Marsa Alam
Marsa Alam (Arabic: مرسى علم Marsā ʿAlam IPA: [ˈmæɾsæ ˈʕælæm]) is a town in south-eastern Egypt, located on the western shore of the Red Sea. It is currently seeing fast increasing popularity as a tourist destination and development following the opening of Marsa Alam International Airport in 2001.
Marsa Alam is situated near the Tropic of Cancer where the Arabian Desert meets the Red Sea, and it has the appearance of a tropical paradise with its palm trees, mangroves and sea coasts fringed with barrier coral reefs. It has already gained a strong reputation amongst scuba divers due to its numerous and unspoilt diving sites both along the coast and offshore. Sightings of spinner dolphins, dugongs and hammerhead sharks are a frequent occurrence for those who venture into its waters.
Among the most famous beaches around Marsa Alam is the Abu Dabab beach. In Abu Dabab, turtles are a common sight and it is nearly guaranteed that when diving, one will see at least one turtle. For tourists who seek to see something less typical, there is marine wildlife like sea snakes, crocodilefish and octopuses.
Marsa Alam also has some inland attractions, such as the Emerald Mines and the Temple of Seti I at Khanais.
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Climate [edit]
Despite being over 135 miles (217 km) north of the tropical zone, the city experiences an arid tropical climate, with steadier temperatures than places to the north such as Sharm el Sheikh. Average temperatures during January typically range from 22 to 25 degrees Celsius and in August 33 to 40 degrees Celsius. The temperature of the Red Sea at this location during the year ranges from 22 to 29 degrees Celsius.[1]
| Climate data for Marsa Alam | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 24 (75) |
25 (77) |
27 (81) |
30 (86) |
33 (91) |
35 (95) |
36 (97) |
36 (97) |
34 (93) |
33 (91) |
29 (84) |
25 (77) |
31 (88) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 13 (55) |
14 (57) |
16 (61) |
19 (66) |
23 (73) |
24 (75) |
25 (77) |
26 (79) |
25 (77) |
22 (72) |
19 (66) |
15 (59) |
21 (70) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 0 (0) |
1 (0.04) |
1 (0.04) |
1 (0.04) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
1 (0.04) |
1 (0.04) |
1 (0.04) |
6 (0.24) |
| Avg. precipitation days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 279 | 283 | 310 | 330 | 372 | 390 | 403 | 372 | 330 | 310 | 300 | 279 | 3,958 |
| Source: Weather2Travel[2] | |||||||||||||
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 73 °F
23 °C |
72 °F
22 °C |
72 °F
22 °C |
73 °F
23 °C |
77 °F
25 °C |
81 °F
27 °C |
82 °F
28 °C |
84 °F
29 °C |
82 °F
28 °C |
81 °F
27 °C |
79 °F
26 °C |
75 °F
24 °C |
Gallery of wildlife [edit]
-
Dugong off Abu Dabab beach
-
Dugong "rolling" on sea floor
-
Coral Reef north of Marsa Alam
References [edit]
- ^ http://www.holidaycheck.com/climate-wetter_Marsa+Alam+El+Quseir-ebene_rid-id_790.html
- ^ "Ras Nsrany, Egypt: Climate, Global Warming, and Daylight Charts and Data". Climate Charts. Retrieved may 12, 2010.
External links [edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Marsa Alam |
- On the Red Sea, as Hotels Go Up, Divers Head Down The New York Times on diving in Marsa Alam (April 8, 2007)
- Marsa Alam Guide, helpfull informations and photo galleries
- Red Sea Spinner Dolphins
- The Dugong of Marsa Abu Dabbab
- Marsa Alam Guide
- Marsa Alam Dugon
- Marsa Alam airport
