Shaab El Erg
The dolphin reef north of Hurghada — a shallow horseshoe lagoon with coral pinnacles, and a resident spinner pod that comes and goes.
Getting in
From the boat into a shallow, sandy-bottomed lagoon. Gentler than most boat drops.
Shaab El Erg is a large horseshoe reef easiest reached from El Gouna. Inside the horseshoe the water is shallow, sandy and bright, with coral pinnacles scattered through it — which makes it one of the more relaxed boat snorkels on the coast, dolphins or no dolphins.
Treat it as a good easy reef with a decent chance of dolphins, rather than as a dolphin trip. Booked that way, it rarely disappoints.
What you are likely to see
- Coral pinnacles rising from sand — easy to navigate around
- Spinner dolphins, resident in the area but genuinely free-ranging
- Turtles and rays on the sand between pinnacles
- Good macro life on the pinnacles for anyone who looks closely
Conditions
- Sheltered inside the horseshoe; calmer than open-water sites
- Shallow enough that the light is excellent
- The outer edge picks up current — stay inside the lagoon
What to watch out for
- The dolphins use this 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 exactly this. A responsible skipper keeps distance and lets the animals choose. Ask how yours behaves before you book.
- "Dolphin House" is a marketing name, not a promise. Treat a sighting as luck.
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 — El Gouna
Dive sites
- Shaab El ErgBeginner
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.
Kitesurfing
- Mangroovy BeachAll levels
Egypt’s best-known kite beach and the centre of the country’s kite scene — consistent side-onshore wind, a big shallow area, and a lot of other people.
The town guide for El Gouna