Dolphin House (Sha’ab Samadai Reef)

Samadai: a reef visit on the dolphins’ terms

The Marsa Alam Dolphin House, also called Sha’ab Samadai, is an offshore reef with a sheltered lagoon used by spinner dolphins as a daytime resting place. Seeing them can be memorable, but their rest comes first. This is a protected wildlife habitat, not a performance or a guaranteed swim with dolphins.

However, the dolphins are not always there. Even when they are present, visitors must stay in the permitted areas and allow the animals to choose whether to approach. A worthwhile day here also includes the reef itself: coral gardens, pinnacles and smaller reef life give divers and snorkellers plenty to notice.

Samadai is not Sataya

Both names appear in dolphin-trip advertising, but they refer to different reefs. Samadai is associated with Marsa Alam and Marsa Nakari. Sataya, also written Satayah, lies farther south in the Fury Shoals system. Check the reef name, departure base and transfer time before booking a trip described only as “Dolphin House”.

Resting areas and responsible encounters

HEPCA explains that spinner dolphins feed offshore at night and use sheltered lagoons to rest during the day. Repeated disturbance can compromise that rest. The protected areas and visitor boundaries therefore matter even when the water looks inviting and the dolphins are close.

Red Sea Diving Safari states that snorkelling guests and guides at Samadai must wear life jackets and that some areas are off limits to give dolphins space. Follow the marked boundaries, briefing and current access timetable. A flotation vest is part of the visit, not an optional substitute for respecting the animals.

HEPCA’s encounter guidance calls for quiet, gentle entry and passive observation. Never chase, touch, feed or encircle dolphins, dive down onto them, or separate a group. Keep noise low and give mothers and calves extra space. If the animals move away, let them go.

Meet the reef

Spinner dolphins at Samadai

Wildlife sightings are never guaranteed. These representative AI-assisted illustrations show the animals discussed here; they are not photographs taken at the site.

Explore the wildlife

Spinner dolphins

Spinner dolphins

HEPCA documents spinner dolphins using Samadai as a resting area. Quiet space and the protection zones come first: follow the local access rules and your guide, never pursue or surround a pod, and accept that a visit may bring no encounter.

Source: HEPCA’s Samadai project; checked 26 October 2026.

Samadai: illustrated 3D overview

The horseshoe-shaped reef surrounds a lagoon with an opening to the south. Current management zones, access boundaries and buoy positions are not mapped.

For information only — do not use this diagram to plan or navigate a dive. It does not replace the licensed operator’s current briefing.

Reference: IWC Samadai case study and historical plan. The source informs the broad features; the artwork is not a measured survey.

Understanding the reef and its protected lagoon

The labelled zones explain the published management principle. They do not describe a dive route.

Enlarge illustration

• A — The sheltered inner lagoon is a refuge without visitor entry.
• B — The intermediate area is described as a guided snorkelling zone.
• C — Diving and boat activities belong to the outer zone in the published plan.

For information only — do not use this diagram to plan or navigate a dive.

Original Divezone illustration based on IWC handbook and its reproduced 2008 zoning map. The source map is historical, published in 2008 and inspected here on 4 November 2026. Coloured areas explain the zoning principle, not current boundary lines. The local operator must confirm today’s restrictions and buoy markings.

Scuba diving around the reef

Samadai offers more than the lagoon. HEPCA describes pinnacles, an eel garden, seagrass and a cave system among its underwater features. The contrast between coral structures and open sand makes the reef interesting even on a day without dolphins.

Choose the specific dive with your guide. A sheltered reef section and an overhead swim-through are different propositions; caves require the appropriate training, equipment and plan. Current, depth and visibility vary, so the whole reef should not be labelled automatically easy or suitable for every diver. The dolphin resting area is not a scuba attraction to enter in pursuit of an encounter.

Getting there and choosing a snorkelling trip

Red Sea Diving Safari lists Samadai snorkelling for guests at Marsa Nakari and Marsa Shagra. Its published example is around 20 minutes by zodiac from Marsa Nakari, with approximately 30 minutes of additional road travel from Marsa Shagra. Those are that operator’s approximate timings; other hotels, boats and sea conditions give different journeys.

A published option for non-divers

SeaHorse Diving Club advertises a full-day Shaab Samadai snorkelling trip at €85 per person, checked on 5 November 2026. Its price includes transfers, the boat day, lunch, snacks, drinks, two guided snorkelling sessions, taxes and fees. Mask, snorkel and fins are hired separately; tips and additional services are also excluded. The page does not specify a child rate or the pickup area covered by the transfer, so those details need confirming for your hotel and party.

This is a useful separate option for a companion who wants a day on the reef without scuba diving. It is SeaHorse’s published offer, not a universal Samadai price or a guarantee of dolphins. See SeaHorse’s Samadai programme and current inclusions.

How the diving supplements differ

Red Sea Diving Safari’s Marsa Shagra non-resident tariffs list a €19 Samadai park charge for both summer 2026 and winter 2026–27. The winter tariff, valid 1 November 2026–30 April 2027 and rechecked on 5 November 2026, also lists the following diving extras:

The €67 subtotal does not include the underlying diving package or establish a snorkeller’s fare. Ask the operator which equipment, transfers and other charges apply to your booking, and obtain a separate complete quote for a non-diver.

Samadai reef location

CDWS lists Shaab Samadai at 24°59′01″ N, 34°59′23″ E, approximately 24.983611° N, 34.989722° E. This reference locates the reef; it does not show the protected-zone boundaries, boat route or permitted water-entry points. Use the current on-site briefing for those.

Open a larger area map on OpenStreetMap ↗

A 2011 view of Samadai

Henrik Hedegaard’s film Marsa Nakari – Dolphin House, Egypt (2011) shows a snorkelling visit to Sha’ab Samadai. It offers a historical view of the dolphins and reef, rather than a guide to today’s access rules or a promise of an encounter. Follow the current protected-area briefing and the wildlife guidance above.

Play Samadai film · 2011

Film: Henrik Hedegaard on Vimeo. The player loads only when you choose Play.

Samadai questions

Sources

Checked 26 October 2026: HEPCA Samadai project; HEPCA encounter guidance; Red Sea Diving Safari activities; Summer 2026 tariff; Winter 2026–27 tariff and extras; CDWS coordinates.

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