Shaab Sabina

Hurghada · Red Sea · Egypt

Shaab Sabina is a horseshoe-shaped reef system near Hurghada, popular for its combination of accessible diving and dolphin encounters. The reef encloses a shallow, sheltered lagoon with a sandy bottom at 5–12 meters, making it an ideal environment for newer divers and snorkellers. The inner reef slopes are covered in healthy hard corals — table corals, staghorn formations, and brain corals support a diverse community of butterflyfish, anthias, angelfish, and parrotfish. Moray eels occupy holes in the coral heads, and lionfish are common under overhangs. The sheltered conditions mean visibility is generally excellent, often 20–30 meters, and currents are mild. The outer walls of the horseshoe drop to 20–25 meters with soft corals and gorgonians appearing on the deeper sections. Groupers and triggerfish patrol the reef edge. The site's bonus attraction is the chance of encountering spinner dolphins — a pod frequents the area and may enter the lagoon or be spotted in the blue water beyond the reef. While less reliable than Dolphin House (Shaab El Erg), dolphin encounters here feel more intimate due to fewer boats. Shaab Sabina is reached by day boat from Hurghada in approximately 45 minutes. It is often combined with other nearby reefs for a two-dive trip. The site is particularly popular for night dives, when Spanish dancers, hunting octopuses, and sleeping parrotfish transform the reef.