Dolphin House/ Shaab Samadai

Shaab Samadai, known as Dolphin House, is a horseshoe-shaped reef in the Red Sea off Egypt's Al Bahr al Ahmar governorate, south of Marsa Alam. It is best known for its resident pod of spinner dolphins, which draw both divers and snorkelers, and access is regulated with designated zones to limit disturbance to the animals. The enclosed lagoon area is generally reserved for snorkeling while the outer reef slopes are used for diving, reaching a maximum depth of around 40 metres and rated an advanced site. Fusilier have also been reported on the reef, alongside the wider fish life typical of these outer slopes.

Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.

• Spinner DolphinStenella longirostrisReported here · unconfirmed
• Red Sea AnemonefishAmphiprion bicinctusReported here · unconfirmed
• Common Bottlenose DolphinTursiops truncatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Red Sea BannerfishHeniochus intermediusReported here · unconfirmed
• Masked ButterflyfishChaetodon semilarvatusReported here · unconfirmed
• Indian Bullethead ParrotfishChlorurus sordidusReported here · unconfirmed
• Green Sea TurtleChelonia mydasReported here · unconfirmed
• Regal AngelfishPygoplites diacanthusReported here · unconfirmed
• Giant MorayGymnothorax javanicusReported here · unconfirmed
• FusilierFusilierReported here · unconfirmed