6 caverns · down to 30 m · 6 suitable for an intro team
Cave diving in Marsa Alam
- Caverns6
- Max depth30 m
- Water temperature22–30 °C
- Dive centres3
Diving and fills
Dive here with
Fills nearby
- ORCA Dive Club Wadi Lahmy (Hamata)Air and nitrox (nitrox system)
- Red Sea Diving Safari (Marsa Shagra)Air and nitrox 32% (12 l aluminium, DIN or INT; 15 l on request); CCR cylinders and Sofnolime for rent (per the price list)
- Red Sea Diving Safari (Wadi Lahami)Air and nitrox 32% (certified nitrox divers only); 12 l aluminium, DIN or INT, 15 l on request
Why come here
Around Marsa Alam there is no cave diving in the usual sense, but there are caverns, tunnels and cave systems in the coral of the offshore reefs, where daylight falls in through holes in the roof. The best known are in the Fury Shoals south of Hamata, such as the chambers of Shaab Claudia and the labyrinth of Shaab Malahi, and north of Marsa Alam, with the tunnels of Abu Dabab. You dive with a local dive centre from a speedboat or zodiac, in water of ~23–24 °C in winter to 27–30 °C in summer, with visibility often 25–40 m. Some reefs are protected areas with strict rules, so follow your guide's briefing.
Don't miss
- Shaab Claudia (Fury Shoals): closed chambers where beams of sunlight fall in through holes in the top, with nudibranchs, Napoleon wrasse and moray eels and little current.
- Shaab Malahi (Fury Shoals): a labyrinth of hard coral that earns its name 'playground'; per ORCA it takes at least four dives to see it all.
- Sharm Abu Dabab: tunnels and canyons in a V-shaped inlet, with one of the finest coral gardens of the southern Red Sea outside.
- Shaab Abu Dabab 5: you cross through a tunnel to the other side of the reef and follow pinnacles and pillars covered in soft and hard corals.
On a rest day
- Wadi El Gemal National Park: A large protected area of desert and coast south of Marsa Alam, with mangroves, prehistoric rock art and animals such as Dorcas gazelles and Nubian ibex.
- Mons Smaragdus (Sikait): In Wadi El Gemal, about 24 km from the coast, lie the remains of the Roman emerald mines, in their day the only ones in the whole empire.
All 6 caverns
| Site | Max depth | Type | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gota Kebir (St John's)Entry or dive feeBackmount · Cavern | – | Backmount | Cavern |
| Shaab Abu Dabab 5Entry or dive feeBackmount · Open water / no overhead | 20 m | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
| Shaab Claudia (Fury Shoals)Entry or dive feeBackmount · Cavern | 23 m | Backmount | Cavern |
| Shaab Malahi (Fury Shoals)Entry or dive feeBackmount · Open water / no overhead | 22 m | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
| Sharm Abu DababEntry or dive feeBackmount · Open water / no overhead | 30 m | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
| St John's Caves (Umm Kharalim)Entry or dive feeBackmount · Open water / no overhead | 20 m | Backmount | Open water / no overhead |
Certification requirements, configurations and trimix depths are estimates for planning. Always check them locally and dive within your training.
Map
Dive centres and fill stations
3 dive centres, fill stations and instructors
ORCA Dive Club Wadi Lahmy (Hamata)
Wadi Lahmy Azur Hotel, Hamata
Air and nitrox (nitrox system)
Not published — ask
Guided dives: Shaab Claudia (Fury Shoals), Shaab Malahi (Fury Shoals)
Rental: Plenty of equipment for hire (per its own website).
Dive centre in the Wadi Lahmy Azur Hotel, ~10 minutes from Hamata. Day boat, speedboat and house reef; SSI, PADI and CMAS courses. Calls Shaab Claudio a large system of caverns and caves with light-filled halls, and Shaab Malahi a labyrinth that takes at least four dives.
