Can I touch the dolphins?

No touching, chasing or feeding. You float at the edge of the rest zone with the guide and the dolphins choose how close they come. That is the marine-park rule and it is what keeps the pod coming back.

Samadai or Sataya: which is better?

Samadai is 11 km from Marsa Alam and the easiest trip, ideal with children or half a day. Sataya is far south with a much bigger pod (100 to 200 animals) and a calmer lagoon, but the day starts at 06:00. If you have one full day and want the biggest pod, Sataya. If you want easy, Samadai.

What is the best season for dolphins in Marsa Alam?

Dolphin numbers at Samadai peak from May to July. Water is warmest from August to October. Winter (December to March) is calmer and cooler, and a shorty wetsuit helps. The pods are resident, so every month works.

Which dolphin species will I see?

Spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) are the resident species at Samadai and Sataya. Bottlenose dolphins visit occasionally, and Wadi El Gemal also has Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins.

Dolphin guide

Spinner dolphins of the Red Sea

The dolphins you swim with in Marsa Alam are spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris): slim, 1.6 to 2 m long, named for their spinning leaps. They hunt at night in deep water and rest by day in shallow lagoons such as Samadai and Sataya, in pods of 60 to 200. Bottlenose dolphins visit the same reefs.

The species

Spinner dolphins are the smallest of the Red Sea dolphins: 1.6 to 2 m and 45 to 75 kg, three-tone grey with a long thin beak. They travel in pods from a few dozen to a few hundred, and they are the only dolphin that regularly spins on its long axis when it leaps, up to seven rotations in one jump.

Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) are bigger, greyer and more curious, and turn up at Samadai and Wadi El Gemal in small groups. Wadi El Gemal also has Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins in its shallow bays.

Night hunters, day resters

After dark the pod moves offshore to feed on lanternfish and squid that rise toward the surface. At sunrise it returns to a sheltered lagoon to rest, socialise and nurse calves. Resting dolphins swim slowly in tight formation and surface together; that is the state you meet them in at 10:00 at Samadai or at 06:00 on the Sataya overnight.

Play, spinning and bow-riding usually happen at the edges of the rest period, in the early morning and again in the afternoon when the pod starts to move out.

The encounter code

These rules are the marine-park code at Samadai and Sataya. They protect the pod and they also give you the better encounter: a resting pod that is not chased stays longer and comes closer.

Enter the water slowly, no jumping or splashing
Never touch, chase or feed the dolphins
No whistling or shouting under water
Stay with the guide inside the snorkeling zone
Extra space for mothers with calves

Season and conditions

Months	Water	Air	Dolphin numbers	Notes
Jan–Feb	22–24 °C	22–25 °C	lower	shorty wetsuit, calm seas most days
Mar–Apr	23–25 °C	25–30 °C	rising	some wind days, Samadai easier than Sataya
May–Jul	26–28 °C	33–38 °C	peak	the best months for numbers
Aug–Sep	28–29 °C	35–40 °C	high	flat sea, hot deck, sun protection
Oct–Nov	26–28 °C	28–32 °C	high	best all-round comfort
Dec	24–25 °C	23–26 °C	medium	calm and cooler

FAQ

No. They are wild. Both Samadai and Sataya have resident pods that rest in the lagoon on most days, and our guides know the timing. If the pod is not there we wait, move along the reef and snorkel the coral in the meantime. We do not refund for wild animals, and we tell you that honestly before you book.

Marsa Alam · Samadai · Sataya

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