Egypt
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Where to dive in Egypt
Hurghada
Red Sea
TEMPERATURE21°C - 30°CVISIBILITY15 - 40 m
Abu Dabbab
Red Sea
TEMPERATURE22°C - 31°CVISIBILITY15 - 30 m
Brothers Islands
Red Sea
TEMPERATURE21°C - 31°CVISIBILITY25 - 40 m
Daedalus Reef
Red Sea
TEMPERATURE21°C - 30°CVISIBILITY25 - 40 m
Elphinstone Reef
Red Sea
TEMPERATURE20°C - 32°CVISIBILITY20 - 40 m
Sharm el-Sheikh
Red Sea
TEMPERATURE21°C - 30°CVISIBILITY20 - 40 m
Top species 24
- Unlikely
- Likely
- Very likely
Cathemeral Frequent sightingsBigeye Thresher Shark
Alopias superciliosus
The Bigeye Thresher (Alopias superciliosus) is a large pelagic shark characterized by its exceptionally large eyes adapted for low-light hunting and a whip-like caudal fin, which can be nearly half its total body length and is used to stun prey. It performs daily vertical migrations, residing in deep waters during the day and ascending to surface waters at night to feed on fish and squid. This species is found in temperate and tropical oceans worldwide and is currently listed as Vulnerable.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsBluecheek Butterflyfish
Chaetodon semilarvatus
The Bluecheek Butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus) is a striking golden-yellow fish with delicate red vertical lines and a distinctive blue patch around its eyes. Endemic to the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, it typically inhabits coral reefs where it feeds on coral polyps, algae, and small invertebrates. This species is known for forming monogamous, long-term pairs that often patrol and defend their feeding territories.
BEST SEASON
Nocturnal Frequent sightingsBluespotted Ribbontail Ray
Taeniura lymma
The Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray is a striking stingray with an oval, flattened body covered in bright electric blue spots on a yellowish to olive-green background, and blue stripes along its tail. It primarily inhabits shallow coral reefs and sandy flats across the Indo-West Pacific, often hiding in caves or under ledges during the day. This ray is a nocturnal carnivore, feeding on small benthic invertebrates and fish, and possesses venomous tail spines for defense.
BEST SEASON
Cathemeral Frequent sightingsCommon Bottlenose Dolphin
Tursiops truncatus
The Common Bottlenose Dolphin is a robust dolphin characterized by its short, stocky snout and grey coloration with a paler underbelly. Highly intelligent and social, these dolphins form complex fission-fusion societies. They are found globally in temperate and tropical marine waters, and are known for their active swimming, leaps, and use of echolocation for hunting.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsCommon Thresher Shark
Alopias vulpinus
The common thresher shark is a large pelagic shark recognized by its exceptionally long upper tail lobe, which it uses to stun schooling fish. It is an active predator found in temperate and tropical waters, often inhabiting offshore environments and occasionally approaching coastal areas.
BEST SEASON
Cathemeral Frequent sightingsDugong
Dugong dugon
The dugong is a large marine mammal, often called a 'sea cow' due to its herbivorous diet, primarily consisting of seagrass. They inhabit warm coastal waters across the Indo-West Pacific, playing a crucial role in maintaining seagrass meadows. These shy creatures are typically solitary or found in pairs, but can occasionally gather in large herds.
BEST SEASON
Nocturnal Frequent sightingsGiant Moray
Gymnothorax javanicus
The Giant Moray (Gymnothorax javanicus) is the largest moray eel by body mass, known for its powerful jaws and distinctive leopard-like spots behind its head in adulthood. It is a nocturnal predator, primarily feeding on fish and crustaceans within coral reef ecosystems. This species plays a crucial role as an apex predator and is often observed in cooperative hunting with groupers.
