Orange Bay snorkeling, the marine life guide

The Red Sea is a young, enclosed sea (around 5 million years old, geologically speaking) and the salinity is high. The water is exceptionally clear because run-off and river input are minimal, and the reef has been protected by Egyptian law since 1995 for the Giftun complex.

Result: visibility is reliably 20 to 30 metres at the Orange Bay reefs, sometimes 40+ in winter. Compare with the Caribbean (often 15 to 20 metres) or South-East Asia (5 to 15 metres in summer). The Red Sea wins on clarity.

About 1,200 fish species live in the Red Sea, and roughly 20% are endemic, you will not see them anywhere else. The Giftun reefs near Orange Bay carry an excellent slice of that diversity.

**Parrotfish**: bright blue / green / yellow, often huge (60 cm+). You hear them crunching coral with their beak-like jaws.

**Sergeant major**: black-and-yellow striped, in big schools that surround swimmers. Harmless.

**Butterflyfish**: yellow-and-black, paired (they mate for life). Several Red Sea endemic varieties.

**Wrasses**: long thin colourful fish, several dozen species. The Napoleon wrasse can reach 2 metres.

**Surgeonfish**: oval-bodied, blue or yellow, with a small scalpel-sharp spine at the tail.

**Lionfish**: stunning red-and-white-striped predator with venomous spines. Do not touch but safe to admire from 1 metre away.

**Clownfish (Nemo)**: small orange-and-white, always near sea anemones. The Red Sea has its own endemic Amphiprion bicinctus variety.

**Moray eels**: usually hidden in coral, but you spot the head poking out. Harmless if you do not stick a finger in.

The Giftun reefs are predominantly fringing reefs (attached to the islands) with patch reefs scattered nearby. The coral structure includes table corals (broad flat plates of Acropora), brain corals (Platygyra), staghorn, fire coral (a non-coral hydrozoan, do not touch), and soft corals in stunning purple / orange / yellow.

Bleaching has affected parts of the Red Sea but the Hurghada reefs have stayed remarkably healthy thanks to cooler upwelling currents and the protected-area regulations. You will see a vibrant, alive reef, not a graveyard.

**Green sea turtle**: regular sightings at the Orange Bay shallows, especially in the morning. Approach slowly, do not chase. 60% of trips spot one.

**Eagle ray**: occasional, usually solo, gliding over the reef edge. Magical when you see one.

**Reef shark**: small (under 1.5 m), almost always white-tip or black-tip, completely safe for snorkelers. Sightings are rare but possible.

**Bottlenose dolphin**: most often seen on the speedboat route through Dolphin House (Shaab El Erg), not at Orange Bay itself.

**Manta ray**: very rare at Orange Bay, more common further south. Maybe one in 100 trips.

No touching, no standing on coral. Even a brief touch can kill years of coral growth.

No taking shells, no feeding fish, no chasing turtles.

Reef-safe sunscreen only (no oxybenzone, no octinoxate). The cheap drugstore brands are typically NOT reef-safe.

Use a long-sleeve rashguard instead of slathering sunscreen. Protects you better, protects the reef better.

No anchor on coral, our captains anchor only on sand patches between reefs.

Mask, snorkel, fins are included on every Orange Bay trip. Sizes from child to adult XL. You can bring your own if you have it.

Life jackets are available in all sizes including child / infant. Tell us at booking.

A waterproof phone pouch is not provided but is the single best photo accessory you can bring. €5 in any Hurghada shop.

Underwater camera (GoPro etc.) is welcome. No flash near fish please.

If you wear glasses, prescription snorkel masks are a fun add-on, ask your dive shop at home before you fly.

The shared boat is the snorkeling pick: 2 reef stops on the way + snorkeling from the island shore. Slow pace, time to enjoy each spot.

The speedboat is faster and the reefs are smaller and less crowded, but you get less time at each.

For underwater photography priority, the private charter is best: pick your own reefs, stop when conditions are perfect, no need to compromise with a 30-person group.