What is the best time to snorkel a reef in Egypt for good visibility, sunlight, and more fish?

Tide timing at this spot recently shifted: mornings now bring deep water close to shore (good for swimming/visibility), while low tide now falls in the afternoon. It's worth checking the current tide schedule locally rather than relying on a fixed clock time.

One traveler reported seeing nothing interesting on the reef between 6 and 7:30 a.m., but spotted a moray eel and a stingray upon returning around 11 a.m. — supporting later morning over early hours.

A practical compromise is to snorkel later in the morning rather than at 7 a.m., but still before noon: underwater light is better then, while after about 12:00 the reef often falls into the shoreline’s shadow.

If your goal is to see more fish, travelers suggest timing your swim for full low tide: fish can no longer stay high above the reef and tend to gather closer to it, making them easier to spot.

Around sunset, the water can be noticeably deeper because of the tide: one traveler reported a strong high tide in the evening, although the spot is usually much shallower. This changes depth conditions, but it is not the best light for reef viewing.