Scuba Diving in Marsa Alam – Your diving vacation in the read sea (Egypt)
- January 26, 2024
Intro
I’m sure many of us are familiar with it: the Red Sea – a mecca for scuba diving enthusiasts.
Egypt boasts numerous diving hotspots. Ranging from one of the most popular destination Hurghada to more secluded gems like Marsa Alam. Renowned for its stunning sandy beaches and exceptionally well-preserved coral reefs. Some enthusiasts even proclaim it as the premier diving destination in the entire Red Sea.
The vibrant coral reef systems, combined with a vast array of diverse schools of fish, create an extraordinary underwater experience in the backdrop of warm and crystal-clear waters. What could be better than encountering bottlenose dolphins (perhaps an entire pod of 100+ if you’re fortunate!), turtles, hammerhead sharks, and, during the right season, even the majestic whale sharks and mantas in one, simple vacation?
Best time to visit
First things first: Diving in Marsa Alam, Egypt, is possible throughout the year. However, there are significant variations in water temperatures, visibility, and marine wildlife.
The “main season” varies depending on your destination. While the popular and touristy spot, Hurghada, sees the most visitors from April to November, Marsa Alam gains prominence between October and May.
The recommended diving season overall is during the summertime. From May to August, potentially extending to October. During this period, you can experience the warmest and most pleasant water temperatures.
Best time to visit – Marine editions: What to expect in the different seasons
April – May: Plankton Boom!
During this period, there’s a notable increase in plankton, creating the ideal conditions for the appearance of Whale Sharks and Manta Rays. The abundance of plankton serves as a delectable meal for these majestic creatures.
May – June: Hello, Biggest Fish in the Sea!
This time frame marks the arrival of the friendliest giant in the ocean – the Whale Shark. Yay!
While this experience ranks among our Top 10 marine life tours EVER, it’s essential to ensure that the tour is ecologically ethical and sustainable.
May – August: Encounter with Hammerheads!
If you’re exploring the Red Sea between May and August and plan to dive at Elphinstone Reef, chances are high that you’ll encounter Hammerhead Sharks and Mantas. We can only imagine that it’s a thrilling opportunity to witness this marine species in their natural habitat.
How to get to Marsa Alam
Marsa Alam has its own airport, and upon arrival, your accommodation is likely to provide transportation to your hotel. Alternatively, you can easily take a taxi from the airport.
Pro tip: If flights to Marsa Alam are too pricey, consider flying into Hurghada instead. Due to its popularity among tourists, Hurghada sees more frequent flights, often resulting in more budget-friendly options. From Hurghada, you can conveniently take a taxi to reach your desired accommodation in Marsa Alam.
Where to stay
Before you book your flights, it’s essential to define the kind of vacation you’re looking for, especially in a diverse destination like Egypt where choices seem endless. One of the foremost decisions to make is whether you prefer a land-based stay or an exploration of the Red Sea aboard a boat.
Probably the biggest and most important one to start with:
Do you want to stay on land or explore the Red Sea on boat?
For those inclined towards liveaboard experiences, numerous options offer multiple dives daily (at least 3). If you find yourself uncertain about this, we would always recommend a land-based stay. In this case, you can enjoy dives by venturing out with vans and/or boats to various dive sites. Which is exactly what we did.
While you have the option to book Airbnbs, we suggest considering a stay in a dedicated diving resort. This ensures a seamless experience, allowing you to focus on the beauty of the underwater world without the hassle of logistical concerns. Like, briefings, dive locations, handling your equipment,etc.
Diving resorts
Once you choose to stay in a resort, make sure to find the one that has good recommendations and feels right for you. You can simply see what google comes up with or/and search through apps like Booking. When it comes to diving, we ALWAYS go with the middle range/higher price options combined with good reviews, to make sure we will have a safe stay/dive.
We stayed at Oasis Dive Resort and really loved our stay there.
The price ratio performance was on point and the most important part: the diving center was very professional and very trustworthy. Which easily applied throughout the whole resort.
We booked a basic double bed room, which faced east and provided a gorgeous sunrise view of the ocean.
The main pool served as the perfect haven for a relaxing day or afternoon, especially during rough weather conditions if you simply crave a day of rejuvenation under the sun.
Daily routine for your diving vacation
Depending on the dives planned for the day, you’ll most likely rise with the sun. The timing varies with some dive sites requiring an earlier start, particularly for boat dives compared to beach dives. Many resorts provide dives at their house reef and offer night dives as well.
Example 1: Dolphin house (boat dive)
Wakey wakey, early bird!
Meeting in the early morning hours, typically between 06:00 and 06:30 am, where you’ll receive a briefing for the divesites and a quick breakfast. Roughly 30 minutes later, the group departs in vans toward the port, where a charming boat awaits – YAY!
