Scuba holidays in Marsa Alam

Marsa Alam, situated in the south-east of Egypt is the perfect destination of where to spend your Scuba holidays. The dive sites are located close by for all levels of divers, from beginner’s right up to the deepest technical diver. The sites are uncrowded in comparison to other dive areas such the Great Barrier reef. Equally all of the sites offer great snorkelling possibilities too for those whom are too young to dive or would rather stay close to the surface. Perhaps one of the most magnetic possibilities for Scuba holidays Marsa Alam is the possibility of getting up close to one of the most magnificent creatures in the ocean, The Whale Shark.
Found commonly throughout April, May and June, whale sharks are gentle and often stay around divers for an extended period, showing more interest then fear by our presence.
The "Small Bay of the Market" (Marsa Shouni Soraya) has a distinctive shape offering a variety of dive sites ideal for new and experienced divers alike during their Scuba holidays. There is also a sheltered lagoon where baby eagle rays have been regularly spotted. The signature table corals harbour a massive array of life and its reefs are teeming with shrimps, scorpion fishes and barracuda. The bay has a resident hawksbill turtle and dolphins are regular visitors, Whale sharks are sometimes spotted just outside the bay also.

You can decide on a Scuba holidays in Marsa Alam throughout the year, however it is best during the summer months. Sometime around April to May the visibility is greatly reduced due to Plankton Bloom, but if you want to encounter whale sharks you must visit Marsa Alam by the beginning of summer and end of spring. Renowned for its diverse marine life and incredible coral reefs, Marsa Alam is a ruby by the Red Sea. I recently travelled to Marsa as one of Active Divings last minute Scuba holidays (087 123 11 122, http://.www.activediving.co.uk).
Throughout the year the average temperature remains in its thirties and forties. While the hottest month is August, the coolest month is January with the temperature dipping during the night. Generally windy, Marsa Alam witnesses a rough sea during November and the waves at times might be large. Featuring prominently in the tourist map of the world, Marsa Alam is fast becoming a hot spot for all tourists.
Diving is a very popular sport and everywhere in the world people especially all divers participate in the sport with much zest and vigor. Marsa Alam provides special diving facilities to all visitors, there are numerous diving spots here in Marsa Alam. The place is known to attract people from all over the world and people get thrilled to see the sea and thus cannot wait to explore the diving opportunities here. The Red Sea coast is a popular tourist destination here and provides excellent diving opportunities to all enthusiasts.
The clear blue waters of Red Sea, the coral reefs and the underwater wonders are all reasons why Scuba holidays are so popular to the destination. There are plenty of diving resorts, diving centres and camps that are all ready to help you out with your adventure! You can also opt for some certified courses on scuba diving in Marsa Alam predominantly offered by PADI.

You can go for scuba diving either from shore or you can also take the boats that take you on full day or half-day trips. There are plenty of excellent diving sites and some thrilling drop offs. Here are some popular diving sites in Marsa Alam for your Scuba holidays:
Marsa Mubarak
The largest and most versatile dive site accessible from Port Ghalib offers seven wildly different diving experiences offering the chance to see everything from puffer fishes to dugongs, giant green sea turtles to trunk fishes and everything in-between. Offering sea grass, pinnacles, coral gardens and reef walls this dive site offers a change of seeing just about all the flora and fauna the Red Sea has to offer.

Marsa Shouni Kebir
Offering some of the most picturesque dive sites in the southern Red Sea, the "Large Bay of the Market" is probably most famous for the massive variety of rays that call its sea grass plane home. Eagle, leopard, feather-tail, grey and thorny rays are all regularly spotted alongside a large school of golden trevallies and a menagerie of different snake eels. Turtles are abundant here and there is a great chance to meet "George", a giant green sea turtle who sleeps in the same spot most mornings on the South Reef.

Ras El Torfa (Abu Syel)
A protected area for mooring along the dynamic fringing reef offers three very different dives with incredible topography and stunning corals, the highlight being and enormous ball of rock and coral perched at the end of an enormous coral tongue. Its location encourages pelagic and schooling fishes in enormous schools and white tip reef sharks and even mantas have been spotted here.
Marsa Morena
The "Bay of the Moray Eel" offers several widely contrasting dives from caves to pinnacles. The unique angle of the bay encourages greater than normal water movement encouraging an abundance of life and regular eagle ray and barracuda sightings, whilst its shallow sandy plateau holds rarities like the stargazer and velvet fish as well as a wealth of soles, flounders and torpedo rays.

Abu Dabab Reefs
With a beautiful coral garden, dramatic cave system and a small wreck the Abu Dabab reef system truly has it all. Several large Napoleon wrasse patrol its reefs and some enormous moray eels guard its coral blocks. Its exposed northern reefs are abundant with fish attracting large pelagics including sharks.

Marsa Abu Dabab
A world famous selection of dive sites boasting an unbelievable number of giant turtles as well as the chance to spot Dugongs and Guitar sharks. A must for anyone visiting the southern Red Sea the bay has now closed to boats and access from the shore now offers a much more peaceful and relaxed diving experience.

Elphinstone
A large cigar-shaped offshore reef that offers wall diving that is both exhilarating and spectacular with regular sightings of large pelagics including oceanic whitetip sharks, tuna and barracuda as well as hammerheads, napoleons and turtles; all drawn to the reef by its strong currents and abundance of fish life.

Sha'ab Samadai
A short ride by bus and boat from Port Ghalib is Sha'ab Samadai, a horseshoe shaped reef known locally as Dolphin House. Offering truly spectacular diving including the awe inspiring cathedral swim-through and a remarkable collection of hard and soft coral, anemone cities and a resident napoleon wrasse this can be a highlight of your stay. The reef is also used regularly by a pod of spinner dolphins and there can be an opportunity to snorkel with them between dives.

Make the most out of your Scuba holidays in Marsa Alam and enrol yourself on a PADI Open Water course with Active Diving before you leave to make the most out of your Scuba holidays this summer (087 123 11 122, http://www.activediving.co.uk)

Author: Emma Parker (22/08/08)

That’s all for now on Scuba holidays