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A whole pod of spinner dolphins — what you come here for.
  • Two dolphins just under the surface, over pale sand.
  • You swim with them, you do not chase them: the pod decides.

Marsa Alam & the Red Sea · Hamata, southern Red Sea

Satayah reef

A horseshoe reef where a colony of spinner dolphins comes to rest.

€€€ High end

Off Hamata, a lagoon closed by coral serves as a dormitory for spinner dolphins that spend the day there. Trips leave early, and observation is done swimming, at a distance, under strict rules.

The extra bit

Choose an operator that limits swimmer numbers and cuts the engine: that is what matters for the animals.

Know before you go

These are wild animals at rest: you do not touch them, do not chase them, and a trip may yield nothing.

Directions

Satayah reef, off Hamata, Red Sea

Directions

In the same spirit

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  • Wadi el-Gemal National Park

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  • Ain Sokhna

    The Gulf of Suez, about two hours from Cairo: freighters on the horizon and a day by the sea.

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