BEST SEASON
Variable Frequent sightingsGiant Trevally
Caranx ignobilis
The giant trevally (Caranx ignobilis) is a large, powerful predatory fish found throughout the tropical Indo-Pacific region. Known for its steep head profile and robust body, it can reach up to 170 cm in length and 80 kg in weight. This apex predator feeds primarily on fish, but also consumes crustaceans and cephalopods, often hunting in solitary or small groups, though juveniles form schools.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsGreat Barracuda
Sphyraena barracuda
The Great Barracuda is a large predatory fish known for its fearsome appearance and speed. It has an elongated body, pointed head, and large teeth, making it a proficient hunter in coastal and open waters.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsGreen Sea Turtle
Chelonia mydas
The green sea turtle is a large marine reptile distinguished by its heart-shaped carapace and a single pair of prefrontal scales.
BEST SEASON
Variable Frequent sightingsGrey Reef Shark
Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos
The Grey Reef Shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) is a medium to large-sized requiem shark, common in Indo-Pacific coral reefs and adjacent waters. Characterized by its grey body and a distinctive broad black band on the trailing edge of its caudal fin, it is a fast and agile predator. These sharks are known for their social daytime aggregations, which disperse at night for individual hunting.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsHawksbill Sea Turtle
Eretmochelys imbricata
The Hawksbill Sea Turtle is a medium-sized marine turtle recognizable by its distinctive hawk-like beak and overlapping scutes, which create a serrated edge on its carapace. Primarily found in tropical coral reefs, it plays a crucial role in these ecosystems by feeding mainly on sponges, which are toxic to most other animals. This species is critically endangered due to historical exploitation for its beautiful shell and ongoing threats like habitat loss and bycatch.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsHumphead Wrasse
Cheilinus undulatus
The Humphead Wrasse is one of the largest reef fish, identifiable by a prominent hump on its forehead and thick fleshy lips. It is a protogynous hermaphrodite, meaning individuals are born female and some transition to males later in life. This carnivorous species plays a crucial role in coral reef ecosystems by preying on hard-shelled invertebrates and toxic animals like the crown-of-thorns starfish.
BEST SEASON
Nocturnal Frequent sightingsLionfish
Pterois spp.
Lionfish (genus Pterois) are venomous marine fish native to the Indo-Pacific, characterized by their conspicuous warning coloration of red or black bands and fan-like fins tipped with venomous spines. They are opportunistic predators, feeding primarily on small fish and invertebrates. While typically solitary, they may aggregate for breeding or to share shelters, and are known for their nocturnal hunting behavior.
BEST SEASON
Cathemeral Frequent sightingsOceanic Whitetip Shark
Carcharhinus longimanus
The oceanic whitetip shark is a large pelagic shark recognized by its broad, rounded fins tipped in white. It inhabits tropical and subtropical open oceans and is an opportunistic predator, feeding mainly on fish, squid, and carrion.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsOcellated Eagle Ray
Aetobatus ocellatus
The Ocellated Eagle Ray, also known as the Whitespotted Eagle Ray, is a large ray characterized by a dark greenish-grey to black dorsal surface covered with numerous white spots, and a white underside. It possesses a flattened, diamond-shaped body, a prominent snout, and a long, whip-like tail armed with venomous spines. This species primarily feeds on hard-shelled invertebrates, such as mollusks and crustaceans, which it crushes with its specialized dental plates.
BEST SEASON
Variable Frequent sightingsReef Manta Ray
Mobula alfredi
The Reef Manta Ray (Mobula alfredi) is a large filter-feeding ray found in tropical and subtropical waters, primarily around coral reefs and coastal areas. Known for its pelagic lifestyle, it feeds on zooplankton and exhibits complex social behaviors, often forming aggregations at feeding or cleaning stations. This species is listed as Vulnerable due to threats from overfishing and its slow reproductive rate.
BEST SEASON
Cathemeral Frequent sightingsScalloped Hammerhead Shark
Sphyrna lewini
The Scalloped Hammerhead Shark is a large, migratory shark easily recognized by the central indentation on its hammer-shaped head. These sharks are found globally in warm temperate and tropical coastal and oceanic waters, often forming large schools around seamounts and islands. They are primarily nocturnal foragers, feeding on a diverse diet of bony fishes, cephalopods, crustaceans, and smaller sharks and rays.
