordinary. I remember the time when I visited the Philippines, me and my colleagues went on a dive site called Tubbataha Reef. The marine life there is amazing! The reef is also beautiful and the people who accommodated us were very friendly. I hope that I can visit some of these dive sites soon.
Hi E. Chaves,
Very pleasant to know you liked the article
Best,
Sherif
Sataya Reef sounds good if you want something a little quieter and more exclusive, and I think it’s better that it’s not overloaded with tourists and divers because I’d hate to think the wildlife are getting stressed out. I’ve never tried scuba diving but it’s something I wouldn’t say no to doing one day, especially if I could get a lesson or two first. Do you think you could easily take an underwater camera while diving to get photos? That would be pretty cool. There are so many animals I’d never even heard of here like the hump head wrasse and butterflyfish, I feel like I’ve not lived.
Hi Tess,
Very pleasant to know you liked the article
Best,
Sherif