Trip base · Egypt
Marsa Alam
Five sites in the southern Red Sea. Dolphin House is home to a resident spinner dolphin pod, green turtles graze the seagrass in Abu Dabbab bay, Elphinstone has oceanic whitetip sharks, and offshore Daedalus Reef offers chances of schooling hammerheads. Three of the five sites are Advanced.
Strong fit for November
Coral reefs
- Strength: 5 of 5 sites are reefs
- Strength: 4 of 5 sites are in season in November
- Strength: Water 25–26°C in November
- Strength: Mostly dry: rain on few days
Pack a 3–5 mm wetsuit for November.
Why this match: Season 28 + Interests 31 + Your level 19 + Weather 13 = 91
- Season28 / 38
- 4 of 5 sites are in season in November; calm on more than half the days.
- Interests31 / 31
- Coral reefs: 5 of 5 sites.
- Your level19 / 19
- No level picked, so all 5 sites count.
- Weather13 / 13
- Rain on few days; no real storm risk.
Month by month
Season: good April to August and October to December.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | January: Possible | February: Possible | March: Possible | April: Good | May: Good | June: Good | July: Good | August: Good | September: Possible | October: Good | November: Good | December: Good |
| Mantas | Possible all year | |||||||||||
| Whale sharks | Possible all year | |||||||||||
| Hammerheads | January: Possible | February: Possible | March: Possible | April: Likely | May: Reliable | June: Likely | July: Likely | August: Likely | September: Possible | October: Possible | November: Possible | December: Possible |
| Reef sharks | Likely all year | |||||||||||
| Turtles | Likely all year | |||||||||||
| Dolphins | Likely all year | |||||||||||
| Water | 23° | 23° | 23° | 24° | 26° | 27° | 29° | 30° | 29° | 28° | 26° | 25° |
| Rain days | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Calm days | 18 | 16 | 18 | 21 | 23 | 21 | 27 | 25 | 18 | 22 | 20 | 18 |
| Storm risk | Under 5% all year | |||||||||||
Dive sites here
5 sites on Divetip.
- Daedalus ReefReef · Advanced · max 40 m
- Elphinstone ReefReef · Advanced · max 40 m · strong current
- Fury ShoalsReef · Advanced · max 40 m
- Dolphin HouseReef · Beginner · max 20 m
- Abu DabbabReef · Beginner · max 18 m
Getting there
Fly to Marsa Alam (RMF). Road to Port Ghalib marina; Marsa Alam town is about an hour further south: about 15 minutes.
Shore, day boat or liveaboard.
What diving costs
Moderately priced
About €95 for 2 dives, the cheapest current price below.
A day of diving
Emperor Divers Wadi Sabarah: €94.62 for 2 dives
'Additional day's shore diving' per day, price incl. tax when booked locally (EUR 83 if pre-booked). Includes 2 guided dives by car plus one complimentary unguided house-reef dive, tanks, nitrox, weights, environmental, park and entrance fees. Full equipment extra (EUR 34.20/day). Boat supplement incl. drinks and 3rd dive EUR 57. Price list valid from 1 May 2026.
Blue Submarine Diving Centres: €56 for 2 dives
'2 dives (on same day)' daily diving package from the beach. Includes all transfers, 12 l air tanks, weights, dive guide and light refreshments. Excludes equipment (full set EUR 30/day), EUR 3/day service charge; boat trips are supplements (e.g. Sha'ab Marsa Alam full day by boat incl. lunch +EUR 50, Dolphin House +EUR 65).
Older price list, not used to compare: Price list from June 2024.
Single dives and add-ons
Coraya Divers (Coraya Bay): €35 a dive
Per-dive price for dives 1-6 (2026 price list from 17 Jan 2026), incl. 12 l tank, weights and belt. Extra: 'permission fee' EUR 8 per diving day, guiding fee EUR 8 per dive, equipment (complete set EUR 37/day); house-reef dives by zodiac no surcharge; full-day boat trip from Marsa Alam harbour +EUR 38 (incl. food and drinks).
Prices checked 8 November 2026; park fees and equipment often extra.
Non-divers: snorkeling from the shore and by boat
Dive centres sell snorkeling from the shore and house reef as well as places for snorkelers and boat passengers on full-day boat trips, including Dolphin House.
Latest news for Marsa Alam
Checked
In December 2025 the Red Sea Protectorate Authority discussed boat traffic and dolphins at Sataya Reef in Wadi El-Gemal National Park near Marsa Alam, where zoning work is resuming and no measures had been adopted. As background, a HEPCA report from February 2024 found the 2023 coral bleaching was worst near Marsa Alam.
- Conservation
Bleach Watch Egypt 2023 - 2024
HEPCA
A HEPCA report from February 2024 found the 2023 coral bleaching on Egypt's Red Sea coast was severe south of Qusier and worst near Marsa Alam, while the north was largely spared. Porites, Montipora, Stylophora and Millepora were most affected, and even sensitive species were reported to have recovered well.
- Conservation
Sataya Reef dolphin tourism pressure and zoning proposal
Al Manassa
In December 2025 the Red Sea Protectorate Authority met the Italian group Marevivo about boat traffic and dolphins at Sataya Reef in Wadi El-Gemal National Park near Marsa Alam. Marevivo proposed use zones modelled on Samadai Reef, a daily boat limit and electric engines; the authority's director said the dolphins have not left and that zoning work stalled by staffing shortages is resuming, and no measures had been adopted. No later update was confirmed.
- SafetyApplies to Daedalus Reef
Egyptian liveaboard Seaphoria runs aground off Marsa Alam
DIVE Magazine
The liveaboard Seaphoria ran aground on Daedalus Reef (Abu Kizan) in rough seas on 25 November 2025. All 30 people aboard were moved to a nearby liveaboard and no injuries were reported; Egypt's Chamber of Diving and Water Sports said the reef would be inspected for environmental damage.
Also reported by Divernet
Summaries are ours, written from the linked reports.
Book your Marsa Alam trip
- Find Marsa Alam dive and snorkeling trips on Klook (partner link, opens in a new tab)
- Search flights on Aviasales (partner link, opens in a new tab)
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