BEST SEASON
Cathemeral Frequent sightingsSilky Shark
Carcharhinus falciformis
The Silky Shark (Carcharhinus falciformis) is a large, slender requiem shark named for the smooth texture of its skin, attributed to densely packed dermal denticles. It is a highly migratory species found in warm tropical and subtropical waters worldwide, often associating with schools of tuna and oceanic fronts. These opportunistic carnivores primarily feed on bony fishes and cephalopods, exhibiting agile and fast hunting behaviors.
BEST SEASON
Variable Frequent sightingsSilvertip Shark
Carcharhinus albimarginatus
The Silvertip Shark is a large, streamlined requiem shark identifiable by the prominent white tips and trailing margins on all its fins. It is an aggressive apex predator, often dominating other sharks during feeding, and can be found in various tropical Indo-Pacific marine habitats from the surface to considerable depths. While often solitary or in pairs, it can also form small groups or mixed-species aggregations and exhibits variable activity patterns throughout the day and night.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Spotted Seahorse
Hippocampus kuda
The Spotted Seahorse (Hippocampus kuda) is a distinctive marine fish known for its horse-like head, prehensile tail, and often mottled or spotted coloration, ranging from yellow to black. It inhabits shallow coastal waters, including seagrass beds, mangroves, and coral reefs, across the Indo-Pacific region. Primarily diurnal, this species is a carnivorous ambush predator, feeding on small crustaceans and zooplankton, and is notable for the male carrying the eggs in a brood pouch until hatching.
BEST SEASON
Nocturnal Frequent sightingsStonefish
Synanceia verrucosa
The stonefish is one of the most venomous marine fish in the world, known for its exceptional camouflage that makes it resemble a rock or coral. It is a benthic ambush predator that remains motionless on the seabed, waiting for prey to pass close enough to strike.
BEST SEASON
Diurnal Frequent sightingsWhale Shark
Rhincodon typus
The whale shark is the largest fish in the world and a gentle filter feeder.
BEST SEASON
Nocturnal Frequent sightingsWhitetip Reef Shark
Triaenodon obesus
The Whitetip Reef Shark is a slender, medium-sized shark easily identified by the distinctive white tips on its dorsal and upper caudal fins. Primarily nocturnal, it spends its days resting in caves and under ledges on coral reefs and hunts at night for bony fishes, crustaceans, and cephalopods. These sharks are generally social, often found in groups during the day, but can hunt individually or cooperatively.
BEST SEASON
More marine life 73
Barred MorayEchidna polyzona
Bigeye TrevallyCaranx sexfasciatus
Black DurgonMelichthys niger
Blue-barred ParrotfishScarus ghobban
Bluering AngelfishPomacanthus annularis
Bluespotted CornetfishFistularia commersonii
Bluestreak Cleaner WrasseLabroides dimidiatus
Blunt-head ParrotfishChlorurus microrhinos
Broadclub CuttlefishSepia latimanus
Broomtail WrasseCheilinus lunulatus
Bullethead ParrotfishChlorurus sordidus
Clark's AnemonefishAmphiprion clarkii
Clown TriggerfishBalistoides conspicillum
Coral HindCephalopholis miniata
Cowtail StingrayPastinachus sephen
Dogtooth TunaGymnosarda unicolor
Ember ParrotfishScarus rubroviolaceus
Emperor AngelfishPomacanthus imperator
Eschmeyer's ScorpionfishRhinopias eschmeyeri
Fimbriated MorayGymnothorax fimbriatus
Garden EelHeterocongrinae
Giant clamTridacna gigas
Guineafowl PufferArothron meleagris
Harlequin ShrimpHymenocera picta
Honeycomb MorayGymnothorax favagineus
Kellogg's ScorpionfishScorpaenodes kelloggi
Leaf ScorpionfishTaenianotus triacanthus
Live SharksuckerEcheneis naucrates
Longhorn CowfishLactoria cornuta
