Dolphins and Wadi El Gemal island - Red Sea

[@BecomeMore1]

Love the dolphins and the blue, blue, blue waters! 😊

[@mecfront5487]

Escursione spettacolare, l'abbiamo fatta mercoledì scorso...resterà un bellissimo ricordo indelebile

[@mahmoudtosson424]

😲😲

[@ermannocosta2191]

buona sera Massimo e Sofia,ho guardato il filmato, mi piacerebbe visitare quell'isola, a giugno andremo al wadi lahmy azur resort, mi potreste dare indicazioni per poter fare quell'escursione? il resor è a 6 km circa da hamata....grazie

[@MassimoBolognaItaly]

Ciao, l'isola wadi El gemal di questo video non fa parte dell'arcipelago di hamata, questa si trova più a nord di fronte al resort Shams Alam, e la abbiamo visitata più volte con gite in motoscafo del centro diving di tale resort (dove eravamo in vacanza). É un'area protetta e solo quella lingua di sabbia che si vede nel video è accessibile. Da quel che so, solo il centro diving dello Shams Alam ha il permesso di andarci, oltre (credo) a quello del vicino resort Gorgonia. Per questo motivo non c'è praticamente mai nessuno, a differenza delle isole hamata dove arrivano tante gite anche da resort lontani, con grandi barche.

[@adelmostafa6854]

معقول الجمال ده فى مصر😮

[@MassimoBolognaItaly]

yes !

[@katherinecunningham3313]

Hi Massimo, do you know if you can go out with the Shams Alam dive centre if you are a guest at the neighbouring Gorgonia resort? We can't stay at Shams Alam because they have no rooms that can accommodate 2 adults and 2 children - it seems you have to book 2 separate rooms, which we don't want. We do want to visit the Wadi el Gemal park however, with this dive centre. Thanks for anything you might know! :)

[@MassimoBolognaItaly]

Hi, I am not sure but I think so, in the past we were able to do the other way around (using the Gorgonia diving center even though we were at the Shams Alam). You can try to ask them directly , they have a website : www.tgidiving.com/en/red-sea/marsa-alam-egypt/ Maybe the Gorgonia diving center also offer visit to Wadi El Gemal island, ask the. For your information: I have read in several social media groups that the reef near the Shams Alam has been badly damaged by a storm in August, and it's not in great condition right now. Morover, the reef in the entire Marsa Alam area has been hit by the coral reef bleaching in the last year.

[@katherinecunningham3313]

@@MassimoBolognaItaly I emailed them thank you, yes they can! I'm aware of the bleaching situation and monitoring it closely. Some bleaching is to be expected (although still very sad), but if it's likely that the whole area around the Wadi El Gemal park will become a coral graveyard then we will not go. Very very sad. Thanks for your help!

[@monaelkateb2652]

Is this island near Sharm el luli beach? The dolphins trip and the island visit is in the same trip?

[@MassimoBolognaItaly]

Not very far away. The island is called Wadi El Gemal and it's in front of the Shams Alam beach resort, the Diving Center of that resort is the only one allowed to take you to the island because it's a protected area. Only a small portion of the island is accessible to turists.

[@monaelkateb2652]

@MassimoBolognaItaly Thank you, did you watch the dolphins there?

[@MassimoBolognaItaly]

yes, same "half day" trip in the morning with speed boat. They take you to an area where it's likely to spot dolphins, then to a snorkeling point (there are many in the area) and finally to the island, where you can spend 30/45 minutes. It's a very rewarding escursion, we took it more than once.

[@monaelkateb2652]

@@MassimoBolognaItaly Thank you so much 💗

[@dhakaboy1]

How do you get to this Island,....from Shams Alam, or Marsa Alam ?? Which one is closer ? I am going to Shams Alam next year and hope to go to this island of Wadi Gemal. Amazing video !!! Thanks.

[@MassimoBolognaItaly]

Wadi Gemal island is just in front of the Shams Alam resort where we spent our vacation. The island is a protected area and just a small portion is accessible to turists. Moreover, only the diving center of the Shams Alam resort has the permit to take turists to the island . I thing that also the diving center of the Gorgonia Beach Resort (which is very close to the Shams Alam Resort) is allowed to take turists to the island, but I am not sure because I have never seen their boat when we visited the island. During the same tour, in addition to visiting the island they take you to a couple of snorkeling sites and you have a good chance to swim with dolphins, as we did.

[@dhakaboy1]

For your camera, Go Pro8, did you buy an Underwater case or just by itself (10 meters) ??

[@MassimoBolognaItaly]

I didn't want to take the risk so I bought the underwater case and i always used it in this vacation. However the previous year i occasionally used the Hero 8 without the case in a trip to Sardegna and I didn't experience any problem.

[@laiangela2607]

I don’t live in Shams Alam beach resort. Can I join this trip? Sataya is too far and I want to see dolphins here.

[@MassimoBolognaItaly]

Sorry, the tour to Wadi El Gemal island - which includes looking for dolphins in a nearby lagoon - is offered only by the Shams Alam diving center, since the island is a protected area and they are the only one allowed to get there (plus - I think - the Gorgonia resort Diving Center with is just 2 km north of the Shams Alam). As far as I know, Sataya has the best chances to see dolphins in the Marsa Alam region.

[@laiangela2607]

​@@MassimoBolognaItaly 10/9-10/11 There are no vacancies at Shams Alam beach resort 🥲

[@MassimoBolognaItaly]

@@laiangela2607 try the gorgonia resort, (more expensive) just 2 km North of the shams, basically they share the same reef and i think (ask for confirmation) they also offert the escursion to the Island, if not maybe you can just walk to the shams from gorgonia and join to their escursions