Hurghada · Hurghada Marina, town centre
Royal Seascope
Hurghada's boat with portholes: see the coral without getting wet, or knowing how to swim.
The Royal Seascope leaves from Hurghada Marina, and it is not a submarine whatever the touts on the quay may say: it is a two-level boat whose air-conditioned cabin sits under the hull, a few metres below the surface, cut with wide portholes. You sit facing the glass, the boat crosses a reef, and coral, shoals of fish and sometimes a turtle pass by on the other side. Above, a sun deck for the ride. The trip lasts about two hours, of which some three quarters of an hour is spent watching, with an optional swimming stop. This is the formula for children who cannot swim yet, for grandparents, and for everyone whom a mask and snorkel have never tempted.
The extra bit
Ask for the first departure of the morning: the sea is flatter than late in the day and the light falls straighter into the water, so you see further. And board early — seats are taken as you arrive, and a seat at the back of the cabin is not a seat at a porthole.
Know before you go
The boat does not dive and the cabin is only a few metres down: what you see depends entirely on how clear the water is that day, and a windy day ruins the trip. With no horizon in front of your eyes, swell is felt faster in the cabin than on deck — sit near the stairs if you are prone to seasickness. The upper deck has no shade. At the marina the same trip is sold under several names and at several prices: check on the ticket that it is this boat, and ask whether the snorkelling stop is included, and whether the gear is too. Departures run to fixed times: this is a slot you book, not a quay you turn up at.
