Snorkeling Boat Trip with Dugongs and Turtles in Marsa Alam

Highly recommend this trip and would do it again!

Great trip, highly recommend!! Professional, friendly, safety first team, divided us in smaller groups to avoid being too many at the same time. We saw turtles and lion fish, sting rays. No dugong but got great films and pictures from the photographer who took great videos and pictures of us snorkling with turtles. Absolutely worth the 35 euros.

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An Unforgettable Tour – But Please Respect the Endangered Dugongs

⚠️ IMPORTANT WARNING – PLEASE READ BEFORE JOINING THIS TOUR Dugongs are an endangered species and their situation is becoming more critical every year. They must come to the surface frequently to breathe, and the sea grass they feed on has already been reduced by about 50%. While they normally need around 4–5 hours of feeding during the day, many of them are now forced to eat only 1–2 hours at night because of constant disturbance. They are extremely sensitive animals and their entire ecological balance is being destroyed. The thought that I might be among the last people to ever see dugongs in Marsa Alam truly breaks my heart. I hope that tourists who read this will behave more respectfully and responsibly around these beautiful creatures. I would also like to highlight that our lead diver Ramadan was the only one among many guides from different boats who clearly and loudly asked everyone to keep distance from the animals. For this, he deserves special respect. ⸻ Today we joined the Marsa Alam boat tour and it was a wonderful experience. We saw dugongs and sea turtles, and we were very lucky to also encounter a large group of dolphins. We were very happy with the entire crew – especially Ramadan who accompanied us in the water, the chef who prepared delicious meals, the captain and all staff on board. Everyone was friendly, professional and made us feel safe and comfortable. Just a small but important note for future guests: During the tour, a thermal wetsuit (neoprene suit) is offered for rent for the whole day, not just for a single dive. This was not mentioned when we booked the tour. If you choose to use it, there is an extra charge of 10 € per person. Since we were not sure about the water temperature and we were told that we would stay in the water for around 45 minutes per dive, my daughter and I rented the suits at the beginning of the day. After the first dive we realized that we were not cold, so we didn’t use the suits for the second dive. I’m sharing this so that future guests are informed in advance – some people may not bring extra cash with them. There is also a polite tipping moment at the end. No pressure at all, but if you are happy with the service, it’s a nice way to appreciate the crew. Another optional cost is for photos and videos. They ask 40 USD or 40 €, usually before you can see the full content. You can only view 2–3 samples on a small camera screen, which makes it difficult to judge the quality. Since 40 USD is not equal to 40 €, I actually paid a bit more than the dollar price, but I didn’t feel the need to negotiate because I saw how much effort the photographer put into his work. The photos and videos will be sent via a WhatsApp download link. Overall, we were very satisfied. However, if you are someone who wants to spend more time in the water or you are really into underwater photography, I would recommend asking for a private tour, if available.

Response from the operator: Thank you very much for your detailed and thoughtful review. We truly appreciate you taking the time to share both your experience and your important perspective on protecting marine life. Respect for animals like dugongs and dolphins is something we take very seriously, and we are glad to hear that Ramadan ensured guests kept a proper distance — we will be sure to pass on your kind words to him. We’re also very happy that you enjoyed the overall trip, the crew, and the service on board. Your notes regarding wetsuits, optional extras, and transparency are very valuable, and we will take them into consideration to improve communication for future guests. Thank you again for your honest and balanced feedback. We hope to welcome you and your family again in the future! Kind regards, Red Sea Offers Ltd

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All promises kept

A perfectly coordinated, safe, and well-organized experience – starting with a smooth transfer including pick-up and drop-off. At the harbor, we were welcomed onto a very clean and well-maintained boat, cared for by a super friendly, fun, and motivated crew. The first guided stop took us to a reef, and the second spot turned out to be our personal highlight – where we were lucky enough to see a manatee, turtles, rays, and clownfish. Our guide even managed to capture some unforgettable moments with our own camera – thank you for that! After a delicious lunch, we were comfortably brought back to our hotel.

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From the moment we stepped aboard the boat

we could feel the magic of the Red Sea The crew was warm and welcoming providing top notch equipment and guiding us with expertise through the vibrant underwater world

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Snorkeling with turles

This trip was made up by 3 parts, the boat trip, snorkeling with turtles and snorkeling at a coral reef. The boat trip was sometimes rolling due to the wave action, if you easily get sea sick, take a pill before. The lunch on the boat was good. At the first stop we saw about 4-5 giant turtles, the staff did not know to tell what kind it was, (probably green turtle). We did not see Dugongs during snorkeling but we saw one from the boat. We were told the only one Dugong visit the bay to feed and then return to sea. Second stop was at another bay for snorkeling, the corals were mostly dead, probably due to the high amount of tourist boats coming and stir up sand from the bottom with there action. Conclusion, if you feel it worth a 8-9 hour trip for snorkeling with turtles for 30-49 minutes, you should go. The second stop is a waste of time, most hotels have better house reef.

Response from the operator: Dear Carl, Thank you for sharing your detailed feedback. We’re glad to hear you enjoyed seeing the turtles and appreciated the lunch on board. We understand your concerns about the condition of the coral reef and the overall experience at the second stop. Your comments are valuable to us, and we’ll use them to further improve the tour and minimize environmental impact. Should you have any additional suggestions or questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Best regards Red Sea offers LTD

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