Shaab Samadai / Dolphin House - Deep South
Shaab Samadai, or Dolphin House as it's more commonly known, is a horseshoe-shaped reef out in the Egyptian Red Sea's Deep South. Its sheltered lagoon is a well-known resting spot for spinner dolphins, so we often spend time here on the surface watching them. Underwater, the reef itself is pretty healthy, with plenty of table corals and anemones dotted around. It’s a gentle dive, maxing out at 19m, making it ideal for newer divers or anyone looking for a relaxed drift inside the lagoon. Just keep an eye out for currents if you venture to the outer edges.
- Location
- Deep South, Egypt, Red Sea & Middle East
- Coordinates
- 24.993700, 34.998300
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 19m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: Tourism Development Area I
Best Time to Dive in Deep South
The warmest water temperatures in Deep South occur in January, averaging 22.7°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 22.7°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 22.7°C (air: 19.1°C)
- February: 22.7°C (air: 19.5°C)
- March: 22.7°C (air: 22.3°C)
- April: 22.7°C (air: 26.3°C)
- May: 22.7°C (air: 29.7°C)
- June: 22.7°C (air: 32.9°C)
- July: 22.7°C (air: 33.7°C)
- August: 22.7°C (air: 34.1°C)
- September: 22.7°C (air: 32.6°C)
- October: 22.7°C (air: 28.5°C)
- November: 22.7°C (air: 24.5°C)
- December: 22.7°C (air: 21.4°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Deep South
- Abu Dabab Garden - 18m (reef)
- Abu Dabab II - 16m (reef)
- Abu Dabab III - 17m (reef)
- Abu Dabab IV - 19m
- Abu Dabab South - 16m (reef)
- Abu Dabab V - 17m
- Abu Dabab VI - 19m (reef)
- Abu Dabbab
- Abu Dabour - 22m (reef)
- Abu Nawas Garden - 20m (reef)
- Abu Saile - 23m (reef)
- Coral Garden Ghalib - 18m (reef)
- Elphinstone Reef - 29m (reef)
- Elphinstone South - 29m
- El Wezer - 21m (reef)
Nearest Dive Centres to Shaab Samadai / Dolphin House
Marine Life in Deep South
Home to 63 recorded species including 30 reef fish, 10 seagrass & algae, 8 whales & dolphins, 6 hard corals, 4 sea snails & nudibranchs, 3 sharks & rays.
Notable Species
- Long-beaked Dolphin (Stenella longirostris) - Whales & Dolphins
- Indian Ocean bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) - Whales & Dolphins
- thalassia (Thalassia hemprichii) - Seagrass & Algae
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Species code: Hs (Halophila stipulacea) - Seagrass & Algae
- Bridled Dolphin (Stenella attenuata) - Whales & Dolphins
- seagrass (Halophila ovalis) - Seagrass & Algae
- cymodocea (Cymodocea rotundata) - Seagrass & Algae
- halodule (Halodule uninervis) - Seagrass & Algae
- Species code: Hp (Halodule pinifolia) - Seagrass & Algae
- Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - Sharks & Rays
- Paddle Grass (Halophila decipiens) - Seagrass & Algae
- Black rock pipefish (Phoxocampus belcheri) - Reef Fish
- Brown Frillfin (Bathygobius fuscus) - Reef Fish
- Branched sandpaper coral (Psammocora contigua) - Hard Corals
- Duncker's pipefish (Halicampus dunckeri) - Reef Fish
- Grey Dolphin (Grampus griseus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Indian Scad (Decapterus russelli) - Reef Fish
- False killer whale (Pseudorca crassidens) - Whales & Dolphins
- Small giant clam (Tridacna maxima) - Clams & Mussels
Recommended Packing List for Shaab Samadai / Dolphin House
Based on average water temperature of 22.7°C.
- Wetsuit (3-5mm) - comfortable for 23°C water
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories