Dolphin House
A boat trip to Shaab El Erg, a horseshoe reef with a resident spinner dolphin pod — a good easy snorkel with a genuine but uncertain chance of dolphins.
How long it really takes
Seven to eight hours door to door, with about an hour’s crossing each way.
Shaab El Erg is a large shallow reef north of Hurghada, and its lagoon is used by spinner dolphins to rest during the day. That resting behaviour is the reason the trip exists and the reason it needs care: a pod that is repeatedly swum at does not rest, and Egyptian guidance on approach distances has tightened.
As a snorkel it is a good day even without dolphins — shallow, bright, sandy-bottomed water with coral pinnacles that are easy to swim around.
How your boat behaves is the thing to ask about. A responsible operator holds position and lets the animals approach; a bad one drops twenty swimmers directly on top of the pod.
Is it worth it?
Yes if you book it as a reef trip with a chance of dolphins. No if you book it as a dolphin trip — that is a promise no operator can keep.
Skip it if
- You would be disappointed without a sighting
- You are uncomfortable being dropped in open water from a boat
What it costs, and how
Similar to a Giftun day and sold in the same places. Smaller boats cost more and are both a better experience and better for the animals.
Watch out for
- "Swim with dolphins" marketing sets an expectation the site cannot guarantee and the animals should not have to meet.
- Never touch, chase or block the path of a dolphin. Beyond the harm, it is the fastest way to get the site restricted.
Runs from
Last reviewed 25 July 2026. We take no commission on any excursion — how we make money. Sold something that did not match the description? Tell the desk.