Route Description - South Safari until Dolphin Reef
Embark on a captivating diving expedition through the Red Sea, exploring the stunning sites of Marsa Shuona, Sataya (Dolphine Reef), Abu Galawa Soraya, Shaab Marsa Alam, Abu Dabbab, Fury Shoals, and Shaab Maksur. Discover Marsa Shuona's sprawling sand plateau, home to blue spot rays and occasional guitar rays. Dive into the vibrant coral formations of Sataya, where turtles, dolphins, and mantas roam freely. Abu Galawa Soraya offers perfect conditions for beginners with shallow depths and excellent visibility. Shaab Marsa Alam impresses with a species-rich coral garden and possible encounters with reef sharks. Abu Dabbab promises close encounters with giant Green Sea Turtles and exotic macro life. Explore the unspoiled reefs of Fury Shoals, teeming with diverse marine species and occasional sightings of reef sharks and pelagic fish. Conclude your journey at Shaab Maksur, where terraced plateaus host dolphins, barracudas, and reef sharks amidst beautiful coral blocks.
Marsa Shuona
The corner and outside north of Shouna is unique for its sprawling sand plateau. Littered in table corals of all shapes and sizes pick your depth on the gradual slope and see what's hiding beneath each one. Of course blue spot rays are abundant but certain times of year bring in breeding guitar rays and other surprises.
Sataya (Dolphine reef)
Sataya – Fury Shoal – South: South of Marsa Alam, in the area of Wadi Gimal there is Shaab Sharm. A huge reef with colorful overgrown drop offs on the north and north-west side and a gorgoniawall between 17m and 22m in the east direction. The plateau on the east side, starting from 18m to 32m depth, with its coral block formations is the home of a lot of marine life. Doctor fishes, different kinds of reef fishes, napoleons and small critters – very often you see a turtle eating and resting. The plateau continues small along the south side of the main reef. Dolphins, sharks and mantas patrol along the reef in the blue. Shilineat in Wadi Gimal is the aquarium. Along the beautiful hard coral garden on the west side and in the high amount of blocks in the sandy area beside the reef you can rummage for camouflage artists and small critters. In maximum 16m and with the white sand and the sunlight it is amazing and full of small fishes and species. Very often there are turtles or dolphins around.
Abu Galawa Soraya
Abu Galawa Soraya lies in the western part of the Fury Shoals,about 12 km from Wadi Lahmi on the mainland. The site is not part of the large main reef, but rather a nameless approximately 100 m wide remote reef to the west. The site is popular because of its shallow depth, excellent visibility and weak current, it offers perfect conditions even for beginners.
Shaab Marsa Alam
Shaab Marsa Alam is a large semi-circular reef shaped like a bean. It is surrounded by sandy bottom with isolated rock and reef formations. The north-eastern part is particularly impressive, with a unique and, above all, species-rich coral garden. It is not uncommon to see reef sharks here. If there is a current and with a bit of luck you can also see small black tip sharks or Longimanus. To the south, in the lagoon, there is a small Wreck at around 17 m depth.
Abu Dabbab
This dive site features friendly giant Green Sea Turtles that you can swim with up close and personal. In the shallow water, it is not rare to spot the bizarre looking but completely harmless Guitar Shark. In addition to the big stuff, there are also superb macro subjects such as the ornate Ghost Pipe fish, the rare thorny seahorse and the delicate Hairy Pygmy Pipe horse!
Fury Shoals
The Fury Shoals make up several reefs along the Southwest Red Sea coast, offering amazing scuba diving opportunities with some of the most pristine reefs in Egypt. The hard and soft coral are unspoiled and are a highlight of many dive sites such as the Fury Shoal Garden. The marine life is also really great with all the usual reef fishes of the Red Sea and various species of reef Sharks (Whitetip, Grey) and even sometimes the curious Oceanic Whitetip Shark. Pelagic fishes such Barracudas, Giant Trevallies, Dogtooth Tunas are also common in the area.
Shaab Maksur
Shaab Maksur is a small but long reef with a plateau in the north and south and drop offs in the west and east side. At the north terraced plateau you can see often dolphins, barracudas or reef sharks passing by. The south plateau with its bigger coral blocks is home for many species.