Marsa Alam - Day Diving & Dive Sites
Diving in the Red Sea is amazing. It’s world-renowned for its variety with diverse marine life, stunning coral reefs and spectacular wrecks among the attractions on offer.
From Emperor Divers Blue Vision we will take you to the finest sites around, all handpicked by our experts for their quality. These include Marsa Egla (a seagrass bay which hosts three dive sites completely different in both topography and fish life) to the north right down to Sharm El Luli (Ras Hankorab) which is a stunning lagoon in Wadi El Gemal.
Our daily boats that sail from Port Ghalib offer an even wider range of options to explore and we can also arrange trips to famous sites such as Dolphin House, Hamada Wreck and Elphinstone.
Transfers to the sites are included in your package price – although special dive trips do come at additional cost (see below). And for those just starting out or wanting a refresher course, we have a dive centre right within Blue Vision which has a full selection of PADI courses available.
To book your package or ask any questions, contact our fantastic team via email on [email protected] or by WhatsApp on +20 (0) 1222 340 997.
Emperor Divers Blue Vision is a centre that offers you unrivalled access to the southern Red Sea at incredibly good value.
- Great value packages to provide the accommodation, diving and courses you require.
- Standard shore diving includes two shore dives per day with guide, tanks, 12L air/nitrox tanks, and weights. Trips are by minibus to local bays and reefs.
- Day boat diving upgrades are available, bookable in resort either to Port Ghalib Area or Abu Dabab offshore reefs
- Elphinstone is accessible by speedboat (30 mins away) for single dives and by daily boat (60 mins away) for two tank dives, both bookable upgrades in resort
- If you haven’t dived for a while, then we recommend you take a scuba review as required by your training organisation.
Day Trips
We often do a combination of two sites in one day, so morning and afternoon are in different places. Listed below are some of the dive sites included in a dive package price and visited on a rotational basis. Some include an additional entrance fee:
- Marsa Abu Saifin: A tranquil bay with coral reefs hosting turtles, rays, and nudibranchs.
- Abu Ghusun: In Wadi El Gemal National Park, and home to the “Hamada” wreck.
- Sharm El Luli (Ras Hankorab): A stunning lagoon known for white sand, turquoise waters, and a vibrant fringing reef with clownfish, turtles, and corals.
- Marsa Egla: A large seagrass bay which hosts diverse topography and marine life such as turtles and reef fish. Offers three distinct dive experiences.
- Marsa Assalayia: A shore dive site with easy access to deep drop-offs, teeming with small fish, corals, and occasional pelagics.
Special Dive Trips
Supplements are added to daily diving rates and paid locally. Special Trips are weather dependent and subject to availability. Minimum numbers apply.
| Special Trip | Supplement | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Full Day Elphinstone (2 dives) | € 51 | |
| Speedboat to Elphinstone (1 dive) | € 51 | |
| Dolphin House, Samadai (2 dives) | € 45 | Marine park fee |
Click here for your full price list on day diving, additional dives and equipment.
marsa alam Dive Sites
Click dive site markers for detailed descriptions. Some dive sites may only be visible on zooming out.
Dive sites & areas that we may visit are subject to weather conditions and may involve additional charges.
Elphinstone
A world famous offshore reef, Elphinstone is the jewel in our crown. Sheer walls and sometimes currents at exhilarating speeds make this one for advanced divers only but it will be one you remember. Dive the east wall in the morning and the west in the afternoon to make the most of the sun, and light up the abundant soft corals. Anthias smother the walls and large gorgonian fans and black corals hide critters such as the infamous longnose hawkfish. Keep an eye out in the blue for resident schools of snapper, large barracuda and enormous Napoleon wrasse.
The north and south plateaus drop to over 40mt in depth but can be a place for very special encounters - manta rays, silvertip, tiger, grey reef and hammerhead sharks have all been seen here and cruising the shallows at the right time of year can be curious silky and oceanic whitetip sharks.
Marsa Assalayia
A very narrow bay south of Wadi Sabarah, Marsa Assalayia provides easy access to two very different dives.
The real dive starts after 10 minutes when reef gets abruptly deeper, at around a 45-degree angle, with coral gardens coming down in steps from top reef, pillars coming off the hard coral garden and dramatic topography.
Coral blocks set away from the main reef can be done by starting on one side of the bay, cutting across the seagrass about at 20-25m depth and coming back on the other of the bay.
