Snorkeling in Marsa Shouna

How to get to Marsa Shouna snorkeling spot?

Marsa Shouna, or Marsa Shoona, is a bay in the Marsa Alam region. It is located approximately 6 miles/10 kilometers south of Port Ghalib, and 9 miles/15 kilometers south of Marsa Alam Airport.

Marsa Shouna is entirely wild – not a common thing in the region – and can be accessed freely from the shore. You can easily reach the bay by cab from the surrounding area, particularly from Marsa Mubarak, a bay famous for its turtles and dugongs.

Another option for getting to Marsa Shouna is to book a boat trip. Most hotels and diving clubs in the area offer this tour, starting at 40 euros per person (2024).

Finally, as Marsa Shouna is one of the few bays in Marsa Alam where cruise ships are allowed to moor, it is often included in liveaboard itineraries visiting the southern Red Sea.

Water entrance for snorkeling Marsa Shouna

If you arrive by the road, you can enter the water from the shore. There’s no beach, and you need to find a passage deep enough in the reef flats to enter the water.

If you’re visiting this spot on a boat trip or cruise, the water entrance is from your boat (or one of its zodiacs).

Marsa Shouna snorkeling exploration tips

There are 3 main snorkeling areas at Marsa Shouna: the Northern Reef, the Southern Reef, and the seagrass beds in the center of the bay.

1. The Northern Reef

The Northern Reef (itinerary 1 on the map) is the most popular, as it’s along this reef that boats come to moor. Well sheltered from the north-easterly wind, it generally offers better sea conditions than the southern reef.

Due to the large number of visitors, the northern reef is partially damaged. Resilient, fast-growing fire corals make up more than half of the reef’s coral population, forming massive colonies in places.

Depth increases as you move away from the shore, but remains reasonable (↕10 to 12 feet/3 to 4 meters) in the mooring area.

Following the reef edge, you’ll see a wide variety of fish, including anthias, bannerfish and large moray eels. At sunset, lionfish and scorpionfish (different species) come out of hiding and can be seen in large numbers, even at shallow depths.

2. The Southern Reef

Less visited than the Northern Reef, the Southern Reef (itinerary 2 on the map) has healthier coral, except in the areas closest to the beach.

The ideal way to explore the reef is by drift snorkeling, dropped off at the entrance to the bay by zodiac (an option usually chosen by cruises).

Here too, dozens if not hundreds of species can be seen on the reef. Emperor angelfish, Sohal surgeonfish grazing on the flats and schools of Cornetfish are easily spotted. The area is also visited by large Green Turtles, though these are more easily seen in the seagrass beds (see below).

3. The seagrass beds

The center of the bay (zone 3 on the map) is made up of sandy beds covered with small seagrass (↕3-23 feet/1-7 meters). This is where you’ll see the most Sea turtles, often resting on the sand or feeding on the grass. The seagrass beds are also the preferred habitat of Guitar rays (fairly common) and Seahorses (very difficult to see when snorkeling).

Occasional Dugong visits are reported, but if you want to get the best chances to spot one, head for Marsa Mubarak, Marsa El Nabaa or Abu Dabbab.

Restaurants and accommodations nearby

Marsa Shouna is a natural bay, with no facilities. Most tours include lunch, so check when you book it.