Level: Free shore access This spot have a free shore access: you can go snorkeling there freely and without having to book a tour or pay an entrance fee.
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Last updated on April 3, 2021
Dahab is known for the Blue Hole, a main diving and snorkeling destination in the Red Sea, but the reef just in front of Mashraba area is quite good (although not as good as the Blue Hole) and it’s all for you, and a few more people that you will spot in the distance. This is a great place for people who want to avoid crowds, and particularly recommended for beginners, although the water entrance (on a shallow reef flat) can be tough at low tide. On the reef flat and the drop off, you’ll spot a fantastic diversity of fish species, including butterflyfish, moray eels, angelfish and stingray.
This reef is located alongside Mashraba area, in the southern part of the town of Dahab. It can be accessed from any hotel or private/public beach along the promenade, a lively walking area running along Mashraba’s shore.
The water access is direct from the promenade (or private resto-bar beach) to a rocky shore that in high tide is approximately 2ft/50cm deep. Unlike in many other places in the Red Sea, there is no pontoon on the reef that would allow snorkelers to enter the water directly to the drop off. To reach the reef drop off you will then need to swim away for 50 to 70 meters across shallow waters over the dead reef flat.
The snorkeling area encompasses the 50 to 70 meters-wide coral reef extending along Mashraba’s shore.
After crossing a narrow rocky shore, the reef flat is partially covered by funnel weed (Padina sp.) and other species of algae. While swimming across its shallow waters you may encounter several defying moray eels or a bluespotted ribbontail ray, until you reach the reef drop off.
There, you’ll find a lot of activity: tens of fish species including wrasses, surgeonfish, parrotfish, squirrelfish, puffers, angelfish and butterflyfish swim around the hard corals and, looking down the reef slope, hovering schools of goatfish add to the wonderful view.
The sea bottom soon gets very steep, but its recommended to explore the shallow reef edge, where all the action happens.
Mashraba’s reef is most of time great for snorkeling, but do not enter the water if the water is too shallow on the reef flat, or if some waves are breaking on the reef edge.
There are plenty of accommodation choices along the promenade, including Acacia Hotel (in front of which most of the pictures on this page have been taken), Nesima Resort and Diving Center, Shams Hotel & Dive Center, Seaview Hotel Dahab and Dyarna Dahab Hotel. A large choice of restaurants, cafés and bars is available on the waterfront.
Discover Dahab’s seafront fantastic sea life in this video 👇 shot by Gavensmar.
These spots are accessible to anyone with basic snorkeling skills, and feeling comfortable in the water and with his snorkeling gear. You will enter the water from the shore (beach, pontoon, ladder, rocks) or from a boat. The water height in the sea entrance area is reasonable, but you will not necessarily be within your depth. Moderate currents can occur in the area, even when the sea conditions are good. The distance to swim to reach the most interesting snorkeling areas of the spot does not exceed 200 meters. This level only apply when the spot experiences optimal sea and/or weather conditions. It is not applicable if the sea and/or weather conditions deteriorate, in particular in the presence of rough sea, rain, strong wind, unusual current, large tides, waves and/or swell. You can find more details about the definition of our snorkeling levels on our snorkeling safety page.
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Snorkeling spots are part of a wild environment and their aspect can be significantly altered by weather, seasons, sea conditions, human impact and climate events (storms, hurricanes, seawater-warming episodes…). The consequences can be an alteration of the seabed (coral bleaching, coral destruction, and invasive seagrass), a poor underwater visibility, or a decrease of the sea life present in the area. Snorkeling Report makes every effort to ensure that all the information displayed on this website is accurate and up-to-date, but no guarantee is given that the underwater visibility and seabed aspect will be exactly as described on this page the day you will snorkel the spot. If you recently snorkeled this area and noticed some changes compared to the information contained on this page, please contact us.
The data contained in this website is for general information purposes only, and is not legal advice. It is intended to provide snorkelers with the information that will enable them to engage in safe and enjoyable snorkeling, and it is not meant as a substitute for swim level, physical condition, experience, or local knowledge. Remember that all marine activities, including snorkeling, are potentially dangerous, and that you enter the water at your own risk. You must take an individual weather, sea conditions and hazards assessment before entering the water. If snorkeling conditions are degraded, postpone your snorkeling or select an alternate site. Know and obey local laws and regulations, including regulated areas, protected species, wildlife interaction and dive flag laws.
