Land Based Diving In Egypt

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Does Dahab have a variety of marine life to make it interesting for a UW photographer? If there is a choice, which place should one dive first, Marsa Shagra or Dahab (from a recreational UW photographer, not a technical diver)?
What type of marine life you want to photo? Big, small, coral...
 
All. What does it excel in?

I have yet to find a place in Egypt where big animals are not a scarcity. You will spot a whale shark or similar only if you're lucky once in a lot of dives. Some go years without. So for big animals I will choose not Egypt.

Dahab is excellent for reef & reef fish. As a photographer I enjoy Dahab macro very much, but need to know what to look for.

Most of the time for photos I spot medium sized marine life: octopus, barracuda, morena, turtle. Very common.

Last visit we went to find a giant morena living near the Mashraba bridge. Here is a photo from my phone.
 

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I have only dove in Dahab in Egypt. But I loved it so much that I am going back this August and diving with ScubaSeekers, where the second best divemaster I've ever dove with is now working (and I am hopefully diving with!) I was only OW certified before, and now I am AOW. Dahab was awesome! It's a very laid back small town, with a casual, funky feel. Food is dirt cheap, and housing can be dirt cheap as well. I loved seeing all the pillars of coral and the huge sea anenomes! It's the best combo of diving with town I've been to!
 
I have only dove in Dahab in Egypt. But I loved it so much that I am going back this August and diving with ScubaSeekers, where the second best divemaster I've ever dove with is now working (and I am hopefully diving with!) I was only OW certified before, and now I am AOW. Dahab was awesome! It's a very laid back small town, with a casual, funky feel. Food is dirt cheap, and housing can be dirt cheap as well. I loved seeing all the pillars of coral and the huge sea anenomes! It's the best combo of diving with town I've been to!


Was there enough variety in diving for recreational divers to enjoy all week without needing to visit other locations?
 
Does Dahab have a variety of marine life to make it interesting for a UW photographer? If there is a choice, which place should one dive first, Marsa Shagra or Dahab (from a recreational UW photographer, not a technical diver)?
Dahab has a poor marine life. If you see anything, it will be either the Islands or a night at the Lighthouse.
 
I cannot comment on Marsa Alam as I have not been, but between Hurghada, Sharm, and Dahab, my vote would be Dahab- especially if you're only interested in shore diving. As others have mentioned, you won't see a lot of large fauna- if that were your objective, I'd look more towards boat diving in Hurghada- but the reefs and reef fish are spectacular. Dahab is one of my all-time favorite locations for diving, and I'm hoping to make it back over there sometime next year.
 
Hi all and jasonallen825


As free diver ( to make films always from shore ) I like : Utopia, Mangrove Bay, Abu Dabbab, El Nabaa, Brayka Bay, Gorgonia, Shams Alam

If you are lucky you can see : whale shark, zebra shark, manta ray, dugong, lots of big turtle, dolphins, sailfish etc etc
I saw a sail fish at Shark Bay ( Sharm El Sheik area) … in the seri here below
Vintage pictures done with Nikonos …in ‘Freediving’

If you aren’t lucky you can be seen by : tiger shark and mako

Shams Alam 2023 Mer Rouge, à Mangrove Bay en octobre 2023.
Mangrove Bay 2023 Mer Rouge, à Mangrove Bay en octobre 2023.

For me, there are more big fish in the Red Sea than in Indonesia and without the risk of encountering a saltwater crocodile... which friends of mine have seen swimming 20 m in front of their homestay early in the morning.
The coral is of better quality in the Red Sea than in the Maldives, but there are more manta rays and whale sharks there.
 

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