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 Diving in the Red Sea in Eilat in a site called 3 rocks. A beautiful shallow water dive site. Equipment: Canon eos 60d in a diving bag (works well in depths under 12m). 92 views |
 Scubadiving Hamada wreck at Abu Gosoon, Red Sea Egypt with Ducks Dive Superior (www.ducks-diving.com Marsa Alam 178 views |
 After big storm the water was not cristal clear but we have had a great time anyway. Father and son exploring Red Sea :-) We enjoyed the professional service from Extra divers in Port Gahlib Video filmed/edited by Johan Stenström, Måns Ansgariusson 323 views |
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 SUBSCRIBE FOR MORE OF MY TRAVEL VIDEOS !! www.facebook.com www.ceepackaging.com http The Temple of Debod is an ancient Egyptian temple which was rebuilt in Madrid, Spain. The temple was built originally 15 km south of Aswan in southern Egypt very close to the first cataract of the Nile and to the great religious centre dedicated to the goddess Isis, in Philae. In the early 2nd century BCE, Adikhalamani (Tabriqo), the Kushite king of Meroë, started its construction by building a small single room chapel dedicated to the god Amun. It was built and decorated on a similar design to the later Meroitic chapel on which the Temple of Dakka is based. Later, during the reigns of Ptolemy VI, Ptolemy VIII and Ptolemy XII of the Ptolemaic dynasty, it was extended on all four sides to form a small temple, 12 X 15 m, which was dedicated to Isis of Philae. The Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius completed its decorations. From the quay, a long processional way leads to the stone-built enclosure wall, through three stone pylon gateways and finally to the temple itself. The pranaos, which had four columns with composite capitals collapsed in 1868, and is now lost. Behind it lay the original sanctuary of Amun, the offering table room and a later sanctuary with several side-rooms and stairs to the roof. In 1960, due to the construction of the Great Dam of Aswan and the consequent threat posed to several monuments and archeological sites, UNESCO made an international call to save this rich ... 794 views |
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INDepth - Southern Egypt
No longer are you likely to be on the only dive boat you see during a trip to the southernmost part of Egypt, but the quality and range of diving are still world-class.
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This region became known as the ‘Deep South’ at a time when the journey to get there was long and arduous. Today, many regard the unofficial tag as misleading, as it is still very much the northern Red Sea, and you’d have to pass through another three countries (Sudan, Eritrea and a bit of Djibouti) to get to the southern strait at Bab el Mandeb.
In truth, the central/northern Red Sea (in which this area belongs) is better suited for most divers’ needs: the reefs here benefit from their proximity to the abyssal water of the Median Trench, which generates nutrients, variety and clarity. Most of the real ‘deep south’, by contrast, sits along a shallow continental shelf that peters into deeper water.
People who come here to experience reefs in solitude will be disappointed, as even faraway sites such as St John’s are visited year-round. Still, if you want to experience spectacular drop-offs, schools of fish and little-known shipwrecks, you will return home more than satisfied (and the crowding is less of an issue than elsewhere in Egypt). You can explore coral caverns, swim into the blue to look for hammerheads or maybe even make friends with a pod of spinner dolphins. Finally, November to January is the best time of year for finding oceanic sharks at many of the offshore sites – so it is possible to combine wrecks, reefs and shark encounters over a six-night trip.
The instant success of the new Marsa Alam airport has been attributed to the quality of the local diving, but as time passes, this wild frontier is finally being tamed. Witness the growth of Port Galib, a major waterfront development where the diving industry is once again blazing a trail in the Red Sea. It is the departure point for both liveaboards and dayboats heading off to the scattered reefs of the Fury Shoal and beyond. Yet even beyond this point, resorts such as Lamahi Bay (www.lahamibay.com), currently the southernmost beach resort in Egypt, offer five-star luxury where quite recently there was only sand and stars.
While the offshore sites are known for their big-fish encounters, particularly sharks, much remains to be discovered along the wilderness of the shoreline, where fields of seagrass provide a habitat for the elusive dugong, a large marine mammal which is increasingly being seen by divers around sites such as El Shona.
It is likely that in time, the new resorts will locate the one thing still lacking in southern Egypt – some decent sites for finding small and unusual animals.
However, the story does not end here. As I write, the new liveaboard Royal Evolution is planning to run trips from southern Egypt into Sudan (www.royalevolution.com), potentially uniting the best adventure diving sites in the whole of the Red Sea.
DIVE SPOTS
ELPHINSTONE
Perhaps because it lies relatively close to the mainland and can be visited on day trips, Elphinstone is sometimes written off as the least interesting of Egypt’s offshore islands. In fact, every square metre of this reef is teeming with life, and from October to January there is a very good chance of seeing oceanic white-tip sharks. These sharks are the crown princes of the Red Sea (although the ones that visit in winter tend to be princesses), with a boldness that sets them apart from other sharks.
