BayBeginnerMarsa Alam

Abu Dabbab

A shallow seagrass bay north of Marsa Alam, the coast’s most reliable place to see dugongs and green turtles — and one of its easiest shore dives.

Depth: 3–20m across the seagrass bay; the outer reefs run deeper
Access: Shore entry from the beach at Abu Dabbab, about 30 minutes north of Marsa Alam town
Best season: Year-round; the bay is sheltered enough to dive on days when offshore sites are cancelled
Level: Beginner

Abu Dabbab is a wide, shallow bay with a seagrass meadow across its floor, and that meadow is why the site matters — it feeds the dugongs and green turtles the site is known for. The diving itself is undemanding: you walk in from the beach and stay shallow.

For a snorkeller or a new diver this is the most rewarding easy site on the coast. For an experienced diver it is a slower dive than the offshore reefs, and worth doing for the animals rather than the topography.

Sightings are genuinely variable. Operators who promise a dugong are selling something they cannot deliver; a good centre will tell you the odds honestly and take you anyway, because the turtles are close to certain.

Conditions

Shallow, sandy and sheltered; minimal current inside the bay
Easy shore entry, which makes it a common training and check-dive site
Visibility varies with wind and with how much the seagrass has been stirred up

What you are likely to see

Dugong — the reason most people come, though sightings are never guaranteed
Green turtles feeding on the seagrass, seen most dives
Guitar sharks and stingrays on the sand
Giant moray on the outer reefs

What to watch out for

The bay gets busy, and crowding around a feeding dugong is the main threat to the animal and the main reason a sighting ends early. Keep your distance and stay behind it.
Do not chase, touch, or block the path of a dugong or turtle. Beyond the harm, it is the fastest way to get the site restricted for everyone.
Seagrass is the habitat, not scenery: fin control matters more here than on a coral wall.

This is planning information, not a dive briefing or a substitute for one. Conditions change; your guide on the day is the authority. Diving emergency numbers and the coast’s recompression chambers are on our emergency contacts page.