Many modern guides to Marsa Alam describe it as a fishing village on Egypt's Red Sea coast 132km (82mi) from Al-Quseir. However, with a new international airport, a number of other planned tourism projects and many new hotels, it is rapidly becoming much more than a fishing village.
Well-established dive resorts, camps and diving centres in Marsa Alam, are scattered to the north and to the south of this fascinating newly developed village. Some of Marsa Alam’s hot diving spots include, Elphinstone Reef, Deadalus Island, Fury Shoal, Samadai (Dolphin Reef) and Sha’ab Marsa Alam.


Up until recently very few divers reached these reefs and then only by liveaboard. They are among the most pristine in the Egyptian Red Sea. Non divers can enjoy snorkelling, windsurfing or exploring the deserted beaches and sand dunes. There are excursions to historical sites and an Emerald Mine plus opportunities to visit the protected national parks of this part of Egypt and see animals extinct elsewhere. For the ultimate adventure, take a camping safari into the surrounding mountainous desert to explore an oasis. The opening of the international airport at Marsa Alam has really opened the area up to tourism, so if you want to enjoy it at its unspoilt best, you should go soon.

The diving is exceptional with wonderful unspoilt reef systems, access to the offshore marine park islands and still very few divers. You won't find yourself surrounded by day boats down here. The area is also home to a community of dugongs and you should take the opportunity to visit these fascinating creatures.

There are a wide range of hotels from luxury class to budget camps. The budget camps are well established having operated in the area for some years and provide a unique way to dive and stay. Marsa Alam has got enough going for it to make it enjoyable for the non diver who enjoys the beach. There are a variety of restaurants, shopping in the souks, and a number of interesting day trips.

DIVE SITES:
Abu Dabab
A collection of 7 reefs. Offers sheltered diving in rough weather conditions. Popular overnight location due to close proximity to the famous Elphinstone reef. Great for night diving. There are many swim throughs and caves.

Elphinstone Reef
A justly famous world class dive site. The sheer walls of this great reef plunge steeply into the blue, richly decorated with soft corals, sponges, gorgonians and fans. Sharks often swim by the spot to feed on the abundant reef fish population. The northern plateau is home to schooling hammerheads with frequent sightings of oceanic white tip sharks. There are many places to dive along the reef - it's almost a destination in itself!

Shab Samadai (Dolphin House)
A horseshoe shaped reef creates a shallow turquoise water lagoon where a large herd of spinner dolphins live permanently. You can also dive the outer walls in several places. The western tip provides a large group of pinnacles rising to the surface from a carpet of seagrass, populated by schools of reef fish.

Shab Marsa Alam
The reef just off the beach! Coral gardens formed near huge coral blocks ‘porites’ and shoals of banners, goat fish, snappers and jacks are all to be found.






Daedalus Reef
Incredible dive location. Not to be missed! A huge round reef with a lighthouse more than 40 miles away from the coast, features an excellent opportunity for spotting big pelagics including manta rays all around its steep walls with an extreme variety of fish and coral. Good chance to see schooling hammerheads on the north point. Strong currents possible and vulnerable to weather, but well worth the trip.

Gota Sharm
Big reef with big walls, hammerhead and grey reef sharks in summer, malabar grouper, barracuda’s, and schooling reef fish the rest of the year. Currents, soft corals and giant sea fans.

Habili Gamal
A small collection of pinnacles lying just below the surface. Often large schools of jacks, oriental sweetlips, bannerfish, butterfly fish and goatfish. Only possible to dive in good weather conditions as it is very exposed.

Abu Galawa Soraya
The northern edge of the ‘Fury Shoal’ group, this reef has a fantastic hard coral garden, and a wreck of a private sailing boat on the western side which is packe with glassfish.

Abu Galawa
On ‘Fury Shoal’ group, this reef has a good hard coral garden on the north side, and a wreck of an old tug boat fully covered with corals leaning on a pinnacle on the south side.

Shaab Claude
Famous for its large labyrinth of swim thoughs. Huge porite corals and a resident humphead wrasse. Often white tip reef sharks here and a very nice anenome and clownfish settlement on a small pinnacle a little off the reef to the south.

Shab Maksur
Good dives on both north and south plateaus, with strong currents which favour the growth of all types of coral, including black, soft and fans. Sharks, napoleon and tuna fish.

Sataya
Also named ‘Dolphin Reef’, huge barrier reef that offers a sheltered inner lagoon and shear walls on the outside schooling hammerhead, large tuna fish and jacks.

Erg Diab
A single pinnacle with steep walls rising from very deep water. It is relatively small and can be circled in less than 20 minutes, but there is a very good chance to encounter schooling hammerheads and the occasional thresher shark on the northern side. Often very strong currents.

Zabargad
Another famous, remote reef, well worth the effort. Enormous mountain coming out of the water surrounded by a lagoon and circling reef. A couple of wrecks and excellent diving with a great variety of both corals and reef fish.

Rocky Island
Tiny rock emerging a few feet out of the water, it offers one of the most incredible underwater scenarios of the whole Red Sea. Steep walls falling into the deep blue, currents, soft corals and a great abundance of pelagics and all kinds of fish.

St Johns Reef
This incredibly beautiful reef is about as far south in Egypt as you can get. It lies 40km north of the Sudanese border and 20km south of Zabargad . The reef covers a huge area and many dives would be needed to explore the numerous coral heads and islands that make up this extensive area.

Shab Aiman
Felt to be one of the most beautiful reefs in the Red Sea. Starting in just 15m of water on a long plateau you can find every type of hard and soft coral in profusion. White tip reef sharks can often be seen here in the early morning.

Shab Faraq
A long sloping reef from 8m to 70m. It is common to see Oceanic White Tips and Grey reef Sharks here. The entire length of the reef is carpeted with hard and soft corals. The numerous caves are home to many invertebrates.

Abil Gaffer
A most unusual site the pyramid shaped reef rises from a depth of 70m. The sides of the reef are covered in corals and the diversity of fish life is tremendous, look out for the huge schools of Barracuda.

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Marsa Alam opens up the deep south of Egypt and its wonderful unspoilt reefs. Divers should visit now before the area becomes too developed and they can still have the reefs relatively to themselves. The presence of the airport means it won't stay this way for long.

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