On the north side you will visit the coral outcrops (Xenia soft coral, cabbage coral and potato hard coral) on the sand along the reef. At 19m make sure you hop from the main reef and visit a barrel in the sand where schools of juvenile bannerfish, common lionfish and shortfin dwarflionfish shallow up over hard coral garden.
The south takes along the deeper area where there are many tall, coral pillars. On your turnaround there is the stunning topography of the main reef and on the way back you visit the tops of these coral pillars which are teeming with lots of small fish.
Marsa Egla
A large, seagrass bay which hosts three completely different sites in both topography and fish life.
The north reef is a shallow reef which slowly drops of passing soft and hard coral blocks. The deeper water has hard coral gardens and clusters of organ pipe corals.
The south is a set of pinnacles on a sandy plateau. Before reaching here you will swim over a large sand and seagrass trench and will see schools of fusiliers and snapper in amongst these hard coral pinnacles.
In the seagrass, as with all such dives, it is a chance to either get your head down and look for macro-life (seahorses, ghost pipefish, sea moths) or your head up looking for turtles, large rays and possibly dugongs.
Marsa Samadai
A medium-sized, seagrass bay that has easy access to two dives, both of which start from the same place in a shallow area. Keep look out for camouflaged creatures!
On the north side you swim out over the seagrass and once you reach the reef with it on your left shoulder, follow it along the sandy bottom checking out the coral outcrops on the way and an abundance of little damsels and baby bannerfish. Coming out of the main reef, the coral garden slopes gently from surface to about 18m and a collection of reef patches, a lot of nice pillars on the main reef as well as cabbage coral patches.
For the other dive you head towards the southern main reef after swimming over the seagrass area, visiting the fishy, coral outcrops on the sandy bottom close to the main reef. At about 10m depth, the main reef makes a right turn where you follow still visiting coral patches. When reaching 15m along the main reef you will see a coral ridge, or habili, which you should swim over to. The south side of it is amazing - with a lot of glassfish, cardinalfish, baby snapper and fusiliers - but the whole habili is covered in fish. Look out into the blue as eagle ray sightings are possible and also go higher up on the coral garden which has lovely topography with lots of pinnacles covered in small fish.
Shaab Samadai
Often named 'Dolphin House', this offshore reef is shaped like a horseshoe and creates a naturally protected lagoon to moor in. Usually with very good visibility, here the diving is stunning: a labyrinth of pinnacles, some steep drop offs on the outer walls, table corals bigger than you are likely to have seen and a stunning 'Cathedral' swim-through at 5m.
A pod of spinner dolphins uses this lagoon as a nursery and shelter and the chance to snorkel with them in between dives is the 'icing on the cake'. If you ever figure out which way to look when you have 50+ dolphins playing around you, be sure to let us know!
Marsa Nakari
A sheltered bay located 20 km south of the Blue Vision Diving Hotel, ideal for shore diving. The calm waters host seagrass beds and coral patches, frequented by turtles, reef fish, and occasionally dugongs—making it perfect for beginners.
Marsa Abu Saifin
A tranquil bay located north of the Blue Vision Diving Hotel, excellent for shore diving. The area features sandy bottoms, seagrass beds, and coral reefs inhabited by turtles, rays, and nudibranchs. Suitable for all experience levels.
Hamada
A wreck you can dive from the shore! Just wait until you see the stern of this 65mt long coaster looming out of the blue after just a few minutes swim! Situated in a wonderfully secluded bay, the wreck of the Hamada is a new addition to Emperor Marsa Alam's list of top class dives. No need for any great depth here as you explore this two-part wreck that sank in mysterious circumstances in 1993. Masts and ropes are still attached and now smothered in fledgling hard corals while butterflyfish and parrotfish nibble away. Lying on its starboard side at 15mt it makes for a nice subject for photographers, while 'wreckies' will delight in the intact propeller and the possibility to explore holds and cabins. Snorkellers will also love the opportunity to snorkel a wreck - so unique!
Light lunch on the unspoiled beach with an imposing backdrop of mountains sets you up for either another dive on the wreck or the chance to explore an immaculate north reef. Then drive back through Wadi El Gamal National Park and keep your eye out for the grazing camels on the way home!
Depth: 12-18m
Minimum qualification: Open Water/1*/Ocean Diver.
Supplement: 30 Euros (includes lunch)
Sharm El Luli
A breathtaking lagoon located 62–65 km south of the Blue Vision Diving Hotel, in Wadi El Gemal National Park. Known for its white sandy beaches, turquoise waters, and a vibrant fringing reef teeming with clownfish, turtles, and colorful corals. Ideal for both snorkeling and shore diving.
Marsa Alam Airport
