Camels. Pyramids. Or even pharaohs. Whatever it is that first comes to mind when you hear ‘Egypt’, you must go and visit the life underwater too. 

I headed to Marsa Alam in 2019 for a holiday on Egypt’s Red Sea coast. While there, we had heard about how great the scuba diving was, so we decided to check it out. Our hotel was running a guided scuba experience for people like myself who don’t have the PADI certificates, so we decided to take the plunge. And, for around £35-45 per person, it was too good a deal to miss out on.

Read more about scuba diving in our guide.

In the coach on the way to the harbor, was the perfect opportunity to get a feel for the country that I was in and take a look at any scenery. The roads would go for miles, one road in and out of each small town. Embedded between huge stretches of sand, as far as the eyes could see. These roads were nothing like we have at home, just a wide length of tarmac, with many potholes! Upcoming, there were 2 small concrete houses on my right and to my left I saw a man and a boy with fishing gear walking towards the sea. This gave me a sense of where I was, the style of catching and eating was the norm here.

We arrived at the harbor and it was so grand, grass verges clearly watered and looked after. All buildings were huge and painted deep oranges, apparently this is a sign of wealth. We jumped on the boat and were given snorkels and life jackets. The hosts then gave us a rundown of how the day would look. First, we’d stop off in a spot known for the best underwater life and this would give us a chance to see the fish and get to grips with using the mask and bobbing on the water. They would then take us to a spot where the turtles frequently visited, the host would get out and find him then let us all off to follow.

I was holding my breath for what felt like a lifetime… just hoping that the turtle was here because as with every wild animal they can’t guarantee that they’ll be here. The host lifted his head out of the water and held his arm up signaling for us that he’d found him! I was beyond excited, this was it.

I stretched my arm out in front of me and I was fingertips away from the turtle. Up to 2 meters long the tour guide told us before we got in the water. This turtle was bigger than I was but he swam past almost oblivious, as if I was nothing more than another fish in the sea. With the sea in Egypt being the second saltiest in the world I was able to float and bob along the top and watch him, as he scoured the sea bed in search of food and then came back up to the top to take a breath.

This is how it should be, I thought. He was sharing his space with me and I’m watching him in his natural habitat. There is no glass between us and no staged acting by throwing food around. One thing I did notice by looking down however was that there was plastic at the bottom, my stomach sunk a little. Not only this but the tour guides were telling me how the coral isn’t as bright as it used to be. I never wanted to get out.

This was one of the best experiences of my life, I’ve been to lots of aquariums as a child but I never got the feeling that this gave me, it’s totally different. 

When in Egypt, try something new and explore the magical underwater world.