Liveaboard safaris can be arranged starting from 3 days to 2 weeks. For groups of 10 people, we can organise a private trip to any part of the Egyptian Red Sea, for smaller groups we can make a fantastic tour around the northern Red Sea.
To be eligible to dive on liveaboards, divers must hold a minimum of Advanced Open Water or equivalent. We strongly recommend also to have the Nitrox certification to ensure you can extend your dive duration and bottom time.
Sharm Gems – 3 Day Mini Safari
If you are short on time but still want to visit the best dive sites around Sharm we can plan an itinerary that can include dives at the SS Thistlegorm, Ras Mohamed and the wrecks at Abu Nuhas or the strait of Tiran.
Without any doubt the most famous of Sinai dives and the most popular wreck dive site in the world, requires multiple dives to be explored in all its secret wonders.
The Thistlegorm, its Gaelic name meaning Blue Thistle, was a British transport ship belonging to the Albyn Line shipping company, is 126.5 meters long, a capacity of 4,898 tons and had a `three-cylinder steam engine developing 1,860 HP that gave the vessel a speed of around 10 knots. The Thistlegorm was built to transport refurbished wartime materials for the British troops. In May 1941 with a crew of 39 men it had left the port of Glasgow, Scotland, with a cargo of munitions, bombs of different kinds, anti-tank mines, Lee Enfield MK III rifles, hundreds of BSA, BSA W-M20, Matchless G3L and Norton 16H motorbikes. Bedford, Morris, and Ford trucks. Four light Brengun Carrier MK II tracked vehicles. Two steam Stanier 8 F locomotives complete with two coal tenders and water tankers. On the night of the 5-6 October 1941 two German Heinkel HE III bombers, coming from their base in Crete, sighted and attacked the ship. It was hit by two bombs on hold no.4 where the munitions deposit amongst other things was situated. The Thistlegorm sank in an upright position on a flat, sandy seabed 30 meters deep at 1.30 am on the 6th October 1941. Jacques Cousteau discovered the wreck in 1955 and mentioned it in an article published in February 1956 in the monthly National Geographic Magazine. Jacques Cousteau did not reveal the position of the wreck, thus it went forgotten for almost 40 years until 1991 when it was rediscovered by an Israeli skipper. In a short time, The Thistlegorm has become a great favourite with scuba divers from all over the world and is now the most visited wreck in the whole Red Sea.
Ras Mohammed Park
Ras Mohamed National Park has 9 dive sites: Ras Ghozlani, Marsa Barieka, Ras Zatar, Jackfish Alley, Eel Garden, Shark Observatory, Anemone city, Shark & Yolanda Reefs. South of Sharm el Sheikh the coast is totally deserted, with no shelter for more than a mile, up to the small bay named Marsa Ghozlani, where the Ras Mohammed national park begins. this is followed by another bay, Marsa Bareika which is much larger and deeper. it penetrates the land for 2.8 miles, forming the Ras Mohammed peninsula, which extends south-eastwards into the Red Sea for almost 5 miles and separates the Gulf of Aqaba from the Gulf of Suez. Because of its geographic position the Ras Mohammed peninsula is a privileged area that benefits from strong currents that transport large quantities of plankton and other food that give rise to an extraordinary growth of hard and soft corals and attract large schools of both reef and pelagic marine fauna. With the great abundance of food, barracuda, jackfish, tuna, and sharks swarm in these waters, especially between June to August, offering divers the chance to make extremely interesting and exciting dives.
Shark & Yolanda Reef
Shark-Yolanda Reef
A world ranked dive site formed of two little underwater islands, the Shark reef, and the Yolanda reef. Shark Reef, is a vertical wall dropping to 700 meters, covered with fantastic corals. While the Yolanda Reef has a wide plateau with a coral garden and lots of pinnacle corals. Between Yolanda reef and the Ras Mohamed reef lies the remains of the wreck of the Yolanda that is 74m long and was carrying bathroom supplies heading to the Gulf of Aqaba when she crashed in 1980. The presence of strong currents is often at this site. Diverse marine life to watch: scorpionfish, crocodile fish, groupers, turtles, tuna, big morays and napoleon fish, Red Snapper, batfish, unicorn fish, barracudas and more which of course sometimes attracts the predators such as Grey reef or black tip Sharks.
Jackson Reef
Jackson-Reef
This is the northernmost reef in Tiran and is known for the wreck, partially demolished in 1996, of the Cypriot merchant ship Lara, which sank here in 1985. Diving here usually begins on the southern side, which is sheltered from the waves and wind and where there is a large metal buoy, a fixed mooring – which is not far from the reef – and two other mooring points on the reef on water level: here the wall, cut through by some splits, descends steeply to the sandy floor (-45 meters). Going westwards (dive A), you will see some gorgonians and a splendid red anemone at a depth of 28 meters. This is followed by a plateau that is connected to Woodhouse Reef by a saddle. The south-western corner of Jackson Reef, where numerous fire corals (Millepora dichotoma) can be seen, is subject to the currents, which can be extremely violent. If conditions are right (especially when the tide is ebbing), it is possible to drift dive on the eastern part of the reef (dive B). Here, about 15 meters down, is a sandy ledge that sinks into the abyss to the north. It is quite easy to spot turtles (Eretmochelys sp.) and large pelagic fish in this zone. Among the latter are White-tip reef sharks (Triaenodon obesus), Grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) and Hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini), which are especially numerous from July to September.
