Sataya / Dolphin Reef - Dive site - Egypt

A guide to scuba diving at Sataya / Dolphin Reef

Dive site: Sataya / Dolphin Reef

Location: Egypt, Offshore and Deep South

Dive type: Reef dive, shore dive

Skill level: Beginner

Visibility: The average visibility around Sataya / Dolphin Reef is 20 m / 65 ft.

Depth: Sataya / Dolphin Reef has a maximum depth that exceeds 50 m / 164 ft. The average depth for the dive site is 18 m / 60 ft.

Water temperature: Water temperatures Sataya / Dolphin Reef is affected by seasonal variations. February is coldest of the winter months, with temperatures around 20° C / 68° F. September offers the warmest water for scuba diving, with water temperatures around 27° C / 81° F.

Dive site information: Sataya / Dolphin Reef is a horseshoe-shaped reef, situated in the open water northeast of Ras Babas. The reef’s east side is steeply sloping before giving way to a sandy slope that is speckled with pinnacles and coral heads.

Marine life: All sorts of marine animals thrive around Sataya / Dolphin Reef. The reef got its name from the dolphins that are frequently spotted inside the lagoon or along the reef. Several types of sharks can also be encountered at Sataya / Dolphin Reef. Angelfish and butterflies are among the most common reef fish species here, but most reef species are presented in comparatively large quantities. Bluespotted and blackspotted stingrays are widespread around the reef. Schooling fish is common as well, and so are invertebrates like shrimps and cuttlefish. The cuttlefish is a carnivorous cephalopod, related to squids and octopuses.

The lower reaches of the reef doesn’t have good coral coverage, but the southern pinnacles are quite rich and are covered in a large variety of coral species. Some of the coral heads and pinnacles at Sataya / Dolphin Reef are colonised by very good looking soft corals, dendronephthia in particular