Hammerhead paradise — south plateau, dramatic walls to the north, west and east. Up to 5 shark species: hammerheads, oceanic whitetips, silky sharks, grey reef sharks. Best morning dives for hammerhead encounters at 15–30m.

Night dives not available at Daedalus — prohibited by marine park regulations. Up to 4 day-dives in summer, 3 guaranteed in winter.

Rocky Island — every side is a drop-off dive. South point in strong current produces sharks and spectacular drifts. Visibility at Rocky regularly reaches 80m — unlike anywhere in the north. An island that stays in the memory.

Zabargad — referenced at the time of the Roman Empire. The name comes from peridot (zaberged in Arabic) mined here since Pharaonic Egypt. The Hanka wreck on the southwest — rumored to be a Soviet spy vessel — sits in a miraculous coral garden on a stepped wall. Night dive available here.

St Johns offers extraordinary diversity — drop-offs with strong currents at the Habili sites (reef starts at 4–8m, then drops away completely), and protected coral lagoons at Gota sites (reef from the surface, sheltered from waves). Two full days means we reach both types. Turtles, reef sharks, Napoleon fish regular.

Night dive every day of the St Johns section — a major advantage over northern itineraries. Night dives here produce reef sharks, turtles, octopus, and rare encounters not possible in daylight.

Sataya Dolphin House — a large lagoon with sandy bottom, home to a resident pod of spinner dolphins. Every morning we snorkel in the lagoon as the dolphins arrive. Scuba diving inside the lagoon is not permitted, but dolphins appear on surrounding reef dives.

Fury Shoal sites — Maksur, Claudia, Malahy, Abu Galawa — spectacular coral formations and caves. A fitting close to the Golden Mix week before the return to Marsa Alam.