Let the adventure begin!
During the drive to the dive sites, everyone prepares their equipment, undergoes a buddy check, and logs in two beautiful dives before 12pm. Most likely, the company will provide hot drinks and snacks between the dives. If luck is on your side, dolphins might make an appearance, offering the chance for a snorkeling experience with these majestic creatures
All boats must vacate the area by 2 pm.
Time to return to the diving center and get ready to enjoy the rest of the day reminiscing about the dives while getting sun-backed at the pool.
Example 2: Beach dive
If you’re exploring dive spots without jumping on boats, there’s no need for an early start. Meeting times typically range from 7:30 to 8:30 am at the dive centers, allowing plenty of time for a proper breakfast. The day kicks off with a briefing, followed by a ride in vans to the dive spots. Once everybody is geared up, it’s time to descend!
After the dive, you return to the dive resorts for lunch, relaxation, and, if you’re up for it, prepare for a second dive of the day. Meetings for the afternoon dives generally occur around 1:00 to 2:00 pm at the dive shops. Aaand repeat the process.
Most resorts offer a “full equipment care” service, simplifying your experience. This means the staff handles transportation and cleaning, and you only need to set up and take apart your gear. A tip for the staff at the end of your stay is the only additional task onto your checklist.
Talking Dive sites in the Red Sea
Diving in the Red Sea is undeniably stunning. The coral reefs bloom in all their glory, a sight that is regrettably rare in today’s world and many dive sites. Whether you’re fascinated by micro or macro wildlife, luck will most likely be on your side!
During our visit, we explored 10 different dive spots, and here are our absolute favorites:
1. Dolphin House:
This spot is exclusively accessible by boat and is suitable for both scuba diving and snorkeling tours. It’s undeniably one of the most famous spots, as you can likely decode from its name (and popularity).
If you happen to be one of the fortunate visitors, you’ll have the MOST AMAZING opportunity to encounter and swim with a massive pod of bottle nose dolphins.
NOTE: Despite this incredible experience, it remains crucial to respect the natural environment and the limited area.
It’s a breeding area for the dolphins and divided in 3 zones:
A. ONLY DOLPHINS
B. Snorkeling
C. Diving
As with any other sustainable marine spots, the presence of wildlife is entirely up to them and should NEVER involve any form of pursuit. Even if your encounter with the dolphins doesn’t happen, the diving spots themselves are an absolute gem! We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and highly recommend it. In addition to expansive coral bummies and impressive drop-offs, you’ll navigate through captivating underwater canals and caves with impressive vis!
2. Abu Dabbab
Get ready to be blown away by an incredible and thriving coral reef system that is blooming and bursting with life!! We’ve never encountered such a vibrant ecosystem outside the exceptional, healthy diving spots in Southeast Asia.
Abu Dabbab is unreal!
One of the most remarkable aspects: it’s easily accessible RIGHT FROM THE BEACH. No need for boat rides, simply wade in. You’ll feel like you’re stepping into an aquarium. Surrounded by an abundance of diverse corals, with small schools of fish accompanying you throughout your dive.
3. Elphine stone reef*
Recognized as one of the best diving spots world wide, this site is exceptionally popular.
This being said, NOTE that you need to have 50 dives logged before you even allowed to go diving there! Like most buzzing spots where lot’s of (big) marine life and schools of fish are to be found, strong currents occur and add to the allure for wildlife.
Situated offshore, this dive promises the chance to admire vibrant corals alongside impressive marine creatures such as schools of hammerhead sharks, oceanic white tip sharks, turtles, and manta rays — a truly captivating experience for those fortunate enough to explore its depths.
*Please be aware that we haven’t personally dived at this particular spot.
Cost breakdown – How much does a 10 day diving vacation cost you?
Talking moooney, below you’ll find a total breakdown of every single penny we spent.
We stayed there for 10 days and visited 10 dive sites.
Expectation management
One more thing… Yes, diving in the Red Sea is BEAUTIFUL, and the offshore experience via live boards is probably even more mind-blowing. However, if you are an experienced diver who has explored other incredible spots like Southeast Asia, the Red Sea may not completely astonish you as much as it does others.
Additionally, Dolphin House is quite famous and due to strict regulations, it’s entirely up to the dolphins whether they make an appearance or not. We were incredibly fortunate to see them, but we were also informed that they hadn’t been spotted for two weeks prior.
That being said, our perspective is just one of millions and should not overly influence your decisions too much. We always recommend taking the time to research on various platforms and finding YOUR favorites! Since everybody has their own priorities, wishes and expectation what kind of vacation they’re seeking.
For us? We would still suggest diving in the Red Sea, since it does offer an incredibly beautiful underwater world, though we would most likely prefer other spots like in Southeast Asia like Sipadan in Borneo or the Philippines.