- Embarkation: Hurgada Port - disembarkation: Hurgada Port
- Nights on board:7 - Diving Days :6 - covering: 95 NM
Highlights: Ras Unlike Sharm El Sheikh where all the diving is along the coastline, Hurghada benefits from the numerous small islands within a 10-15Km radius of the town. If it were not for these numerous islands the diving would be difficult as the area would be open to the prevailing wind. The diving around these islands is varied with shallow reefs and coral gardens to dramatic walls and drop offs offering a variety of diving second to none. During the last three years the whole area has become protected and has benefited greatly from the installation of mooring buoys at all the reefs by HEPCA, the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association. The islands and reefs although not designated as national parks are protected and the same rules apply, don’t touch the coral or feed the fish and remember it is illegal to take anything from the sea bed dead or alive. Mohammed Wall, Thistelgorm Wreck , Abu Nuhas wrecks Though each trip tends to be unique depending on general conditions like group tendencies , weather and sea behavior, the following day by day itinerary is just samples of previous trips.
Your Itinerary
Day 1:
Check in . Orientation and crew introductions. Dinner .If arrival is before 3.30 the boat will leave the port but if after then Dinner will be in the port.
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Day 2:
- Morning dives at Shaab El-erg (check dive),The most northerly site for day boats out of Hurghada. A huge horseshoe shaped reef there are many dive sites on all sides. The north point is home to Mantas in season. The lagoon is dotted with ergs and is renowned for sightings of the resident dolphin community, divers have spent up to 30 minutes with dolphin pod here. Gota Shab El Erg nearby is a little known site but well worth a visit. The whole area teems with life, unicorns, scorpion fish, groupers, morays, emperor angel fish, blue spotted rays and underneath the table corals look out for white tips resting in the sand. In the sandy channel between the main reef and the gota you will find cone shells, and flatfish afternoon dives and overnight at Umm Usk A large horseshoe shaped reef that shelters a shallow lagoon and offers good shallow diving on coral gardens at either point. Further around the southern reef exterior provides a steep coral encrusted wall sloping to 40+m. Playful bottlenose dolphins are found inside the lagoon at times.
(B) (L) (D)
Day 3:
- Morning dives at Abu Nuhas Wreck, including Giannis D., Carnatic and Chrisoula K.Afternoon dives at Abu Nuhas may include Blind Reef and Yellowfish Reef. The vessel willovernight at Bluff Point on sites like Barge Wreck. Also known as the ‘Ships Graveyard’, this reef is dangerously positioned close to the busy shipping lanes of the Gulf of Suez. This reef has claimed more ships than any other in the area. On the north side are four wrecks laying on a sandy seafloor at the bottom of a steep sloping reef layered with table corals. The wrecks are sometimes inaccessible in anything other than a RIB or inflatable due to the heavy swell driving down the length of the gulf. On the south side is a safe anchorage for liveaboards and two beautiful ergs, known as Yellow fish reef that make an excellent third dive or night dive or an alternative if the weather is extremely bad.
Giannus D
This Greek freighter hit the reef in April 1983 and over the course of two weeks slowly broke in two and sank. She is the most dived wreck here, Laying in 28m and leaning to port with a fully intact stern section and an impressive engine room packed with glass fish. Locally known as the ’wood’ wreck for the cargo it was carrying when it sank. The bow is also very interesting but is a long swim out. She is a great wreck for penetration but beware of disorientation due to the angle at which she lays. Be weary of the many lion fish and scorpion fish that call this wreck home. and watch out strong surges in and around the wreck in rough weather.
Carnatic
A British P & O steamer which struck the reef in 1869. and sank the next day as the weather worsened. She was a passenger and mail ship and is sometimes known as the ‘wine’ wreck for the numerous bottles once found in the holds, sadly not many now remain to be seen. Rumor has it that she sank with forty thousand pounds sterling of gold bullion, much of which was never recovered. She lays in 29m and now the whole hull is draped in multicoloured soft corals and the inner areas are full of glass fish complete with red mouthed grouper sentinel. One davit supports a beautiful table coral. The wreck is now home to large grouper, octopus and morays and jacks and tuna cruise overhead.
Chrisoula K (27°34.92’N, 33°55.76’E)
Another Greek ship which sank in 1976, now laying in 30m is fully laden with stone floor tiles and sometimes called the ‘tile’ wreck for obvious reasons. Early morning divers may find a white tip reef shark sleeping under the rudder at the stern. Be weary of very limited and small entry/exit points into the engine room, however, penetration of the wreck
is not recommended due to the unstable nature of the wreck.
Olden (27°34.98’N, 33°55.88’E)
Not a lot is known about this wreck except that it struck the reef in 1981 and is locally known as the ‘lentil’ wreck for the cargo she carried. Lying in 31m and completely on its starboard side exposing its huge hull on one side and gaping cargo holds on the other. Growth on the hull is fairly sparse due to the position and current. Large morays live in the scattered remains of wreckage on the starboard side and bat fish circle the topside. Most of the fish in the vacinity of the wreck are overweight from dining on the lentils leaching from the sacks once contained in her holds
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Day 4:
The day is spent at Sha’ab Ali where dive sites include Wreck of the Thistlegorm
To most, I am sure this wreck needs no introduction. In October 1941 she was at anchor behind Shab Ali and awaiting orders to move up through the Suez canal to deliver a cargo of munitions to the British troops in north Africa when German aircraft bombed the 129m British freighter. The cargo is still virtually intact and includes railway locomotives, bren gun carriers, trucks motorcycles and a host of ammunition of all sizes. You need to do at least two dives on this wreck to even get a feel for the site. Dive the deeper stern section first and the bow for the second dive of the day. The wreck is home to bat fish, jacks, barracudas, surgeon fish, nudibranchs and rabbit fish graze the hull. The current here can be strong and the visibility reduced so ensure a full briefing from you dive guide and enjoy your visit to this part of British history.
