Thirty Kilometres North of Marsa Alam, Abu Dabbab Bay Is Where You Swim With Green Turtles

Abu Dabbab Bay, about 30 kilometres north of Marsa Alam, is one of the best-known places in the Red Sea to see green turtles, and it draws thousands of visitors a year for diving, snorkelling and swimming, according to the Egyptian daily Youm7.

The bay lies inside the Wadi el-Gemal nature reserve, which Youm7 describes as having a distinctive mix of ecosystems — a stretch of coast where clear water, white sand, coral reef and rare marine life sit together. The paper says the bay has stayed largely unspoilt, which is part of why it has become one of Marsa Alam's most prominent destinations for divers and boat trips.

The turtles are the reason most people come. Youm7 reports that green turtles feed on the seagrass growing on the floor of the bay, which is what brings them into shallow water where snorkellers can watch them up close. The paper notes that the species is classed as endangered, and says protecting its habitat is a responsibility if the turtles are to keep returning.

The bay has also picked up a reputation abroad. Youm7 writes that visitors have described it as "a piece of fantasy", that international travel titles have praised it, and that one German magazine compared it to the Maldives for the clarity of its water.

What the report does not give is the practical detail a visitor would want: no entry arrangements for the reserve, no fees, no named dive centres or excursion operators, and no guidance on reaching the bay from Marsa Alam or Hurghada.