What marine life can you see snorkeling at Sharm el-Sheikh beaches?

At the Xanadu beach area, snorkelers report seeing a sea turtle reliably almost every day.

In the Conti hotel area, a very large tuna was seen heading toward Sharm Plaza; barracudas have also begun appearing there, with two spotted in one day.

Cuttlefish are occasionally spotted on the beach too — filmed one morning, though they're a fairly rare find among the other marine life.

Along the shoreline, sea urchins and cone snails are very common; small stingrays and young moray eels are also frequently spotted.

One lucky outing included manta ray, eagle rays, a turtle, moray eels, and even two reef sharks spotted in the morning — one close enough to film well, the other farther away.

Near the last buoy on the left side (facing the sea), squid gather along the rope and further down.

Near the Conti hotel area (right side), manta rays have been spotted several times — described as an impressive sight, second only to seeing a whale shark.

At Menaville beach, snorkelers have seen nearly the same variety of marine life as elsewhere, except for eagle rays; an octopus lives on the coral near the pier.

Near the northern buoy line, snorkelers report pairs of tuna, trevally (kingfish), moray eels, and barracuda, with fairly predictable spots where they hang out. Triggerfish are extremely abundant throughout the area.

It's worth checking both directions: to the left the coral is poor but rays and turtles are more likely; to the right, near the Barcelo hotel, the coral is livelier though big fish are less common. One route is to swim one way around Barcelo, then exit via a public pier and walk back along the shore.

In Naama Bay by the Novotel, even though the reef is minimal, snorkelers still report plenty of marine life, including Napoleon wrasse, large moray eels, stingrays, and sometimes sea turtles, plus lots of smaller fish.

At Grand Rotana, snorkelers have reported manta rays near the beach as well as dolphins, making it a spot where you may see more than just standard reef fish.

At Reef Oasis, eagle rays are reported very regularly, with sightings described as almost daily. It is one of the few beach areas where this type of ray appears consistently.

Around Sharm el-Sheikh beaches, you can occasionally spot less common surface species such as dolphins or flying fish, so sightings can vary a lot from one swim to the next.

The stretch between the Remal and Pick Albatros hotels is a good spot to encounter octopuses — two were spotted together at once. They are very shy and retreat into coral quickly, so keep your distance. One pair was even seen swimming side by side.

For serious underwater wildlife, head to Zahaba or Sunny Days beaches and similar spots nearby. Beyond the buoy lines are scenic coral reefs with diverse marine life including stingrays, large moray eels, and lionfish — species rarely seen at standard Sharm beaches. Sandy-bottom areas are also available for those who prefer them.

Schools of fish are visible in the shallows almost every day. Stingrays and squid also appear regularly. The main challenge is getting your camera ready in time — by the time you start recording, the animals often dart away.