Jackfish Ally
The name of this site derives from the white sandy road between the coral ledge bordering the coast and a parallel satellite reef that is often frequented by Jackfish and other predators. Jackfish Alley, which was originally known as Fisherman’s Bank, is south of Ras Za’atar. You will have to make it as a drift dive, lookout for Gorgonians, stingrays, trevally, Glass fish, triggerfish and sometimes you might see a Whitetip reef shark.
Gordon Reef
Gordon Reef is easily identified by the wreck of the Panamanian cargo ship Loullia which crashed in 1981. Enjoy the various species of coral, small nudibranchs hidden in the crevices and the soft corals, you can encounter as well as White Tip Reef Sharks and Eagle rays. By the middle of the reef, you will see some metal drums that homes Octopus and different types of eel such as Moray, Peppered and Gold edged morays. Divers need to be careful of strong current at the north and southern ends of this reef.
Thomas Reef
Jackson-Reef
This reef is one of the most spectacular diving sites in the northern Red Sea for both recreational and Technical Divers. The lack of mooring points makes drift diving necessary: The southern corner of the reef is the classic starting point for your underwater itinerary, which continues along the eastern side where the wall, rich in multicoloured coral, descends to a sandy plateau that begins at a depth of about 25 meters and has a slight incline. Here you can see large Alcyonarians (Dendronephthya sp.), impressive gorgonians and colonies of black coral, Antipatharians with their characteristic spiral shape. At a depth of 35 meters a splendid and extremely deep canyon opens out, running parallel to the reef and crossed by a series of impressive arches. At the north-eastern corner of the reef, you may come upon a very strong counter-current. If you can get past this point and conditions are favourable, you can go around the entire reef. This will allow you to explore the northern wall, which has some nice shelters and splits, and the western one, where you will see many crevices and caves, lovely gorgonians and a wealth of fauna consisting of sea turtles, reef fish.
Woodhouse Reef
Woodhouse Ree
Woodhouse Reef is narrow and long, dives are done only as drift dives and only in good weather conditions. the most interesting part is the northern half of the eastern side with a canyon starting at 30 meters. Lots to see there from red anemones, great potential for sea turtles, jackfish, and eagle rays. In case of choppy sea, it is recommended to end the dive and to surface before the northern point as the turbulence created by powerful whirling currents and strong winds can be present.
Dahab, Bells & Blue Hole
BLUE HOLE
The entry point “Bells” is a small crack in the reef-table that continues under water like a chimney down to 28 m and can be exited at any depth. There are corals to the left and right and nothing but blue in front of you. You will turn to the right as soon as you reach your maximum depth and then dive along a fantastic wall with loads of coral overhangs surrounded by the full variety of Red Sea fish, the dive will take you gradually shallower until you reach the beautiful coral saddle into the Blue Hole at about 7 m. As for Technical Divers the Blue Hole itself is literally a hole in the reef that is around 56 meters wide and its max depth is from 90 to 120 meters. The most important feature of the Blue Hole is the archway, which is located at 56 meters and exits into the bottomless open sea. Here’s what you should take into consideration: first of all, you have to correctly locate the arch. The arch is not directly below the saddle. It is on the eastern side of the site not the southern one. You should drop down at the correct place because the reef curves around and you may not be able to see the arch. Searching for the arch at depth is not a brilliant idea. One way to locate the arch is to drop down to 30 meters at the western side of the Blue Hole where you’ll find a sandy gully. Following this sandy gully will finally lead you to the arch. A blue glow becomes visible at 52 meters. This is not the proper depth to cross the arch at. You have to descend another 4 – 5 meters to seamlessly cross the arch because the roof is actually located at 55 meters. The arch itself is 26 meter long, 25 meter wide hole, it is advised to have a torch with you. Note that occasionally there are strong downward currents that could be experienced at the exit of the arch. Make an “if – then” scenario and follow it.
Dahab, The Canyon
CANYON DAHAB
The Canyon is one of the most popular dive sites in Dahab and an essential dive for all fanatics of caves and cavern diving. The Canyon is up to 10m deep and virtually closed over at the top. It snakes its way up from the depths, to emerge in a large glassfish-filled coral dome, the Fishbowl. After the shore entry, you cross a sandy lagoon that opens onto a gently sloping reef marked with coral heads. The amazing canyon soon comes into view. It has three main openings. At about 12m is the fishbowl. Below that is another large bowl, opening at about 20m. Deepest of all is a narrow exit at 52-54m. In between these openings the walls have grown together to virtually close over the top of the canyon, forming a tunnel. From the top it has the appearance of the fluted mouth of a clam shell. Note the light coming through the crack that forms the entry of the Canyon while you sit in semi-darkness, it is an amazing sight! Technical Divers can follow the Canyon all the way through to the exit where it spits you out at 54m, then continue dropping down to ‘Neptune’s Chair’ – looks like a giant throne made of rock at 73m. Behind this there is a cave, it goes back around 15-20m, with a max depth of 75m. Take a torch! It’s a dead end so no need to lay line or anything.
