Marsa Mubarak Snorkeling Trip from Marsa Alam with Lunch

Your driver collects you from your hotel and heads for Port Ghalib, the purpose-built marina town on the coast north of Marsa Alam. Depending on where you are staying, the drive can be short or take a while, because Marsa Alam's resorts are strung out along many miles of shoreline; your pickup time is set to match and confirmed with your booking.

Port Ghalib is one of the main departure points for boats heading to the reefs of the Marsa Alam coast, and the marina is calm and orderly early in the day. Once you arrive, the crew welcomes you aboard, shows you where to store your bag, and runs through the plan.

This is the time to sort out your gear. Try your mask before the boat leaves: hold it to your face without the strap and breathe in gently through your nose. If it stays put, it fits. Fins should feel snug but should not pinch. Ask the guide for a different size now rather than discovering a leak at the first stop.

Marsa Mubarak is a broad, sheltered bay whose sandy floor is carpeted with seagrass, and that seagrass is the reason you are here. Green sea turtles feed on it year-round, cropping the blades like grazing cattle, then rising every few minutes to breathe at the surface. Because much of the meadow lies in shallow water, you can often hang quietly at the surface while a turtle works the seabed below you.

Your snorkeling guide leads you into the water and points out where the animals are feeding. The etiquette is simple, and the guide will enforce it: no touching, no chasing, no blocking a turtle's path to the surface, and a respectful distance of a few meters at all times. A turtle left in peace tends to keep feeding, which gives you a far longer view than one that has been crowded and swims off.

The bay is also one of the places on this coast where dugongs have been seen. These large, slow marine mammals, relatives of the manatee, feed on the same seagrass, but they are rare and shy, and no trip can promise one. If you do see a broad gray back and a whale-like tail fluke, stay still and let it pass.

Fins stir up sand easily over seagrass, so float flat and kick gently to keep the water clear for everyone.

Along the edges of the bay, the seagrass gives way to coral, and the scene changes completely. Here the guide takes you over coral gardens built from table corals, branching corals and boulder-shaped colonies, with soft corals swaying in the gentle current.

The Red Sea is home to a notable share of fish species found nowhere else, and a single swim shows you plenty of reef regulars: parrotfish crunching on coral, butterflyfish moving in pairs, clouds of orange anthias above the coral heads, and Red Sea clownfish guarding their anemones. Look into crevices for moray eels, and under ledges for lionfish resting in the shade.

A few habits make reef snorkeling better. Keep your fins well clear of the coral, which is a living animal and breaks easily. Never stand on the reef, even where the water is shallow. And if you get tired, signal the guide and float on your back for a minute; a calm, slow pace saves energy and lets the fish come to you.

Back on the boat, the crew serves a freshly prepared buffet lunch, and after hours in salt water it is usually very welcome. Soft drinks are unlimited throughout the day, and tea and coffee are on hand too, which helps if the breeze picks up and you feel a chill after a swim.

The time on deck between sessions is part of the pleasure of this trip. Find a spot in the shade, dry off, and watch the water shift from deep blue over open sea to pale turquoise over sand. Drink steadily even if you do not feel thirsty; sun, wind, and sea air dehydrate you faster than you notice.

Before getting back in the water, give yourself a short break after eating. The guide will tell you how the rest of the day runs and where the boat will be.

When the day at sea is done, the boat heads back to Port Ghalib Marina, and the ride in is a good moment to rinse your mask, hand back the gear, and pack your things. Check the deck and the storage area before you step off; sunglasses and phones are the items most often left behind.

Your driver meets you at the marina for the transfer back to your hotel. Most people are pleasantly tired by now, with salt in their hair and a few turtle photos on their phones, and the drive is a good time to rest.

If you shot video with an action camera, back it up that evening. And give your skin some care: even with sunscreen, a full day on the water in Marsa Alam can leave you more sunburned than you expect, particularly on the backs of your legs and shoulders.