Egypt has about two dozen world-famous resorts. People come here for family vacations,
parties, swimming and diving. Today we're going to Marsa Alam. It's the
best place in the country for snorkeling! The small resort located on the western shore of
the Red Sea is nicknamed the Egyptian Maldives: there is an incredible array of corals,
fish and other underwater creatures here. Among them are green turtles.
These giants live about 80 years, can weigh as much as two hundred kilograms,
and their length exceeds one meter. They spend most of their time in shallow waters
and close to the shore, swimming at a speed of about two to three kilometers per hour.
Coral reefs are their favorite environment: not only do they provide turtles with food,
but also protect them from bad weather. Here is an adult turtle: you can tell that not only by its size. These
marine animals feed on jellyfish, sponges, and fish during their first years of life,
but as they get older they switch to plants. The seagrass beds off the coast of Marsa Alam,
in the Marsa Mubarak Bay, are great for a feast! A turtle is quite often accompanied by sucker
fish. They cling to the turtle's ventral shield, the plastron, thanks to their suction fin.
It doesn't bother the turtle at all. On the contrary! Sucker fish are quite useful, they
rid the “host” of parasites and detached scales. When the turtle goes down to
the bottom to get some food, the fish quickly move to the top of the shell. Look at the splendor of the corals!
They are real underwater gardens, colorful and full of life. Egypt takes
great care of its natural heritage: here, not only are you forbidden to break
off underwater “twigs” as a keepsake, but you can't even take home any piece
of it washed ashore by the waves. And now we see a blue-spotted stingray swimming
in front of us. It is perfectly camouflaged in the light sand, although its blue speckles give
it away. But even if it is spotted by predators, the stingray can deliver powerful
blows to the enemy with its tail, which has a sharp jagged spike on the end. Both
sharks and humans should stay away from it! The stingray feeds on mollusks, fish and worms,
and it seems to be searching for prey right now. The waters of Marsa Alam are a unique ecosystem
with dozens of coral and fish species. Many of them have not only spectacular looks, but
also memorable names: parrot fish, clown fish, long-spined porcupine fish, and even Arabian
surgeonfish! Among them, it is easy to spot a bright yellow striped fish with a white “eyebrow”.
This is the diagonal butterflyfish, or the “Red Sea raccoon butterflyfish”, which is
found nowhere else in the world. And its relative without stripes, which is also bright
yellow, is the masked butterflyfish: the spots around its eyes, indeed, resemble a mask. It's time to go up to the surface. The
beach at The Three Corners Fayrouz Plaza Beach Resort 5 hotel is almost deserted: evening
has quietly closed in, and the sky is becoming overcast. But getting to know the underwater
world has been an unforgettable adventure!
