Before 2003, 500 to 800 tourists came daily to swim with the dolphins of the Samadai reef, off Marsa Alam, according to the whale watching manual of the International Whaling Commission. This figure sums up the region. The reefs are beautiful, and so is the pressure.
Our old page promoted Marsa Alam as a perfect destination for beginners, with dugongs at Abu Dabbab, visibility over 30 meters, and a season from April to November. None of these figures had a source. We removed them.
We redid the page with our usual framework: level, current, season, supervision, and fallback plan.
Is Marsa Alam discouraged for French travelers?
The Egypt fact sheet from France Diplomacy, consulted on October 3, 2026, reserves its strongest warnings for the Sinai Peninsula and the desert area running from the Libyan border to the Sudanese border. Marsa Alam, on the continental coast of the Red Sea, is not in Sinai. Recheck the map.
The same fact sheet lists only one decompression chamber in Marsa Alam.
This detail weighs more than it seems. Hurghada has two according to the same list, Safaga one, and offshore reefs are sometimes several hours by boat from the port. A decompression accident far from the coast is therefore managed with oxygen on board, an organized evacuation, and a prepared contact with the nearest chamber. Ask the center if they carry oxygen on every outing and how long the return from the day’s site takes. Note their answers before booking.
But the fact sheet also talks about wildlife. It reminds that the Red Sea hosts a population of sharks, some species of which are dangerous, and asks divers to strictly follow the safety instructions of the centers. Quad or camel excursions inland, which our old page recommended without reservation, also deserve a look at the map. Impossible to decide from here: check where they go.
Which coral gardens to target according to your level?
The bays of Abu Dabbab and Marsa Mubarak are generally shore dives, on shallow bottoms bordered by reef, making them simpler for a first contact. Offshore reefs, like Elphinstone, Samadai, or Sataya, are reached by boat and expose more to current and swell. The table gives indicative benchmarks, to be confirmed at the briefing.
| Site | Type | Usual access | What to ask before |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dabbab | Bay, seagrass and reef | From shore | Entry point, expected depth |
| Marsa Mubarak | Bay, seagrass and reef | From shore | Wildlife approach rules |
| Sha’ab Samadai (Dolphin House) | Offshore reef, regulated zones | Boat | Authorized zone, swimming or diving |
| Elphinstone | Offshore reef, drop-offs | Boat | Expected current, required level |
| Sataya (Fury Shoals) | Offshore reef, further south | Boat, long day | Travel duration, fallback plan |
Our old page confused two sites.
It called Sataya the “Dolphin House,” whereas this nickname refers to the Samadai reef, and it presented Abu Dabbab as a dugong refuge. Dugongs do frequent some seagrass beds in the region. However, no one can promise you to see one, and we found no dated source on their frequency. If a center displays a dugong on its page, ask if it is a one-time observation or a dedicated outing, and what rules they apply. Too direct an approach drives the animal away from its seagrass bed.
For a first stay, the shore remains the simplest terrain. You enter at your own pace. For what level? The one the instructor on site deems suitable for the day’s site, not the one the brochure shows.
Dolphin House: what do the Samadai rules say?
The Samadai reef, about 6 kilometers from the coast, hosts daily a population of long-beaked dolphins estimated at about 200 individuals, according to the International Whaling Commission manual. The site was closed in 2003, then reopened in 2004 with zoning, including one area reserved for dolphins.
Thus, no free swimming.
The same document describes three zones. Zone A is reserved for dolphins. Zone B only allows freedivers accompanied by a guide, and boats as well as scuba divers remain in Zone C and beyond. Since 2013, the NGO HEPCA has managed ticketing, controls, and site organization, and a violation of the code of conduct can cost a fine of 10,000 Egyptian pounds.
The code itself consists of a few gestures. Fins, mask, and flotation vest are mandatory for swimmers. You enter the water gently, stay calm, and swim parallel to the dolphins without chasing, touching, or feeding them. Underwater scooters and loud noises are prohibited. The manual states that the population remains stable, with no obvious signs of stress or departure from the reef. These rules contribute to that. Our guide for observing marine life without disturbing it follows the same logic.
In short, at Samadai, the dolphins come to rest, and it is this rest that the zoning protects.
Elphinstone and the offshore reefs: for what level?
