The Samadai reef, also called the‚ Dolphin House, is probably the most famous‚ diving‚ site near‚ Marsa Alam where you can see dolphins. A large group of harmless spinner dolphins considers this ‚ reef as its home and they got used to snorkelers.

While‚ diving‚ or‚ snorkeling‚ in the area, you will have to be patient to get a glimpse of the all-time favorite marine mammal: you can‚t guarantee a meeting with these friendly creatures from the first dive. The more time you‚ll spend on‚ diving‚ excursions the bigger chances you will have to experience this once-in-a-lifetime feeling.

This lagoon 18km southeast of Marsa Alam is home to three dive sites with a reef system full of interesting coral pinnacles and fish life. What makes Samadai so special, though, is the pod of spinner dolphins (numbering up to 480), which regularly visits the lagoon. As with any wildlife-watching, there is no guarantee that you’ll see dolphins on your visit; however, the huge diversity of corals and other sealife here makes snorkelling or diving at Samadai a wonderful experience.

Samadai is managed by local conservation NGO HEPCA (www.hepca.com), which has established a daily cap on visitor numbers to protect the dolphins and introduced an admission fee that goes towards maintaining the conservation of the lagoon.