Abu Dabbab Bay

Abu Dabbab is a wide shallow bay with a sand and seagrass floor, and the seagrass is the reason it is known: dugong graze on it, and green turtles in numbers, both feeding in water shallow enough that snorkellers can watch them from the surface. It is one of the few places anywhere where a dugong sighting is a realistic proposition without a boat or specialist trip. Guitarfish also lie on the sand and the reef at either headland holds ordinary reef fish. The bay is managed as part of the protected area with rules on approach distance, and the pressure of visitors has become a genuine conservation concern, with animals harassed by swimmers crowding them and by boats. Numbers of visitors and how they behave vary sharply through the day.

The landscape

• Dugong grazing on seagrass - visible from the surface in shallow water.
• Green turtles - feeding in numbers across the bay floor.
• Guitarfish on the sand - resting on the open bottom.
• Reef at the headlands - coral at either side of the bay.

When to go

October to May. Early morning is much the best time, before the day boats and buses arrive and while the animals are undisturbed. Half a day. Wind can flatten visibility by the afternoon.

Practical notes

Crowding is the problem here: a dugong surrounded by twenty snorkellers is common and is bad for the animal. Keep well back, do not chase, and choose an operator that enforces distance. Sightings are not guaranteed. The beach concession charges for entry.

Nearby

Marsa Alam is south; Wadi El Gemal National Park lies further down the coast.

Key facts