Is there a reef for snorkeling right off the beach in Sahl Hasheesh, and should I bring my own snorkel gear?

Coral close to the pontoon may be damaged by swimmers, so it is worth swimming a little farther away for better snorkeling.

Bring water shoes: some stretches have a reasonable entry, but may not have a visible reef right off shore.

A basic mask-and-snorkel set is enough — you'll likely only use it once. Note that at low tide the reef can be far from shore (about a kilometer walk), so it's not always convenient to reach.

Glass-bottom boats here are usually DIY conversions — a hole is cut in a regular boat's hull and fitted with glass. No major incidents reported, and gliding over the reef this way is genuinely impressive.

Definitely pack your own snorkel mask — the reef runs along all the Sahl Hasheesh hotel beaches, and just 20 meters offshore you'll find a good variety of fish.

The reef isn't spotless everywhere — during a dive on a farther section, a diver had to untangle a large sack (like a burlap potato or sugar bag) caught in the coral; the boat crew just rolled their eyes when it was hauled aboard.