Elphinstone is a long isolated reef offshore from Marsa Alam, with walls descending well beyond recreational depths and little shelter when the sea picks up. Operators generally reserve it for certified and experienced divers because the current and swell change quickly there. No dated source sets an official level for this reef, so the center decides on a case-by-case basis.
The current decides more than the photo.
On an isolated reef, you don’t have a beach to exit from. Entry, ascent, and return to the boat are done in open water, sometimes with a zodiac picking you up far from the starting point. You therefore need a safety sausage, good buoyancy control, and experience with drift dives where the group follows the current. Our article on drift diving and safety facing currents details these techniques. Never done it? Say so at the briefing.
Yet clear water reassures wrongly. Excellent visibility tells nothing about the current, the sea state during ascent, or the distance separating you from the chamber, and these three parameters determine the real margin of an offshore dive.
Finally, ask what the center plans if the sea rises. A good fallback plan designates a sheltered site known in advance.
Season, water, chamber: what to check before booking?
Our old page announced water temperatures from 24 to 29 °C, visibility over 30 meters, and a best season from April to November, without any source. We removed these figures. For the season, it is impossible to decide from here without dated data: ask your center before paying.
However, four answers are enough.
Ask the expected water temperature for your dates and the recommended wetsuit thickness. Ask how often windy days close offshore outings. Then check that your insurance covers diving at the depth you aim for, and that the outing carries oxygen. These answers matter more than a recommended month on a booking site. Keep them in writing.
The Red Sea corals are the subject of studies on their resistance to warming, summarized in our article on Red Sea corals facing climate change. Resistant does not mean indestructible, so keep your fins away from the reef.
To compare with other bases in the country, our guide to diving holidays in Egypt covers the coast. Further north, the diving sites of Dahab and the dives at Ras Mohammed are in Sinai, with different travel rules.
Finally, there is the concrete cost. A stay centered on the bays near the shore limits logistics and boat time, while a week focused on Elphinstone and the southern reefs adds hours at sea, a level requirement, and a more distant chamber. Would you book it that way?
FAQ
Can you start diving in Marsa Alam?
Centers offer introductory dives and training in accessible bays from the shore, such as Abu Dabbab or Marsa Mubarak. The required level depends on the site and the day’s conditions. Only the instructor on site decides if a dive suits you.
Can you swim with dolphins at Samadai?
Yes, in the designated area and with a guide, according to the International Whaling Commission manual. Zone A remains reserved for dolphins, and divers with scuba gear stay in zone C and beyond. No encounter is guaranteed.
Will you definitely see a dugong at Abu Dabbab?
No. Dugongs frequent certain seagrass beds in the region, but no dated source allows announcing an observation frequency. Be wary of an outing that promises an encounter.
Is there a hyperbaric chamber in Marsa Alam?
France Diplomatie lists one in Marsa Alam. Offshore reefs can be several hours by boat. Ask the center if they carry oxygen and how long the return takes.
Sources
- Egypt, travel advice (France Diplomatie, accessed October 3, 2026)
- Egypt – Samadai Reef (Whale Watching Handbook, International Whaling Commission, accessed October 3, 2026)
{“@context”:”https://schema.org”,”@type”:”FAQPage”,”mainEntity”:[{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Peut-on débuter la plongée à Marsa Alam ?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Des centres proposent des baptêmes et des formations dans les baies accessibles du bord, comme Abu Dabbab ou Marsa Mubarak. Le niveau requis dépend du site et des conditions du jour. Seul l’instructeur sur place décide si une plongée te convient.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Peut-on nager avec les dauphins à Samadai ?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Oui, dans la zone prévue et avec un guide, selon le manuel de la Commission baleinière internationale. La zone A reste réservée aux dauphins, et les plongeurs en scaphandre restent en zone C et au-delà. Aucune rencontre n’est garantie.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Verra-t-on forcément un dugong à Abu Dabbab ?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”Non. Des dugongs fréquentent certains herbiers de la région, mais aucune source datée ne permet d’annoncer une fréquence d’observation. Méfie-toi d’une sortie qui promet une rencontre.”}},{“@type”:”Question”,”name”:”Y a-t-il un caisson hyperbare à Marsa Alam ?”,”acceptedAnswer”:{“@type”:”Answer”,”text”:”France Diplomatie en recense un à Marsa Alam. Les récifs du large peuvent se trouver à plusieurs heures de bateau. Demande au centre s’il emporte de l’oxygène et combien de temps prend le retour.”}}]}