Named after Lord Elphinstone (a 19th-century British general and Viceroy of India), this reef has steep walls that give way to plateaus along the northern and southern sides. Most dives take place on the south point, where the reef tilts down into the blue, patrolled at the deeper points by grey reef sharks. Soft coral grows thick on the sloping plateau, which leads to an arch at 60m, below the limits of safe air diving.
More interesting are the oceanic white-tips, unusually bold sharks that can be seen close to the reef or, more frequently, cruising under the moored boats in the hope that a few scraps might be thrown overboard. These sharks normally occupy the open sea and are accustomed to investigating any object in the water, including divers. As afternoon turns to early evening, their boldness intensifies and curiosity can turn to aggression. If they start to make speedy passes or butt divers with their snouts, it’s time to exit the water.
THE FURY SHOAL
This network of sunken reefs and ‘habilis’ has come within range of dayboats, so that land-based divers can finally relish the complexity of its coral environment. Generally, this is a world of hard coral, but there are drop-offs on the outer reefs where pelagic fish and a few sharks can be found for most of the year.
A typical Fury Shoal reef is Abu Galawa, or ‘Father of the Pools’, where beautiful lagoons are protected by the reefs. There are a few wrecks, but the defining factor is the coral.
Anyone passing through this area should ask to dive Sha’ab Claude (also known as Sha’ab Claudia, it was named, perhaps, after an androgynous dive guide), a maze of coral tunnels and caverns that provide a shallow, spectacular playground for divers. The contrasting light and space of the coral maze, coupled with the sun-dappled vista of the open reef, makes this one of the Red Sea’s most memorable dives. Even hardened wreck divers speak of the palpable sense of peace and well-being that people experience when they spend time on this reef.
Elsewhere, the Fury Shoal’s more exposed reefs attract the pelagics. At reefs such as Sha’ab Mansour and Sataya, divers go deep on the walls that take the brunt of the current, hoping to see schools of barracuda and big-eye trevally. Great barracuda and Napoleon wrasse are both common here, and can be endearingly cooperative in front of a camera.
ST JOHN'S REEF
St John’s is a remote system of reefs and ‘habilis’ located to the south of Ras Banas. As recently as 2002 it was still considered virgin diving territory, and the secrets of its sites were guarded jealously by skippers and dive guides who ventured this far south. While it is far more accessible these days, it is still quite a journey, and the reefs have yet to give up all their secrets.
Signature dives here include the exposed Habili Ali, which lies on the eastern extremity of the system and acts as a magnet for pelagics. From March to June, the water is the ideal temperature for scalloped hammerheads, while from July to September, manta rays visit to feed.
Another great dive in this area is Habili Gafar, a pinnacle dive about seven miles west of Habili Ali. As with other St John’s sites, it attracts hammerheads and other pelagics, but the pinnacle itself is much smaller (perhaps 20m by 15m at the top), giving you the impression that you are swimming around a vast pillar. The idea is simply to swim repeatedly around the pinnacle, enjoying the reef and looking out for pelagics. Guides believe this site has the greatest concentration of fish in southern Egypt.
ZABARGAD, DAEDALUS AND ROCKY ISLANDS
Daedalus is the most remote dive site in Egyptian waters, situated 50 miles east of Marsa Alam, almost in the middle of the Red Sea. Its northern, southern and eastern sides are steep walls, and a lighthouse marks the 600m-long reef. Coral cover is superb along the walls (though there are some signs of recent diver-inflicted damage), but most people come here to swim out into the blue in search of scalloped hammerhead sharks. Schools of up to 20 sharks are regularly seen here, and they are not averse to swimming close to divers. It’s a deep, exposed dive and is recommended for fairly experienced divers.
Rocky Island is the southernmost of the offshore islands, and sits close to the Sudanese border. The northern tip is a good place to find big fish, but if conditions are too rough, the southeastern side has a plateau at 40m where hammerhead sharks can be seen during April and May. The island has a beautiful wall along its southwestern side, where fissures and cracks provide a good environment for the smaller fish you tend not to see on big wall dives.
If you have dived at Rocky, the chances are you will seek overnight shelter at nearby Zabargad, the only large island in the south. Unlike the other sites in this area, its topography is characterised by shallow areas and a gently sloping sea bed, making it ideal for an afternoon or night dive after the more testing experience at Rocky. A popular site here is ‘Pinnacles’, a sandy slope dotted with the columns of coral known as ‘ergs’.
