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Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Brothers Islands location page.
Overview
Crescent-shaped reef about 11 km southeast of Marsa Alam whose horseshoe arms enclose a shallow turquoise lagoon. A resident pod of 60-90 spinner dolphins (Stenella longirostris) returns to the lagoon each day to rest and nurse after feeding in open water overnight, making this one of the few reliable places on earth to share the water with wild dolphins. The site is a HEPCA-managed reserve split into three zones: an inner dolphin sanctuary closed to people, a snorkeling belt, and an outer diving zone of coral pinnacles, drop-offs and swim-throughs with a canyon on the western edge. Hard- and soft-coral gardens, reef fish, turtles and occasional reef sharks fill the outer slopes. Lagoon conditions are easy; the outer reef drops past 30 m.
Briefing note
HEPCA manages Samadai as a protected dolphin reserve with a daily cap of about 10 boats, 175 snorkelers and 100 divers; operators must hold a permit. Three zones are buoyed: Zone A (inner lagoon) is a dolphin sanctuary closed to all people, Zone B is for guided snorkeling, and scuba diving is confined to Zone C on the outer reef. Snorkel boats are admitted roughly 10:00-14:00 and dive boats 09:00-15:00. Do not chase, touch or feed the dolphins; let them approach. Day-boat or liveaboard only, no shore access.
What you'll see
7 species curated- year-roundSpinner dolphin
- year-roundHawksbill turtle
- rareWhitetip reef shark
- year-roundNapoleon wrasse
- year-roundBluespotted ribbontail ray
- year-roundBluecheek butterflyfish
- year-roundRed soft coral
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 22–24 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Feb | 21–23 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Mar | 22–24 °C | 25–30 m | mild |
| Apr | 23–25 °C | 25–30 m | mild |
| May | 25–27 °C | 25–30 m | mild |
| Jun | 27–29 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Jul | 28–30 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Aug | 28–30 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Sep | 28–29 °C | 25–30 m | mild |
| Oct | 26–28 °C | 25–30 m | mild |
| Nov | 24–26 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Dec | 23–25 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Gear for this site
Beyond the basic kit- Snorkel set — The dolphin encounter happens in the shallow lagoon and snorkeling belt, not on scuba
- SMB — Boat traffic is heavy inside the managed area and drift exits run along the outer reef
Next step
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Hotels, liveaboards, dive operators, gear recommendations, and travel logistics for the whole region.
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