Where to spot eagle rays and turtles while snorkeling or diving in Sharm El Sheikh?

In September 2026 a traveler recalled the previous September at the Sentido hotel: both a turtle and eagle rays were around El Fanar, and stingrays near Robba turned up at almost every turn. She called El Fanar an excellent, easy-to-reach spot.

In July 2026 a snorkeler advised swimming at least as far as the Sindbad hotel: the stretch is very beautiful for the variety of live coral and the reef relief, and that is where she twice met an eagle ray. Alone she swam as far as the Baron, but usually walked back because of the current. She said the area to the left is also stunning, but she only went there with company and not far, stopping short of the cape.

On 22 July 2026, between Robba and the start of Conti, from 7:30 am until about 1 pm, a snorkeler met one eagle ray and saw a turtle in the distance. The same day she came across different manta rays three times just beyond the buoys along Sharm Plaza, and a crocodile fish was lying on the reef near the pontoon. Her advice: spend as much time swimming as you can.

On 20 July 2026 several eagle rays were seen beyond the Barcelo reef, along with many large stingrays half-buried in the sandy bottom (not the light-green ones with blue spots, but big ones).

On 19 July 2026 a snorkeler saw an eagle ray three times in one day: twice to the left of the Palms pier, then he swam with it back to Baron Palms and on to Baron Resort; around the Resort the rays headed into deep blue water. The third time the ray was lying on the sand at about 9 m. In his view, once the rays have arrived they are easy to find and you can keep meeting them all day; if they have not, there is no point searching.

In July 2026 a snorkeler described a long swim from Concorde to Pickalbatross Palace: along the way he saw turtles, moray eels and eagle rays.

For turtles on boat dives, a participant in July 2026 named Giftun reef — the area of the Orange Bay, Paradise and Hulaa Hulaa spots. He added that you might get lucky with a turtle at any dive site, or not.