Samadai reef

Just south of Marsa Alam is Shaab Samadai. This is where a pod of spinner dolphins are resident, however you are only allowed to snorkel with them, not dive. There are three diving areas here, the outer reef, a cave system (very James Bond) and several pinnacles. I have seen sharks here of both white tip varieties. The outer reef is normally done by RIB and drift round to the south where you will be picked up by the rib again. It is a nice sloping wall down to about 20m with a plateau leveling off until you reach a drop off into the abyss. The caves are easy to do, however there are one or two narrow areas and it is advisable to follow the guide. There are areas where you can reach the surface if you have a problem. The pinnacles are to the south of the cave system and are easily navigated in a figure of 8 patterns. You will find sea grass here so look for small stuff such as seahorses.