Shaab El Erg, known to every Hurghada dive guide as 'Dolphin House', is a horseshoe-shaped reef 60 minutes by boat from the marina. A resident pod of spinner dolphins uses the shallow lagoon inside the horseshoe as a daytime rest area. We've logged their presence on roughly 70% of our visits over the past two seasons. The outer wall drops to 30 metres with healthy hard coral cover.
- Depth
- 5-30 m
- Visibility
- 20–25 m
- Season
- Jan - Dec
- Boat ride
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- Open Water+
Shaab El Erg · Dolphin House
The plan of the reef
On the chart
Shaab El Erg · Dolphin House
60 min from the marina
Topography and dive profile
The reef forms a perfect horseshoe with a protected sandy lagoon inside, 5-8 metres deep. The spinner dolphins drift in around mid-morning to rest after a night of feeding offshore. The outer reef wall drops from 5 to 30 metres with hard coral, table corals, and resident giant moray eels in the deeper crevices.
A standard day at Shaab El Erg means one dive on the outer wall and one quiet snorkel session in the lagoon if the dolphins are there. If they're not, we run a second wall dive on the opposite side of the reef.
What you'll see
- ◇Spinner dolphins
- ◇Turtles
- ◇Moray eels
- ◇Lionfish
Who it suits
PADI Open Water and above for the wall dive. The lagoon snorkel suits anyone with a mask, including kids and non-divers in your group.
When the captain runs this site
When Shaab El Erg is in the captain's plan for the day, the boat aims for an arrival around 09:00 to assess dolphin presence first. If the pod is in the lagoon we drop in to snorkel quietly: no fins kicking down, no flash, respectful distance. Two dives plus a hot lunch on board. To book a daily-dive day, see the daily diving page · the captain confirms the morning of which sites the boat is heading to based on wind direction.
Frequently asked
We've recorded dolphin presence on roughly 70% of our visits over the past two seasons. High odds but not a guarantee. They're wild animals on their own schedule, and we won't promise something we can't deliver.
We don't scuba in the lagoon, the bubbles stress the pod and they leave. We snorkel quietly from the surface instead. That's how dolphins prefer to be approached anyway, and you usually get closer that way than you would on a regulator.
Outer wall reaches 30 m. Most divers stay between 12 and 20 m where the coral cover is densest and the reef fish are active. Bottom time is the limiting factor, not air.
Yes. The wall dive runs along a depth contour you control, the current is usually mild, and the lagoon snorkel is perfect for non-divers travelling with the group. A great early dive after PADI Open Water Hurghada certification.
Year-round, with no real low season. Winter mornings (December to February) often deliver the calmest water and the clearest sightings, while summer brings warmer water (28°C) and longer daylight.
Plenty. Giant moray eels in the wall crevices, lionfish hovering in formation, big surgeonfish schools, and seasonal turtle sightings around the southern tip of the reef. Lucky groups see eagle rays in the blue.