Giftun Islands
Hurghada’s standard day trip, and for good reason: proper coral gardens in a protected area, 45 minutes out of the marina.
Getting in
From the boat, usually off a ladder into water well over your head. Buoyancy aids are normal and nobody minds.
The Giftun islands sit a short run off Hurghada and are the reason the town became a diving destination. For snorkellers they offer the coast’s most accessible proper coral — not a house reef with some fish, but reef gardens with the density and colour people picture when they book a Red Sea holiday.
The catch is volume. On a busy day dozens of boats are working the same handful of moorings. A good operator takes you somewhere quieter; a cheap one takes you to Mahmya with everyone else.
What you are likely to see
- Dense hard and soft coral gardens
- Anthias, butterflyfish, parrotfish and wrasse in numbers
- Turtles occasionally on the outer sites
- Dolphins sometimes on the crossing, not at the reef
Conditions
- Sheltered sites and exposed ones — which you get depends on the wind and the skipper
- Inside a protected area; entry fees apply and fund the protection
- Busy. This is where most of Hurghada’s day-trip traffic goes
What to watch out for
- You are dropped in deep water. If you are not a confident swimmer, say so before the boat leaves rather than at the ladder — every operator has vests and it is a normal request.
- Standing on coral to adjust a mask is the most common damage snorkellers do. There is no shallow reef flat to stand on here for a reason.
- Mahmya beach is a day-trip destination with a bar and crowds; the better snorkelling is away from it. Ask for the outer sites.
Conditions change and this is planning information, not a briefing. Nobody can promise you an animal. If something goes wrong in the water, the coast’s emergency numbers are on our emergency contacts page.