Sahl Hasheesh house reef
One of the northern coast’s best shore snorkels — real reef within swimming distance of a sandy beach, no boat required.
Getting in
Walk in from the beach and swim out to the reef edge. Several hotels have jetties that skip the shallow section.
For a first Red Sea snorkel this is a kinder introduction than a boat trip: you can stand up in the shallows, get used to the mask, and swim out at your own pace. The reef along Sahl Hasheesh bay is genuinely good and considerably better than the bay’s quiet reputation suggests.
It is also the single strongest argument for choosing this bay over the busier options to the north.
What you are likely to see
- A continuous reef running along the bay, in decent condition
- The usual reef community in numbers — anthias, butterflyfish, wrasse
- Lionfish and morays in the overhangs
- The occasional turtle
Conditions
- Shallow, forgiving entry over sand
- The bay is somewhat sheltered, so it often works on windy days
- The drop-off is a real edge — deep water starts abruptly
What to watch out for
- Where there is no jetty, the swim out crosses a shallow reef flat. Time it badly at low water and you will be tempted to stand up. Do not — go around, or use a jetty.
- Once past the drop-off you are in open water with no shallow refuge. Stay parallel to the reef rather than heading out.
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.