DIVE TRIP DESCRIPTION

Red Sea: Northern Wrecks & Reefs

The itinerary below is an example of the planned route and dive sites cannot be guaranteed. All dive sites are subject to weather conditions and the final route taken is at the absolute discretion of the captain and dive guides. You must have completed 20 dives in order to dive Thistlegorm.

Once you are on board, a typical diving day is as follows:

  • Light Breakfast, followed by a briefing & Dive 1
  • Full Breakfast, relaxation period, briefing & Dive 2
  • Lunch, relaxation period, briefing & Dive 3
  • Snack, relaxation period, briefing & Dive 4, (no snorkeling or night dives allowed in the Brothers Marine Park)
  • Dinner

Day 1

Start the week with a check dive before heading north for an afternoon and night dive.

Days 2-5

Spend four days cruising the northern Red Sea. Normally you will have the opportunity to make three day dives and a night dive each day. The exact itinerary and order of dive sites will vary depending on the conditions but you can expect to visit plenty of wrecks including Thistlegorm, Dunraven, Giannis D, Carnatic and potentially even more. There is also some fantastic reef diving including the Ras Mohamed marine park, Danaba (Shag Rock), Sha’ab El Erg (famous for dolphin encounters) and the Island of Gobal.

SS Thistlegorm

Probably the most famous of the Red Sea wrecks. The 126.5m English freighter was bombed by German aviation on 6 October 1941. Nowadays, she creates an artificial reef on a sandy bottom at 32m max depth. She is home to an enormous variety of marine life and is especially popular with large schooling fish. Please note: Due to local legislation, you must have a minimum of 20 logged dives in order to dive on this wreck. Other dives on the itinerary are not affected.

Ras Mohamed – Shark & Yolanda Reefs

This is a world renowned dive site, situated at the tip of the Sinai. Two small ergs are joined by a vertical wall dropping into the abyss. At Shark Reef the current allows you to drift along the wall, rich with colourful corals. Moving towards Yolanda Reef you reach a plateau scattered with small ergs and coral outcrops. Continuing around the reef you will come upon the scattered remains of the wreck ‘Yolanda’ complete with its cargo of toilets and baths. The whole of this area is big fish territory so keep an eye on the blue!

Gubal Islands

At the gate of the Strait of Gubal is ‘Bluff Point’, which gets its name from the turbulence created by strong currents that beat the eastern coast of the island. The wreck of the Ulysses lies on the reef 300m north of the lighthouse, starting at 5m and sloping down to 25m. The Barge wreck provides divers with a fun and unusual night dive with the wreck’s skeleton creating protection for all sorts of night critters.

Abu Nuhas

Also known as the ‘Ship’s Graveyard’, this reef is positioned dangerously close to the busy shipping lanes of the Gulf of Suez. Abu Nuhas has claimed more ships than any other in the area. On the north side, there are four wrecks laying on a sandy sea floor on the bottom of a steep sloping reef layered with table corals. Wrecks here include the Ghiannis D, Carnatic, Tile and Lentil wrecks. On the south side, there is a safe anchorage for liveaboards and two ergs, knows as Yellow Fish Reef.

Danaba – Shag Rock

This large circular reef is often overlooked but offers excellent diving on pristine coral from any location on its perimeter. Weather permitting, you can dive the wreck of the Kingston which sank in 1881 and has become part of the reef and is now covered in hard corals.

Sha’ab El Erg

Famous for its dolphin sightings (therefore also knows as: Dolphin House), this shallow reef can offer a dive you will never forget.

Experience Needed

Currents at these fantastic dive sites are what make its sightings so exciting. Subsequently, this itinerary is not suitable for inexperienced divers. Blue O Two divers to have a minimum of 30 logged dives to join this safari to ensure safety. Scuba Leeds require a minimum of PADI Advanced Open Water diver to ensure you get the most from the trip. Since these superb dive sites are offshore, many dives will be from a RIB.

All dives sites are subject to weather conditions. Adverse weather can affect this route which includes several overnight sailings. Subsequently, final route taken is at the absolute discretion of the captain and dive guides.

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