Shaab El Erg

Also known as Dolphin House

A horseshoe reef north of Hurghada with a resident pod of spinner dolphins — the coast’s most likely dolphin encounter, and an easy dive in its own right.

Depth

5–25m

Access

Day boat from El Gouna or Hurghada, around an hour

Best season

Year-round; calmer in summer

Level

Beginner

Conditions

• Sheltered lagoon inside the horseshoe; mild conditions suit new divers
• Coral pinnacles ("ergs") scattered across sand — easy navigation
• The outer edge can pick up current

What you are likely to see

• Spinner dolphins, resident but free-ranging — they are not always there
• Turtles and rays on the sand between pinnacles
• Standard reef community on the ergs; good macro life

What to watch out for

• The dolphins use the lagoon to rest during the day. Boats that drop swimmers on top of a resting pod are disturbing them, and Egyptian guidance has tightened on this — a responsible operator keeps distance and lets the animals approach.
• Being marketed as "Dolphin House" sets an expectation no reef can guarantee. Treat a sighting as luck, not as the itinerary.

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.