Sheltered and shallow, it’s a good place to find lionfish and Spanish Dancer nudibranchs. There is also a mysterious freighter shipwreck, the ‘Russian’, lying on the western side of Zabargad’s southern bay (see Southern shipwrecks on page 85).
SOUTHERN SHIPWRECKS
The Yacht Sitting in shallow water near the coral garden at Abu Galawa Soraya, this fibreglass yacht is slowly being colonised by coral. It is just possible to squeeze inside and enjoy the sight of glassfish swirling around in the darkness.
Abu Galawa Tugboat A picturesque wreck, it sank after ploughing into the reef and today sits on the reef slope, with its stern at 17m. It’s a tight fit, but divers can get into the engine room.
The Hamada Popular with land-based divers due to its proximity to several resorts, the Hamada sank with a cargo of plastic granules in August 1993. It lies on its starboard side at 15m, the structure pocked with hard corals.
The ‘Russian’ This attractive-looking freighter sits at 24m on Zabargad’s southern bay. Mystery surrounds its identity, but there is evidence that it was a Russian survey vessel operating during the Seventies. The inside is prone to silting.
SS Turbo The stern of a British tanker, it lies on its port side off Ras Banas, at a maximum depth of 27m. It can be penetrated, but winds tend to push boats towards the headland, so you need perfect conditions for surface cover.
TOPSIDE ATTRACTIONS
The Eastern Desert, with its maze of wadis and ruins, is a place of silence and mystery. There are ancient mines, ghost villages, disused quarries and signs of several civilisations that have used the rugged trade routes of the interior. Ruins date back to the Ptolemaic and Roman eras, and most resorts can arrange tours on request. The best guide to this area is Karen Van Opstal, a Dutch geologist who was one of the pioneers of southern Egyptian diving, working with Red Sea Diving Safari and Oonasdivers.
THE SEASONS
Expect stifling hot weather during the summer, easing from October to April. Schooling fish are more plentiful during summer months, but the best time for sharks is from March to June. Seas tend to be rougher during the winter months, when fewer boats ply the waters. Water temperatures vary between 22ºC (5mm with optional hood) in February to 29ºC (3mm or skin) at the height of summer.
GETTING THERE
Marsa Alam is the best airport for this region, but flights can be limited so booking ahead can pay dividends. Flights on Excel airways usually come as part of a package and leave from Gatwick Airport. Some liveaboards – especially those trying to include the Brother Islands on their itineraries – depart from jetties in Hurghada.
WHAT TO PACK
As little as possible. This is strictly shorts and T-shirts territory, with perhaps a shirt for the evening and a jumper for winter. Sunhats, shades and sunblock are essential, and you should be prepared to drink a lot of water to prevent dehydration. Visibility is normally very good here, so you really need to bring a camera as well!
BOAT OR SHORE
Liveaboards undoubtedly give you more diving options and have a greater range than resort-based diving, but the resorts have replied to the challenge with competitive deals and the latest word in luxury.
While great fun, liveaboards are by their very nature intense, and you may feel you need another holiday afterwards. If this is the case and you still find yourself yearning for both experiences, our advice is to book two weeks away – an adventurous liveaboard trip and a week in a resort to recover while still enjoying a few dives.
NEED TO KNOW:
flight time > five hours
time difference from UK > TWO hours ahead
Currency > egyptian pound
exchange rate > £1 = 10.7 EGP
DIVE says
Over the course of a week, you can swim with sharks, dolphins and even manta rays, as well as enjoying some of the world’s most colourful reefs in average visibility of 30m. There are cavern systems, walls and pinnacles, as well as shipwrecks at practically every depth from 15m to 115m. You can fly there in five hours, holidays are competitively priced, service is attentive and the welcome is genuine. Fans of macro diving and those who need to be the only boat on a reef may be disappointed, however. That said, with tour operators keen to fill new resorts and liveaboards, this is world-class diving at affordable prices.
LIVEABOARDS AND TOUR OPERATORS
Aquatours
020 8398 0505
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www.aquatours.com
Blue o two
01752 480808
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www.blueotwo.com
Crusader travel
020 8744 0474
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www.crusadertravel.com
divechannel
020 8332 0022
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www.divechannel.co.uk
Lahami Bay Resort
00 20 2 7537100
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www.lahamibay.com
Oonasdivers
01323 648924
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www.oonasdivers.com
Red Sea Divers
0870 4430311
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www.redseadivers.com
Regaldive
0870 2201 777
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www.regal-diving.co.uk
Royal Evolution
00 20 65 3447366
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www.royalevolution.com
Tony Backhurst
01483 271765
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www.scuba.co.uk
Thanks to..
Much of the research for this feature was carried out on the liveaboard MV Hurricane, with the support of Tony Backhurst Scuba (tel: 01483 271765, www.scuba.co.uk ).