A spinner dolphin gliding through the clear shallow water inside Sataya reef

Our signature trip

Sataya Overnight: two days at the Dolphin House

Sail from Hamata to Shaab Sataya, snorkel or dive with wild spinner dolphins, sleep on board under the stars, and finish on the Abu Galawa wreck.

Shaab Sataya — the reef everyone calls the Dolphin House — lies off the south-eastern coast near Marsa Alam, and it earned that name from the pod of spinner dolphins that lives here. Most visitors see it on a rushed day trip. Staying the night changes it completely: you are still on the reef when the day boats leave, the early morning water is yours, and you are in it at the hour the dolphins are most active. Divers and snorkellers travel on the same boat, and non-divers are very welcome.

  • Two days and a night on the reef, not a rushed day trip
  • Dawn snorkel or dive, before any day boat arrives
  • Cabin with private shower, all meals and transfers included
Part of the resident spinner dolphin pod resting in the shallows at Sataya

Day one / Day two

Day one

  1. 10:00

    Board at Hamata

    Meet the boat at Hamata Port. Settle into your cabin, then the boat briefing, check-in and equipment fitting with the crew before we cast off.

  2. Sailing out to Sataya

    Roughly two hours out to the reef. Use the crossing to spread out on one of the two sun decks while the guides run through the full dive and snorkel briefing.

  3. First dive or snorkel

    Into the water on the horseshoe reef. Depths run from 4 to 40 metres, so divers and snorkellers work the same site each at their own level.

  4. Lunch on board

    An open buffet in the saloon, then a proper break in the shade.

  5. Second dive or snorkel

    Back in, this time on a different part of Sataya — a fresh stretch of reef rather than a repeat of the morning.

  6. Evening

    Gabana and Egyptian music

    Bedouin coffee roasted and brewed in front of you on deck, Egyptian music playing, and the whole reef to yourselves once the day boats have gone home.

Day two

  1. 05:00

    The best hour of the trip

    Up early for a dawn dive or snorkel. This is when the dolphins are usually most active, the light comes through the reef at a low angle, and there is not another boat in sight.

  2. Breakfast

    Back on board to eat while the crew makes ready to move.

  3. Abu Galawa

    We sail on to Abu Galawa, one of the best sites on this stretch of coast: a coral garden with real topography to swim through, and colour in every direction.

  4. The wreck

    Do not miss the wreck itself — a small hull packed with thousands of glassfish, so dense that they move as one.

  5. 16:00

    Back at Hamata

    Alongside at Hamata Port around four in the afternoon, then your transfer back to the hotel.

What you can expect to see

Sataya is a living horseshoe reef, and Abu Galawa on the second morning is a completely different kind of dive. Between the two you get open water, coral garden and a wreck in the same trip.

  • Wild spinner dolphins — the reason the reef is called the Dolphin House
  • Whitetip sharks out in the blue
  • Spanish dancer nudibranchs, best on the dawn dive
  • Parrotfish and the full cast of Red Sea reef life
  • Dugong and turtle sightings are reported here, though never promised
  • Dive depths from 4 to 40 metres — the same reef suits a first-timer and an experienced diver
A spinner dolphin turning towards the camera below snorkellers at the surface
Moonlit night anchorage at Sataya with the zodiac tied alongside

On board

The boat is set up for people who are in and out of the water all day and then sleeping on it.

  • Ten cabins — five double, five twin — each with its own toilet and shower
  • Air conditioning throughout
  • Two sun decks, one of them fully shaded
  • A large saloon for meals, briefings and getting out of the sun
  • Open buffet meals, with cold and hot drinks all day
  • A maximum of 20 guests, so the boat never feels crowded

The boat and the cabins

  • The Aquatic Divers boat at anchor beside a Red Sea reef
    The Aquatic Divers boat at anchor beside a Red Sea reef
  • The side deck of the dive boat under way at sunset on the Red Sea
    The side deck of the dive boat under way at sunset on the Red Sea
  • The air-conditioned saloon on board, set for meals and briefings
    The air-conditioned saloon on board, set for meals and briefings
  • Double cabin on board with private bathroom door
    Double cabin on board with private bathroom door
  • Twin cabin with bunk beds, towels laid out
    Twin cabin with bunk beds, towels laid out
  • Private toilet and shower in a guest cabin
    Private toilet and shower in a guest cabin

What's included

What's included

  • Open buffet meals — lunch, dinner and breakfast
  • Cold and hot drinks throughout the trip
  • Coffee, tea and snacks
  • Snorkelling guide
  • Transfer in an air-conditioned vehicle, from hotels between El Quseir and Hamata
  • Cabin with private toilet and shower

Not included

  • Scuba equipment rental
  • Marine park fee — 5 USD per person per day, paid on board
  • Tips for the crew

Both prices are per person and cover meals, drinks, transfers and your cabin. Scuba equipment rental and the marine park fee of 5 USD per person per day are paid separately on board.

Questions people ask

Do I have to be a certified diver?

No. Snorkellers and non-divers are welcome and travel on the same boat, and a snorkelling guide is included. Sataya starts at about four metres, so snorkellers see the reef and the dolphins properly. If you would like to dive but are not certified yet, we can fit a course or an introductory dive in before the trip.

Will I definitely see dolphins?

Almost always — but nobody can promise wild animals. The pod lives at Sataya year round and sightings are common, which is the whole argument for staying overnight: you are on the reef at dawn, when they are most active and before the day boats arrive.

Where does the trip start and finish?

Hamata Port, south of Marsa Alam. Transfers are included from hotels between El Quseir and Hamata, and from the airport or port on request. The trip ends back at Hamata at around 16:00 on the second day.

Where do we sleep?

In a cabin on board. There are ten — five double and five twin — each with its own toilet, shower and air conditioning. A good number of guests end up sleeping out on deck under the stars instead, which is half the point of the trip.

What should I bring?

Swimwear, a towel, sun protection, a light layer for the evening, and something warm for the dawn dive — five in the morning on deck is cooler than people expect. Bring your certification card and logbook if you are diving, and cash for the marine park fee and tips.

What if I get seasick?

Sataya is a sheltered horseshoe reef and the boat lies inside it overnight, so the nights are usually calm. The two-hour crossing is the exposed part — if you are prone to seasickness, take something before boarding rather than after.

Ready to book Sataya?

Tell us your dates and how many of you are diving. We will confirm availability and your price, usually the same day.

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