About Red Sea - Egypt

• Few dive locations always crop up in conversation the way Egypt's Red Sea does. If it isn't the first destination to crop up in a wow dive conversation, it is typically among the first three. The Red Sea takes its name from the red-tinted Egyptian mountain ranges that surround it. It's a diver's paradise, with the warmest of warm seas, very little wave action and unsurpassed visibility.
• The Red Sea is considered to be 1 of the 7 Wonders of the underwater world, harboring more than 1,000 species of invertebrates and over 200 species of soft and hard coral. This forms the basis of a marine eco-system which includes 1,100 species of fish, of which about 10% are endemic, the largest number of fish species in proportion to any other body of water in the world.
• The crystal clear waters of the Red Sea offers unobstructed opportunities to spot tropical marine life ranging from sharks and dolphins to gorgonian fans and feather-stars., your Egypt dive holiday can include shallow patch reefs, drift dives and walls, or a collection of some of the most interesting wrecks you are likely to find. In other places vibrant reefs stretch far into the ocean and form intricate labyrinths of plateaus, lagoons, caves and gardens.
• One moment you could find yourself on a coral garden atop a summit and the next a sheer wall could plunge thousands of feet into dark ocean depths. The Red Sea's abundance of marine life and depths of the reef are a thrill that many divers will tell you are unbeatable.

Highlights

• The Red Sea as a whole is a pretty special attraction and like a box of Quality Street - everybody has their own favourite. However, Sharm El Sheik arguably has the best of what the Red Sea has to offer. The legendary dive location that is Ras Mohammed, wrecks the likes of the Dunraven and the Thistlegorm and the Straits of Tiran are all easily accessible from Sharm El Sheikh. Dotted with at least 10 other interesting wreck sites, the area is also alive with big fish such as barracuda, turtles, manta rays, eagle rays and even sharks.
• For jaded divers who have seen it all, the further south you go, the better the quality. Hurghada and Marsa Alam offer you a starting point from which to explore incredibly rich sites such as the Big Brothers and Elphinstone which satisfy even the most experienced divers.

Safari Route.

• Get Wrecked (Northern Red Sea)
  Embarks: Hurghada or Sharm el Sheikh
  Local Area, Abu Nuhas (Carnatic, Giannis D, Marcus, Kimon M), Gubal (Ulysses, Barge, Rosalie Moller), Kingston (Shag Rock), Carina (Shaab Naab), Thistlegorm (Shaab Ali), Dunraven (Beacon Rock), Jolanda (Ras Mohamed), Million Hope (Tiran Straits).
• Wrecks and Reefs (Northern Red Sea)
  Embarks: Hurghada or Sharm el Sheikh
  Local Area, Abu Nuhas (Carnatic, Giannis D, Marcus, Kimon M), Siyul Islands, Um Usk Reef, Gubal Islands (Maala, Bluff Point, Inner Garden, Barge, Ulysses, Rosalie Moller), Shag Rock (Kingston and Reef), Shaab Naab (Carina and Reef), Shaab Nahsh, Shaab Mahmoud (Big and Small Passage, Dunraven), Stingray Station, 7 Aruk, Ras Mohamed Area, Tiran Straits (Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse, Jackson).
• Brother Islands
  Embarks: Hurghada or Marsa Ghaleb
  Big Brother, Little Brother, Safaga Area (Abu Kefan, Panorama Reef, Middle Reef, Wreck of Salem Express, Tobia Arbaa), Hurghada Area.
• Brother Islands and Elphinstone
  Embarks: Hurghada or Marsa Ghaleb
  Big Brother, Little Brother, Elphinstone, Safaga Area (Abu Kefan, Panorama Reef, Middle Reef, Wreck of Salem Express, Tobia Arbaa), Hurghada Area
• Simply the Best
  Embarks: Hurghada or Marsa Ghaleb
  Brother Islands, Daedelus Reef, and Elphinstone, Safaga Area (Abu Kefan, Panorama Reef, Middle Reef, Wreck of Salem Express, Tobia Arbaa), Hurghada Area
• Daedelus, Rocky, St. Johns
  Embarks: Marsa Ghaleb
  Daedelus Reef, Rocky, Zabargad, St. Johns, Gota Sharm, Abu Dabab, Elphinstone, and Marsa Shouna
• St John’s (Deep South Coastal)
  Embarks: Hamata
  Abu Dabab, Elphinstone, St. Johns, Fury Shoal, Gota Sharm, and Marsa Shouna
• Southern Wreck Special
  Embarks: Marsa Ghaleb
  Marsa Shouna, Elphinstone, Khanka (Zabargad Island), Maiden (for advanced trimix divers only, Rocky Island), Trawler Wreck (Mikauwa Island), Atlas (Sataya El Bar), Abu Galawa Area (Adamantia K, Tugboat, Yacht Wreck), Hamata, Ras Torombi