Lyretail AnthiasPseudanthias squamipinnis
MandarinfishSynchiropus splendidus
Masked PufferArothron diadematus
Mimic OctopusThaumoctopus mimicus
Moorish IdolZanclus cornutus
Orange-lined TriggerfishBalistapus undulatus
Orbicular BatfishPlatax orbicularis
Oriental SweetlipsPlectorhinchus vittatus
Painted FrogfishAntennarius pictus
Painted Spiny LobsterPanulirus versicolor
Pennant CoralfishHeniochus acuminatus
Pharaoh CuttlefishSepia pharaonis
Pickhandle BarracudaSphyraena jello
Pinktail TriggerfishMelichthys vidua
Potato GrouperEpinephelus tukula
Rainbow RunnerElagatis bipinnulata
Red Sea ClownfishAmphiprion bicinctus
Redtooth TriggerfishOdonus niger
Regal AngelfishPygoplites diacanthus
Ribbon EelRhinomuraena quaesita
Round Ribbontail RayTaeniurops meyeni
Rusty ParrotfishScarus ferrugineus
Scrawled FilefishAluterus scriptus
Short-tail StingrayBathytoshia brevicaudata
Silver SweeperPempheris schwenkii
Snowflake MorayEchidna nebulosa
Spanish DancerHexabranchus sanguineus
Spinner DolphinStenella longirostris
Spot-fin PorcupinefishDiodon hystrix
Spotted Eagle RayAetobatus narinari
Stellate PufferArothron stellatus
Tawny Nurse SharkNebrius ferrugineus
Teira BatfishPlatax teira
Tentacled FlatheadPapilloculiceps longiceps
Threadfin ButterflyfishChaetodon auriga
Tiger SharkGaleocerdo cuvier
Tiger Tail SeahorseHippocampus comes
Titan TriggerfishBalistoides viridescens
White-spotted PufferfishArothron hispidus
Yellow BoxfishOstracion cubicus
Yellow Longnose ButterflyfishForcipiger flavissimus
Yellowfin TunaThunnus albacares
Yellowmargin TriggerfishPseudobalistes flavimarginatus
Yellowspotted TriggerfishPseudobalistes fuscus
Explore Egypt on the map
Frequently asked questions about Egypt
What are the best dive destinations in Egypt?
Egypt has 6 dive destinations, including Hurghada, Abu Dabbab, Brothers Islands, Daedalus Reef, Elphinstone Reef, and Sharm el-Sheikh.
When is the best time to dive in Egypt?
It depends on where you dive in Egypt: Hurghada from March to May and from September to November, Abu Dabbab from April to October, Brothers Islands from March to May and from September to November, Daedalus Reef from March to June and from September to November, and Elphinstone Reef in May and from September to November.
What marine life can you see diving in Egypt?
Divers can encounter 97 species in Egypt. Highlights include Bigeye Thresher Shark, Bluecheek Butterflyfish, Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray, Common Bottlenose Dolphin, Common Thresher Shark, and Dugong.
When can you see the Bigeye Thresher Shark in Egypt?
The Bigeye Thresher Shark is most often seen in Egypt from September to November.
When can you see the Common Thresher Shark in Egypt?
The Common Thresher Shark is most often seen in Egypt from September to November.
When can you see the Ocellated Eagle Ray in Egypt?
The Ocellated Eagle Ray is most often seen in Egypt from March to October.
What is the water temperature in Egypt?
Water temperature in Egypt ranges from 20°C to 32°C through the year.
What wetsuit do I need to dive in Egypt?
The water across Egypt ranges from 20°C to 32°C, so pack anything from a rash guard or a 1–3 mm shorty to a 7 mm wetsuit depending on the site and the season.
What is the visibility like when diving in Egypt?
Visibility in Egypt ranges from 15 m to 40 m. The clearest water is found at Hurghada.
What can you see on a night dive in Egypt?
After dark, Egypt reveals nocturnal species such as Bluespotted Ribbontail Ray, Giant Moray, Lionfish, Stonefish, Whitetip Reef Shark, and Fimbriated Moray.
Every answer is built from the conditions and sightings data we keep for Egypt. Spotted something that looks off?
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