What to expect on a boat trip from Hurghada — is Magawish island worth it?

A separate type of sea trip — 'Sandbank Sunset' by yacht: guests stand waist-deep in the middle of the sea on a sandbank, surrounded by lots of fish, dolphins were spotted, and the trip ends with a beautiful sunset. The yacht crew received very high praise.

On one sea excursion, the route consists of 4 stops: corals, dolphins, the island, and fishing, with lunch served before the island stop.

A 'dolphins + snorkeling' excursion: pickup around 8am, return by 4pm. Itinerary — dolphins (lucky sighting), snorkeling, lunch, snorkeling. Cost is around $17 per person.

Took a 2-hour boat trip from the shore near a departure point referred to as 'Roman's' — dolphins were spotted twice during the trip.

A small 7-seat boat departs from the Novotel hotel beach: two stops for diving/snorkeling, then heads to see dolphins. Reviewed very positively.

On a basic sea trip, there may be no island landing: the island is only pointed out from a distance, with staff saying access is not allowed, and the boat then returns to the departure point. Confirm in advance that a Magawish landing is actually included.

On a standard sea excursion, the route includes 2 swimming stops at beautiful reefs along the way.

A sea excursion costing $240 through the Blue Lagoon dive centre was disappointing: no life jackets on board despite children being present, unprofessional crew behaviour, and no dolphins spotted. Several visitors also report that some boat captains make no effort to find dolphins, and safety can be a concern — one group was nearly swept onto the coral. In such cases, the hotel reef is considered a better alternative.

The hotel beach reef has been almost entirely destroyed over the past two years — some guests were simply lying on the coral — and fish numbers have dropped sharply. On one occasion the water surface was covered with a film or pollen-like substance. Two or three lifeguards now patrol the beach; swimming before official opening hours requires signing a personal-responsibility waiver.

Swimming along the hotel reef, visitors have encountered a large spotted eagle ray that lingers in shallow water and can even be photographed from the pier. A small number of jellyfish were also spotted in the water on the same day.

A private half-day trip to Magawish island on a glass-bottom boat offers clear views of coral reefs, but fish sightings are unpredictable — some visitors see very little marine life.

A standard sea excursion from Hurghada covers a dolphin bay stop, snorkeling and diving spots, and fishing. Banana boat rides are sometimes not included despite expectations.

For shore snorkeling without a boat: head to the far end of the beach near the white fence, swim past the dead coral toward the Novotel — a large Napoleon wrasse lives in that area.