Sha'ab Samadai
Dolphin House Marsa Alam
Dolphin House is the local name for Sha'ab Samadai, a horseshoe reef 11 km off Marsa Alam where a pod of about 60 spinner dolphins rests every morning. Trips run daily: a half-day speedboat trip for 75 EUR (back by 11:30) or a full day on a boat with lunch for 80 EUR. Access is zoned and guided under marine-park rules.
Trips
Samadai Dolphin House by Speedboat (Half Day)
3 to 4 hours · 85 min in the water · Max 10 guests
Samadai Dolphin House Boat Trip (Full Day)
8 hours · 90 min in the water · Max 20 guests
Private Speedboat to Samadai Dolphin House
4–5 hours · 85 min in the water · Max 8 guests
Why it is called Dolphin House
The reef wall shelters a calm lagoon over white sand, and spinner dolphins have used it as a daytime resting place for as long as anyone in Marsa Alam remembers. It became a managed protected area in 2004 after boat pressure pushed the pod away; the zoning brought it back.
Two ways to go
By speedboat: 15 minutes from the marina, in the water before the day boats, back at the hotel by lunch. By day boat: a slower, shaded day with a hot lunch on board and more time at the reef. Both include a guided session with the dolphins and a second session on the outer coral.
Rules that protect the pod
No entry to the inner rest zone. Guided snorkeling only, life jackets available, slow entry, no chasing or touching, max 10 boats a day on fixed moorings, snorkeling window 10:00 to 14:00. Park tickets are included in the price.
Questions
Marsa Alam · Samadai · Sataya
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