Diving safaris in Marsa Alam
Between El Quseir and Hamata, you dive from a base, usually from the house reef at the jetty or beach, and on certain days from a day boat. The day boats depart from Port Ghalib, the port of Marsa Alam, and Hamata. In Abu Dabbab Bay, you walk from the beach to the seagrass meadow, where green sea turtles graze and, if you're lucky, a dugong. At Sha'ab Samadai, the inner lagoon belongs solely to the spinner dolphins. A constant current flows over the Elphinstone plateaus, and oceanic whitetip sharks visit in autumn. You can only reach Daedalus, Rocky Island, Zabargad, and St. John's by liveaboard boat, which usually departs from Port Ghalib.
This booklet is for the days spent on a liveaboard boat. It compares the routes, lists boats and departure ports, and shows which route runs in which months. Along each route, the dive sites are listed in the order the boat visits them. Typical species are shown with an actual photo and their season. If you combine a safari with days at a base, you should also take the dive site booklet.
You will receive an A5-format PDF that you can read on your phone or tablet while on the go and print as a booklet at home.