Red Sea Diving Safari (Marsa Shagra)
Marsa Shagra Village, 22 km north of Marsa Alam City
Air and nitrox 32% (12 l aluminium, DIN or INT; 15 l on request); CCR cylinders and Sofnolime for rent (per the price list)
Not published — ask
Training: Sidemount · PADI
Guided dives: Sharm Abu Dabab, Shaab Abu Dabab 5
Rental: Dive gear (price list); technical dives include a twinset, a stage regulator and a stage rigging kit.
Diving village with a PADI centre on a protected house reef, by its own account the first technical diving facility in the southern Red Sea: PADI TecRec up to Tec 50 and Tec Sidemount, and CCR dives. Speedboat trips to Sharm Abu Dabab and Shaab Abu Dabab. Baro-Medical's chamber is on the premises.
Red Sea Diving Safari (Wadi Lahami)
Wadi Lahami Village, Hamata, 120 km south of Marsa Alam City
Air and nitrox 32% (certified nitrox divers only); 12 l aluminium, DIN or INT, 15 l on request
Not published — ask
Guided dives: Shaab Claudia (Fury Shoals), Shaab Malahi (Fury Shoals)
Rental: Dive gear (price list).
Simple diving village with a PADI centre by the Fury Shoals; all dives by zodiac. Calls Shaab Claudia a 'cave dive' itself. Dives in zone 3 (Shaab Malahi among them) cost a supplement. Chamber in Hamata, 10 km to the north.
Order: partners first, clearly marked as partner; then dive centres by distance from Marsa Alam and independent instructors by name. Not a recommendation: check what they offer yourself.
On this list, or should you be? Get a free partner card →Where to stay
Find a place near Marsa Alam, Hamata (Wadi Lahami)
Villages that work well as a base for the caves in this region. Find a place for your team:
- Marsa AlamBooking.com ↗
- Hamata (Wadi Lahami)Booking.com ↗
The links to Booking.com are affiliate links: if you book through one, DiveTripPlanner earns a small commission. You pay the same.
Practical info: rules, fills and emergency numbers
Emergencies
- Ambulance 123. Baro-Medical's chamber on the premises of Marsa Shagra (since 2006), and one in Hamata, 10 km north of Wadi Lahami; also HyperMed in Hurghada. Have your dive centre check which one works.
Access and rules
- Access and rules: some reefs are protected areas. At Shaab Samadai (Dolphin House) HEPCA strictly enforces the marine park rules, with zones for the dolphins; violations cost the boat a penalty and a temporary licence suspension. Follow your guide's briefing.
Fees and opening hours
- Costs: since January 2025 Red Sea Diving Safari charges a park fee for Dolphin House (€19) and an entry fee for Marsa Abu Dabab (€11), not in the packages; also an environmental fee per stay and €7 compulsory for the chamber support programme. At Wadi Lahami dives in zone 3 (Shaab Malahi among them) cost €24 extra.
Gas and fills
- Gas: air and nitrox 32% at the centres; Red Sea Diving Safari in Marsa Shagra rents CCR cylinders and Sofnolime and has technical packages. Trimix is not on the websites: ask.
Water and season
- Water: in the Fury Shoals ~23–24 °C in winter to 27–30 °C in summer, with visibility often 25–40 m and little current (per liveaboard.com).
Getting around
- Travel: Marsa Alam airport (RMF); Hurghada (HRG) lies further north. Marsa Shagra is 22 km north of Marsa Alam, Wadi Lahami 120 km south of it, near Hamata. The St John's caves lie ~210 km further south near the Sudanese border: by liveaboard only, mostly from Port Ghalib.
Good to know
- Read this first: around Marsa Alam there is no cave diving in the usual sense, but caverns, tunnels and cave systems in the coral of the offshore reefs: the chambers of Shaab Claudia and the labyrinth of Shaab Malahi in the Fury Shoals (south of Hamata), and the tunnels of Sharm Abu Dabab and Shaab Abu Dabab north of Marsa Alam. Daylight falls in through holes in the roof. You dive with a local dive centre, by speedboat or zodiac.
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