One of the few places on Earth where you can swim with the rare and gentle dugong.
About this trip
Abu Dabbab is a wide horseshoe bay 30 kilometres north of Marsa Alam town. A seagrass meadow covers most of the bay floor, and seagrass is the favourite food of dugongs, the gentle marine mammals once mistaken by sailors for mermaids. Roughly two of the bay's resident dugongs come in to feed during daylight hours, and around eight green turtles graze the same meadow.
Trip highlights
- Famous dugong feeding bay
- Green sea turtles year-round
- Easy shore entry, kid friendly
What you will see underwater
Dugongs (sightings on around 60 percent of trips), green turtles (every trip), guitarfish, occasional manta on the deep edge in winter.
Identify every fish and coral you'll meetBest time to go
Year-round, but May to October has the highest dugong sighting rate. We do not chase or feed the dugongs, the encounter happens on the animal's terms.
Travel tips
Shore entry over rocky reef, water shoes recommended. The bay is shallow throughout, you can see the seagrass meadow from above water.
Bringing kids?
Excellent for families. Calm water, knee-deep at the entry, lifeguard on duty during peak hours.
What's included
- Hotel pickup & drop-off
- Snorkeling gear (mask, snorkel, fins, vest)
- Buffet lunch on board
- Soft drinks, tea & water
- Certified captain & crew
- Insurance
- Underwater camera (extra)
- Alcoholic drinks (extra)
- Tip for captain & crew (optional)
Daily itinerary
Approximate. Subject to weather and sea conditions.
- 08:00Hotel pickup
- 09:00Arrival at the reef bay
- 09:30Snorkeling session 1
Easy shore entry. Resident turtles and reef fish.
- 11:30Refreshments break
- 12:30Snorkeling session 2
- 13:30Lunch
- 15:00Hotel drop-off
Free cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours before the trip start time and get a full refund. After that, we can usually reschedule but cash is non-refundable.
Guest reviews
29 verified reviews from real guests
Cel mai bun moment al vacanței
Pur și simplu wow. Țestoase ȘI un dugong, loc magic. Rezervare ușoară, preț corect.
假期最精彩的部分。 儒艮就在我们脚下吃东西 — 一生难忘！ 酒店准时接送，船员友好。
أفضل يوم في الرحلة
حجزنا في آخر لحظة ومبسوطين جداً. شفنا بقرة بحر بتأكل تحتنا — تجربة مرة في العمر! الحجز سهل والسعر صادق.
Smooth booking, smooth day. Turtles AND a dugong, this place is special. Pickup was on time and crew super friendly.
Absolutely amazing
What an incredible day! Turtles AND a dugong, this place is special. Booking was effortless and price was honest.
Felejthetetlen!
Egyszerűen szuper. Teknősök ÉS egy dugong, varázslatos hely. Bárkinek, aki Egyiptomba megy.
Absolutely amazing
Smooth booking, smooth day. Turtles AND a dugong, this place is special. Pickup was on time and crew super friendly.
Întreaga familie s-a distrat. Un dugong mânca chiar sub noi — odată în viață! Sigur rezervăm din nou.
Show all 29 reviews
A vakáció fénypontja. Teknősök ÉS egy dugong, varázslatos hely. Legközelebb is őket választjuk.
Réservation de dernière minute, aucun regret. Tortues ET un dugong, lieu spécial. Déjeuner à bord copieux et savoureux.
أفضل يوم في الرحلة
ما توقعتش الكلام ده. سلاحف ودلافين والبقرة، مكان خرافي. هحجز معاهم تاني أكيد.
Unsere Familie war begeistert. Schildkröten UND ein Dugong, magischer Ort. Pünktliche Hotelabholung, freundliche Crew.
Sehr empfehlenswert
Spontan gebucht und nicht bereut. Wir haben einen Dugong direkt unter uns gesehen — Wahnsinn! Beim nächsten Mal definitiv wieder.
Inoubliable !
Réservation de dernière minute, aucun regret. Tortues ET un dugong, lieu spécial. Recommandé sans hésiter pour qui visite l'Égypte.
Quelle journée incroyable ! Un dugong est venu se nourrir juste sous nous — magique ! Prise à l'hôtel à l'heure, équipage adorable.
强烈推荐
真是难以置信的一天！ 海龟和儒艮都看到了。 推荐给每一位来埃及的朋友。
Какой потрясающий день! Черепахи И дюгонь, особенное место. Бронирование простое, цена честная.
Maximálisan ajánlom
Micsoda nap! Egy dugong evett közvetlenül alattunk — egyszeri élmény! Bárkinek, aki Egyiptomba megy.
Hele gezin genoot. Schildpadden EN een doejong, magische plek. Boeking moeiteloos, prijs eerlijk.
Worth every penny
Honestly the highlight of our holiday. We saw a dugong feeding right below us — once in a lifetime! Will definitely book with them again next visit.
Geweldig
Echt geweldig. Doejong at onder ons — eens in een leven! Aanrader voor iedereen in Egypte.
Absolut superb
Pur și simplu wow. Un dugong mânca chiar sub noi — odată în viață! Rezervare ușoară, preț corect.
Absolut traumhaft
Was für ein Tag! Schildkröten UND ein Dugong, magischer Ort. Beim nächsten Mal definitiv wieder.
Sehr empfehlenswert
Unsere Familie war begeistert. Schildkröten UND ein Dugong, magischer Ort. Klare Empfehlung für jeden Ägypten-Besucher.
Le top de nos vacances. Un dugong est venu se nourrir juste sous nous — magique ! Recommandé sans hésiter pour qui visite l'Égypte.
难忘的一天！
简直惊艳。 海龟和儒艮都看到了。 预订简单，价格诚实。
Egyszerűen csodás
Egyszerűen szuper. Teknősök ÉS egy dugong, varázslatos hely. Legközelebb is őket választjuk.
Best day of our trip
Honestly the highlight of our holiday. Turtles AND a dugong, this place is special. Pickup was on time and crew super friendly.
Unvergesslich!
Unsere Familie war begeistert. Schildkröten UND ein Dugong, magischer Ort. Mittagessen an Bord war reichlich und lecker.
Trip-specific questions
Are dugongs guaranteed at Abu Dabbab?
No, this is a wild animal and we never guarantee a sighting. Honest numbers: dugongs show up on around 60 percent of trips, green turtles on every trip. The bay is one of only a handful of places in the world where a daytime dugong encounter is even possible.
How close can I get to a dugong?
The rangers and our guides keep snorkelers at a respectful distance, roughly five metres, no flash photography, no fin splashing, no chasing. The dugong sets the pace, sometimes it grazes calmly while you watch from above, sometimes it surfaces for air right next to you on its own terms.
Is it shore-entry or by boat?
Shore-entry. You walk in from the beach over a few metres of rocky reef, then float out over the seagrass meadow. Water shoes are recommended. The bay is shallow throughout, you can see the seagrass beds and turtles from chest-deep water.
Is it ethical to swim with dugongs?
When done right, yes. The rangers enforce the distance rule, the bay is a protected zone, no feeding allowed, no touching, no surrounding. If a dugong wants to leave, it leaves. Operators who break the rules get banned from the bay.
