Abu Dabbab: can you see turtles and dugongs?

Turtles, almost certainly. Green turtles feed on the seagrass in Abu Dabbab bay, north of Marsa Alam, almost every day, and you can watch them from the surface with a mask and snorkel. Dugongs are a matter of luck: only a few visit the bay, and local guides put the chance of seeing one on any day at less than one in two. Our beach trip from Marsa Alam costs $55 per person, with beach entry and a snorkelling instructor.

Where is Abu Dabbab?

Abu Dabbab (also spelled Abu Dabab) is a sandy bay about 30 to 35 km north of Marsa Alam town and a similar distance south of Marsa Alam airport. The middle of the bay is sand and seagrass, where the turtles feed, and there are coral reefs along both sides. A line of buoys keeps motor boats out of the bay, so everyone goes in from the beach.

How likely are you to see turtles?

Very likely. Green turtles live in the bay all year, and guides who know the bay say they are seen almost every day. Hawksbill turtles turn up too, less often. The turtles graze on the seagrass, so snorkellers can watch them from the surface without diving.

How likely are you to see a dugong?

Low. Dugongs, also called sea cows, are rare in Egypt: a 2024 study estimated only 73 to 97 of them in the north-western Red Sea off Egypt. Abu Dabbab has long been the best-known place to look for one, and local guides name two dugongs that visit the bay. Even so, a long-running Marsa Alam guide site puts the chance on any given day at less than fifty-fifty. Early morning gives the best odds.

If you do see a dugong, stay at least 2 m away and never chase or touch it.

Abu Dabbab by bus or Marsa Mubarak by boat?

We run two trips from Marsa Alam hotels for turtles, with a chance of dugongs: Abu Dabab bay by bus and Marsa Mubarak by boat.

	Abu Dabab bay by bus	Marsa Mubarak by boat
Price	From $55 per person	From $45 per person
Hotel pickup	About 8:00	About 8:00
Back at hotel	About 17:00	About 17:00
The day	On the beach at Abu Dabbab, with sun loungers and umbrellas	Two snorkelling stops from a yacht: turtles at Marsa Mubarak, a chance of dugongs at Shoni Bay
Included	Bus, guide, beach entry, snorkelling instructor	Bus, guide, yacht, snorkelling gear and instructor, lunch and soft drinks
Not included	Snorkelling gear, lunch, drinks	Diving, photos
Good for	Families with small children and a day on the sand	Snorkellers who want two sites and lunch on board

On both trips you can add a dive for an extra fee, from age 10. At Abu Dabbab you book it on the beach; for the boat trip, tell us when you book. If someone in your group does not swim, the Seascope semi-submarine (from $45) shows corals, fish and often turtles through the windows of its lower deck.

Beach entry and rules

Beach entry is included in our trip. If you go on your own, you pay at the gate: visitors in 2026 report paying about $15 to $20 per person, and some were charged €20, with a sun lounger and umbrella. Turtles and dugongs are protected in Egypt. Keep at least 2 m away, never touch, chase or feed them, and do not stand on the seagrass or the coral.

When to go

The turtles are there all year. The water is about 29 °C at its warmest in summer and about 22 °C in winter, when a wetsuit makes a long snorkel more comfortable. The Marsa Mubarak boat trip includes a thermal suit; on the bus trip you can rent one on the beach.

Tips

• Bring your own mask and snorkel if you have them. On the bus trip, gear is rented at extra cost.
• Lunch and drinks are not included on the bus trip, so bring them or money to buy them.
• The bay gets busy in the middle of the day. Go into the water soon after you arrive.
• Use reef-safe sunscreen and wear water shoes for the walk in.
• Keep a photo of your passport’s first page on your phone for the transfer.

More trips are on the Marsa Alam excursions page and the Marsa Alam boat trips page. For dolphins, read our Sataya Dolphin Reef guide.