Trip base · Egypt
Marsa Alam
Four sites in the southern Red Sea. Dolphin House is home to a resident spinner dolphin pod, Elphinstone has oceanic whitetip sharks, and offshore Daedalus Reef offers chances of schooling hammerheads. Three of the four sites are Advanced.
Strong fit for July
28°C+
- Strength: Water 28–29°C in July
- Strength: 3 of 4 sites are in season in July
- Strength: Calm seas on most days
- Strength: Mostly dry: rain on few days
Pack a 3 mm wetsuit for July.
Why this match: 32 + 27 + 20 + 13 = 92
- Season32 / 40
- 3 of 4 sites are in season in July; calm on most days.
- Water27 / 27
- Average 29°C; your minimum is 28°C. Pack a 3 mm wetsuit.
- Your level20 / 20
- No level picked, so all 4 sites count.
- Weather13 / 13
- Rain on few days; no real storm risk.
Month by month
Season: good May to August and October to December. Marine life uses the same scale (Best = reliable, Good = likely, Possible = possible, Off = not seen; ? = we don't know yet). Water and rain are 1991–2020 averages.
| Month | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | January: Possible | February: Possible | March: Possible | April: Possible | May: Good | June: Good | July: Good | August: Good | September: Possible | October: Good | November: Good | December: Good |
| Mantas | January: Possible | February: Possible | March: Possible | April: Possible | May: Possible | June: Possible | July: Possible | August: Possible | September: Possible | October: Possible | November: Possible | December: Possible |
| Whale sharks | January: Possible | February: Possible | March: Possible | April: Possible | May: Possible | June: Possible | July: Possible | August: Possible | September: Possible | October: Possible | November: Possible | December: Possible |
| 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 | January: Likely | February: Likely | March: Likely | April: Likely | May: Likely | June: Likely | July: Likely | August: Likely | September: Likely | October: Likely | November: Likely | December: Likely |
| Turtles | January: Likely | February: Likely | March: Likely | April: Likely | May: Likely | June: Likely | July: Likely | August: Likely | September: Likely | October: Likely | November: Likely | December: Likely |
| Dolphins | January: Likely | February: Likely | March: Likely | April: Likely | May: Likely | June: Likely | July: Likely | August: Likely | September: Likely | October: Likely | November: Likely | December: Likely |
| 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 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
Rain days: days with 1 mm or more in the ERA5 grid cell (about 30 km across); over tropical seas it counts more light-rain days than a local rain gauge would. Calm days: waves under 1.5 m and wind under 25 km/h. Storm risk: share of years with a named storm within 250 km that month (– means under 5%).
Dive sites here
4 sites on Divetip. Today's Dive scores are for reference only: live scores cover the next 48 hours, not your trip month.
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
A day of diving from about €95
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 as published by each operator (a few by a named booking agent), read on 8 November 2026. Euro amounts at the ECB reference rate of 6 November 2026. Park fees, permits and equipment are often extra. Prices change, so check with the operator before you book.
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.
Sources: emperordivers.com, coraya-divers.com
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)
Partner links: we may earn a commission if you book, at no extra cost to you. Partners never change the ranking.
Where this comes from
- Water temperature: NOAA OISST v2.1 daily sea surface temperature, 1991–2020.
- Storms: NOAA IBTrACS tracks, 1991–2020. Rain, waves and wind: ERA5 reanalysis, 1991–2020. Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026.
- Coral heat stress: Bleaching Watch (The water is warmer than its usual warmest month, NOAA's lowest heat-stress level. Satellite data, highest level in the 7 days to 7 November 2026.) Coral bleaching: NOAA Coral Reef Watch daily 5 km Bleaching Alert Area (7-day maximum), checked twice a day.
- Seasons by site: our dive site pages. Getting there: transfer source.
Marine life sources (6 species)
- Mantas: padi.com, emperordivers.com, circledivers.com
- Whale sharks: emperordivers.com
- Hammerheads: emperordivers.com, emperordivers.com, padi.com, padi.com, emperordivers.com
- Reef sharks: emperordivers.com, padi.com
- Turtles: snorkelaroundtheworld.com, padi.com, padi.com
- Dolphins: cambridge.org, hepca.org, emperordivers.com
Typical values are 1991–2020 averages and our site seasons. Always check local conditions with your dive centre. Spotted something wrong? Report a correction.