Shag Rock
Being so close to its neighbour, the Thistlegorm, this large circular reef is often overlooked. It offers excellent diving on pristine coral from any location on its perimeter. The sheltered southern point is the most dived location offering the opportunity for drifts along the west or east sides. Weather permitting the northern point hosts the wreck of the Kingston (‘Sarah H’) just below the surface (max. depth 12m). Large schools of yellow goat fish, sweet lips abound here and the area regularly patrolled by grey reef sharks.
Wreck of the Kingston (Sarah H)
Sunk in 1881 this British cargo ship was sailing from London to Aden when she ran headlong into the reef. Lying in 16m of water she is covered with hard coral growth. The stern complete with rudder and prop are intact and the remains of the hull have attracted an enormous amount of fish life, small schools of barracuda hang over the stern and jack patrol the area. The wreck is misnamed in a lot of Red Sea guides as the Sarah H, rumour has it that the wreck was named after a divemaster on board at the time it was discovered.
Wreck of the Carina
Laying in 10m close to Shab Ali and its famous wreck the Thistlegorm this wreck is largely ignored. She sank in 1926 and was a mixed steam and sailing vessel and the four boilers can be seen today together with the prop shaft. The bow and stern are still reasonably intact but the midships is well broken and is mainly a debris field. The whole wreck is covered in hard corals and very active reef life. This is an excellent location for photography but watch for the current which runs from bow to stern and can be strong
, Sarah H Wreck,Sunk in 1881 this British cargo ship was sailing from London to Aden when she ran headlong into the reef. Lying in 16m of water she is covered with hard coral growth. The stern complete with rudder and prop are intact and the remains of the hull have attracted an enormous amount of fish life, small schools of barracuda hang over the stern and jack patrol the area. The wreck is misnamed in a lot of Red Sea guides as the Sarah H, rumour has it that the wreck was named after a divemaster on board at the time it was discovered and Shag Rock.
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Day 5:
The day is spent at Ras MohammedReally several dive sites Ras Mohammed has earned itself a reputation as one of the top dive sites in the world, here at the tip of the Sinai where the vast bodies of water the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba meet has created an ecosystem like no other and wall diving at its very best and Shoab Mahmoud includes sites like Jolanda and Shark reef,About fifteen minutes drive north of Naama bay this site can be accessed by vehicle or boat. The bay slopes away gently with a series of buttresses and ledges which make this a great place for training. In the deeper areas away from the beach you can find stonefish, triggerfish barracuda and even mantas at the right time of the year cruising among the many coral heads. Alternatives, Passages, Beacon Rock & Dun raven wreck. Overnight at Mohammed,
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Day 6:
- Morning Dives at Siyul,An Isolated reef south of Siyul Island, with good diving on its north side. Soft coral, sea whips, many ergs home to glass fish and turtles can often be found here.
Siyul Kebira
This reef extends around the Island of Big Siyul and has a varied profile, in some areas sand chutes (wadis) split the reef face, in others there are overhangs and gullies to explore. The coral growth is abundant as is the fish life. Most diving here is in swift currents on the drift but the north eastern point offers a plateau which slopes gently from 10m to 30+m. Sharks and large rays are often sighted in the deeper water, with schools of sweet lips and masked butterflies in the shallows.
Siyul Seghira
Despite it Arabic name Little (seghira) Siyul is the largest reef in the area at over 4km long. It is usually dived as a drift due to the strong currents along the sloping reef. The depth range is 20-25m, the corals are lush and vibrant and the fish life is dense and varied. The best dive here is along the north side but can only be done in moderate weather due to the exposed nature
afternoon and overnight at Umm GammarLiterally the reef of Umm Gamar, this reef lies 1km south of Umm Gamar and is the tip of an undersea mountain. The reef wall drops to around 15m on the west side, and is peppered with many caves and overhangs, home for sweepers and glass fish, here the sandy plateau slopes away gently to 30m with the drop off beyond. On the east side the slope is much steeper and drops quickly to the depths, the diving here is superb and can be most often done as a drift. This whole area offers superb wall diving with possibilities of encountering grey reef sharks and good-sized groupers as well as morays, big tuna, and blue spotted rays. On the south east slope lies the wreck of an Egyptian patrol boat which is well worth a visit.
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Day 7:
- 2 Morning dives at Careless reefAn offshore reef Carless has two large ergs rising from a shallow plateau surrounded by sheer walls rising from the deep. The area is unprotected and the reef can only be reached in good weather. The current at the surface is usually from the north but below it can be from any direction. To the north the drop off is a forest of coral to the south the plateau slope gently away with small pinnacles of coral. The whole area swarms with fish of all types there are numerous giant morays encountered here, as well as the white tip reef sharks and schooling reef fish as well as huge groupers and the occasional hammerhead in the early morning and lunch on the way back to Hurghada. Dinner & overnight on board at dock
Day 8 - 8:00 am Breakfast check out
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Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
The prices are for a 4 star boat with bathroom ensuite accomidation.Charter Price for 16 persons is $11700
This trip can also be taken onboard a good wooden standard boat sleeping 14 or 16 or 20 person's sharing 4 bathrooms.The price on the standard boats are $600 per person Charter price for 14 is $7800 16 is $9000 18 is 10000
20 is $10200
The prices above are also the same if you which to do Safaga Tours which has our sailing Yaht Nora II on her prices are the same for the Northern Itineary as they are for Safaga.Please look at Red Sea Diving Safaga
Also see tour packages in:
Africa
Egypt
Scuba/Snorkeling
Gay Tours
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