Dive Sites Hurghada

• North itinerary:
  Giftun Islands - Gubal Islands - Sha'ab Ali (Thistlegorm wreck) - Abu Nuhas (Carnatic wreck)
• South itinerary:
  Giftun Islands-Abu Hashish Isl.-Panorama Reef-Abu Kifan Reef-Sha'ab Shaer (Salem Express wreck)
  Two choices are provided, one southwards to the Safaga area, and the other in the direction of the Hurghada archipelago. The southern cruise provides fascinating underwater expeditions along the Panorama reef and the wreck of the Salem Express, and also includes the Middle reef and Abu Kefan, while the Hurghada archipelago cruise, which is probably the more beautiful of the two, provides underwater diving expeditions at Sha'ab El Erg, famous for its manta rays, and Shabrur Syul with its fabulous madreporic formations. It then continues to Umm Usk and from there to the wrecks at Abu Nuhas; the Giannis, Carnatic, Chrisoula and Kimon. The cruise almost always ends with a visit to the famous Thistlegorm wreck that was sunk just off the amazing reefs of Sha'ab Ali. The cruise includes a minimum of fifteen underwater diving expeditions, of which at least one or two are nocturnal.
• Dive Sites Sharm el Sheikh
  Itinerary: Tiran Island - Ras Mohammed - Sha'ab Ali (Thistlegorm wreck) - Abu Nuhas (Carnatic wreck)
  Underwater diving expeditions can be dedicated to the exploration of such coral reefs as Jackson, Gordon and Woodhouse in the Tiran Strait to the north of Sharm. The cruise can then proceed southward to provide underwater expeditions in the mythical area around Ras Mohammed, and then onward to explore the wrecks of the Thistlegorm and the Dunraven, before following the same route as the southern cruise from Hurghada to encompass the wrecks of Abu Nuhas and the islands of Gobal and Shadwan.
• Saint John Reef
  Itinerary: A minibus is provided to take passengers to South Hurghada (El Quseir, Ras Galeb), where embarkation takes place. The first stop is at Elphinstone, the most exciting and splendid of the Red Sea reefs. From here on until Wadi Gimal, the cruise follows one of the most fascinating underwater diving routes that the Egyptian Red Sea has to offer. The itinerary includes diving expeditions at Sha'ab Alam, famous for its great branching black coral, at Erg Alam with its amazing turrets of madrepora, and at Ras Samadai, the horseshoe-shaped reef that provides an excellent place to anchor for the night and the chance of an underwater diving expedition along underwater tunnels and in and out of passing grottoes. Ras Samadai also provides the added attraction of being able to share an underwater adventure with some resident bottle nosed dolphins. The cruise then proceeds towards Gota El Sharm, the temple of the giant sea fans constantly presided over by deep sea fish, before reaching Wadi Gimal. Underwater diving expeditions at Elphistone can be organized both at the beginning and at the end of the trip. The entire reef is extremely interesting; its northern end (Punta Nord) is the exclusive territory of the hammer shark, its eastern wall is characterized by a multitude of barrier fish and its western wall is completely carpeted by multicolored Alcyonaria, while its southern end is the favorite hunting ground of tunny shoals and carangidae. There are also cruises of one or two weeks with even more southerly routes reaching as far south as Dolphin reef and the reefs of St. John, but these trips are dependent on clearance from the Egyptian authorities and previously established embarkation points. Dolphin reef is famous for its great number of friendly resident dolphins that can be easily approached in the water (snorkeling), whereas the reefs of St. John promise underwater encounters of every nature, not to mention the wealth of life on its coral.
• Marine Park
  Itinerary: Embarkation takes place at Hurghada, outside the Diving World offices. After a few trial diving expeditions around Hurghada to help acclimatize, and marine conditions permitting, our cruiser heads out towards Safaga and the six hour journey to The Brothers. Since there is no sheltered place to drop anchor safe from the sea and the wind, the cruiser can only remain in the island's vicinity for as long as weather conditions allow and every opportunity has to be taken to make as many underwater expeditions as possible. The Brothers provide the very best that any diver could possibly desire to see; hammer sharks, albimarginatus and moon fish, not to mention two amazing wrecks, the Namibia and the Aida II, that floundered on the reef of the bigger island. The wrecks are completely covered by enormous Alyconariae and provide a unique underwater sight. The one-week cruise ends with the reefs close to the coast of El Quseir, returning up the coast towards Safaga and Hurghada. The two-week itinerary follows on to include Daedalus, where an old light house is still to be seen jutting up from a circular shaped reef rapidly disappearing into the blue. The diving expeditions in this area are characterized by the presence of giant, deep-sea fish species. The cruise continues to Zabargad and Rocky Island: un-spoilt seabed’s molded by the vivid art of nature and enlivened by sharks and deep-sea fish create a world that contrasts starkly with the harsh fascination of the land above. This enthralling island, wrapped in its history of topaz mining, breathes excitement. The itineraries can be changed slightly according to weather conditions and are designed for experienced underwater divers.
• Dive Regulation
  In Egypt according to law only instructors can diving without guide therefore we give to each group a guide who helps with diving and procuring of permissions which are indispensable. Bring with yourself Present diving logbook and agency certification, Possess medical certification and accident insurance, Maximum depth limit is 30 meters for recreational scuba divers. A check out dive in the bay on the first day is required, if you have not dived for 6 months or more. Trips to Ras Mohammed, Straits of Tiran or the Thistlegorm are not available on first day of diving and require a suitable level of certification and experience