Marsa Mubarak
A quieter alternative to Abu Dabbab a little north of Marsa Alam — same seagrass, same turtles, usually far fewer people.
Getting in
Shore entry over sand, or a short boat drop. Shallow and sheltered.
Marsa Mubarak does much of what Abu Dabbab does with a fraction of the traffic, which for many people makes it the better morning. The bay has the same seagrass-and-turtles arrangement, plus two coral pinnacles near the entrance that add the reef life the sandy bays lack.
It is a common stop on boat trips out of Port Ghalib, so it is not undiscovered — but shore access, where you can get it, tends to be quiet.
What you are likely to see
- Green turtles, reliably
- Dugong occasionally — some recent reports rate the chances here as well as anywhere on the coast
- Rays and guitar sharks on the sand
- Two coral pinnacles at the bay mouth with good fish life
Conditions
- Sheltered bay, calm most days
- Seagrass and sand across the middle; coral concentrated at the entrance
- Some hotels control beach access here — check before planning a shore entry
What to watch out for
- The same crowding rules as Abu Dabbab apply, and they apply harder when a single boat arrives into an otherwise empty bay.
- The pinnacles at the mouth sit where the bay opens to deeper water — that is where any current will be.
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.
Also in this bay — Marsa Alam
Dive sites
- Elphinstone ReefAdvanced
The Red Sea’s most famous offshore reef: a narrow wall running north to south off Marsa Alam, known for oceanic whitetips and hammerheads — and for currents that make it an advanced dive.
- Abu DabbabBeginner
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.
- The Brothers IslandsAdvanced
Two isolated islands far offshore in the Marine Park, with sheer walls, two wrecks and the most consistent big-animal diving in Egypt.
- Daedalus ReefAdvanced
An isolated reef in open ocean with a lighthouse on it, sheer walls on every side, and the most reliable hammerhead diving in Egypt.
- St John’s ReefIntermediate
A scattered complex of reefs near Egypt’s southern border — caves, coral gardens and the best-preserved hard coral in the country.
- Rocky Island and ZabargadAdvanced
Two remote islands near the Sudanese border — Zabargad an ancient peridot mine with a wreck, Rocky Island a small, current-swept reef with big animals.
Snorkelling
- Abu Dabbab BayShore entry
Long the most famous place in Egypt to try to snorkel with a dugong — sightings have grown less reliable in recent years — and near-certain green turtles, in a shallow sandy bay you walk into from the beach.
The town guide for Marsa Alam