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Last updated on March 8, 2024
Located off the coast of Marsa Alam, Shaab Marsa Alam (“Marsa Alam Reef”) is a popular snorkeling spot for day-trippers. While the massive coral reefs are well worth a visit, the site’s main attraction is its resident pod of dolphins, often encountered in the sheltered areas of the reef.
Shaab Marsa Alam is a patch reef just over 1.8 mile/3 kilometers off Marsa Alam. Like two other spots in the region known for their resident dolphins, Sataya Reef and Samadai Reef, it is sometimes referred to as “Dolphin House”. However, the chances of seeing dolphins here are less than at Samadai and Sataya.
The reef can be visited on boat trips from Marsa Alam. Service providers offer short trips to Shaab Marsa Alam only, or day trips combining Shaab Marsa Alam with other snorkeling locations, such as Shaab Samadai.
The water entrance is directly from your boat.
Shaab Marsa Alam is around 800 meters long. Shaped like a “kidney bean”, it has a sheltered area in its hollow, known as the “Lagoon” or “Dolphin Lagoon”, where snorkeling sessions are usually held.
This spot has two main focuses:
A pod of spinner dolphins has established its territory around Shaab Marsa Alam. Although it’s impossible to predict when the dolphins are resting near the reef or feeding offshore, they are often seen during the day by groups of snorkellers.
In general, dolphins are seen in the moderately deep areas of the “Lagoon”, where the depth does not exceed 50 feet/15 meters. Encounters with this group of 15 to 20 dolphins, in an area with optimal underwater visibility, are superb.
Shaab Marsa Alam has some beautiful coral areas, particularly along the drop-offs that border the reef. Numerous fish live around the corals, including butterflyfish, pufferfish, surgeonfish, and large schools of sergeant majors.
When exploring the reef, always keep an eye on the blue, as dolphins often pass close by.
Day trips usually include lunch. Please ask when booking.
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.
