Marsa Alam & Port Ghalib · Egypt · Lagoon · Sand slope · Reef
Marsa Mubarak
Two resident dugongs grazing a shallow seagrass meadow.
Photo: Kora27 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Marsa Mubarak is a broad bay near Marsa Alam whose seagrass meadow holds two resident dugongs. The diving is shallow, 3 to 12 metres over grass and sand, with turtles seen frequently and eagle rays among the regular sightings. It is quieter than nearby Abu Dabbab and is reached by a short boat ride from the beach at the Iberotel Costa Mares.
Where it is and how deep
25.5088° N, 34.6512° EPublished position for this site.
The dive
The dive is a slow search over seagrass rather than a reef tour. You drop into the bay from the boat and work across the meadow between 3 and 12 metres, which is where the two resident dugongs feed. Turtles turn up frequently on the same grass, and eagle rays are among the animals seen over the open sand, so the whole dive is spent shallow and unhurried with plenty of gas in reserve.
Early morning is the better slot: the guides based on the bay say the animals move most reliably then, and it stays quiet compared with Abu Dabbab up the coast. Sightings are never certain, so the working rules are to keep your distance, make no sudden movements, and never put yourself between a dugong and the surface, since it has to come up to breathe. The bay's deepest ground lies around 30 metres, but there is little reason to go there.
Marine life and season
- Dugongs & manatees
- Sea turtles
- Eagle rays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime |
Season follows Marsa Alam & Port Ghalib: Diving runs all year; early autumn has the warmest sea without the August crowds.
Dive videos
Port Ghalib- Marsa Mubarak #underwater #nature #redsea · Kath Rin on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can you see dugongs at Marsa Mubarak?+
Two dugongs live in the bay and feed on its seagrass, and turtles are seen frequently. Nothing is guaranteed - they are wild animals over a large meadow - but the dive centre on the bay rates the chances higher here than at Abu Dabbab, and early morning better than later in the day.
How deep is the diving at Marsa Mubarak?+
Shallow: 3 to 12 metres over seagrass and sand, well inside Open Water limits. The bay reaches about 30 metres at its deepest, but the animals are on the grass in the shallows.
Sources
- Marsa Mubarak dive site — PADI
- Dive Marsa Mubarak (Dugongs & Turtles) — Scuba World Divers
Photo credits
- Branching stony coral colonies on a reef in Marsa Mubarak bay, Red Sea. by Kora27, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
More dive sites in Marsa Alam & Port Ghalib
Reef
Shallow reef to 15-20 m with pinnacles off the southeast
Two resident dugongs graze the seagrass in a bay you wade into
Coral garden
Coral garden to 25 m, a quarter of an hour south of the marina
Best chances of oceanic whitetips run from October to December.
Reef
A horseshoe of reef enclosing a pool of coral gardens
Wall
Starts at a 27 m pinnacle by the drop-off, then drifts shallow
Reef
Canyons cut into a reef table at only 8-10 m
Walk-in bay entry onto north and south reefs
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Lagoon
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A current-free lagoon between three of the Koh Haa islands
Seahorses among the seagrass beds of a quiet lagoon
A resident pod of 100-plus spinner dolphins rests here each morning