| | Marsa Alam is fast becoming a catchword within the international diving community: fewer divers, healthy reefs, large pelagics, unique pinnacles, impressive drop-offs, interesting caves and coral covered shipwrecks, make of Marsa Alam the ultimate diving holiday destination in the Red Sea. The area is large and varied, as what is called Marsa Alam is a stretch of coast some 100km long. Well-established dive resorts, camps and diving centres in Marsa Alam, Egypt are scattered to the north and to the south of the main village, some a considerable distance away. All levels of scuba diving certification courses are available in Marsa Alam. Marsa Alam is also Egypt's springboard for liveaboard trips to out-of-the-way offshore and southern regions. Particularly attractive are the three remote islands: Daedalus, Rocky and Zabargad; and the two outer reef systems: Fury Shoal and St John Reef. The Marsa Alam marine area is protected, as many other areas in Egypt, and diving centres here operate under environment-friendly procedures. Starting from year 1995, local authorities, NGO’s and international bodies such as USAID have co-operated in the conservation of the underwater life of the region. Nowadays, regular checks and upgrades ensure the presence of mooring buoys in all dive sites. | Dive sites in Marsa Alam | Scuba diving in Marsa Alam can be performed from shore, or with comfortable boats going out for a day or a half-day trip. Marsa Alam offers an unique array of dive sites in the Red Sea Riviera, from the sea-grass beds of some of its bays, home to the elusive dugong, to the sheer drop offs of Elphinstone Reef, the fabled house of the oceanic white tip shark. Here are some of the most famous dive sites in Marsa Alam: - Abu Dabab: the house of the dugongs! A holiday in Marsa Alam isn't really complete without a visit to the bay of Abu Dabab to try to spot the elusive dugong. This beautiful creature with its happy face and its friendly manners is in reality very shy and easily scared.
- Samadai: also called Dolphin House, a crescent-shaped offshore reef located approximately 5km southeast of Marsa Alam. The reef is oriented E-W forming a natural lagoon on the south. The sheltered waters of the lagoon provide a favourable resting habitat for a population of Spinner Dolphins (Stenella longirostris).
- Elphinstone Reef: only for experienced divers, due to the strong currents often present, is “the” Red Sea dream dive. Pelagics, barracudas, rich walls, Elphinstone has it all. Difficult to reach as in the open sea, getting there is an experience in itself.
Check out our Diving and Snorkelling Maps to have an idea of the location, accessibility and experience level required to dive in the Marsa Alam dive sites. | Marsa Diving Services | In Marsa Alam there are several reliable and professional diving centres, with services ranging from scuba diving beginner certification courses to professional courses and technical diving, and providing guided dives to the area's outstanding reefs, introductory dives and diving packages, with one, two or more dives per day, for those who are certified. For the non-licensed diving enthusiasts, the centres offer free of charge pool intro’s, where visitors can experience the thrill of scuba diving on a one-to-one basis with a diving instructor in the hotel’s swimming pool. The Marsa Alam diving centres also offer experience programmes, where the visitor can try actual dives in the sea straight away, under the strict supervision of a diving professional. Marsa Alam, with its teeming life just off your resort’s beach, is an ideal location of the Red Sea Riviera in Egypt to learn to dive, and most diving centres offer the full range of beginners’ courses. Even kids from 8 years on can enroll in children-dedicated scuba diving activities, such as the popular bubble-maker course, where kids learn to be familiar with water and scuba diving and have fun swimming around in a confined water area. |
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