Egypt Diving Holidays

The Southern Marine Parks offer some of the best opportunities to explore the diversity of the Red Sea.  Famous for remote reefs and underwater pinnacles, the corals are pristine and abundant. There is also an opportunity for some wreck diving in the south. Curious pelagics are drawn to these reefs and are often seen passing by in the blue or cruising the underwater plateaus.  Oceanic White Tips, Thresher Sharks, Silky Sharks and schooling Hammerheads are common visitors in the South.

The south is not for novice divers due to changeable currents and the depth of the dive sites.  A minimum of 50 logged dives is required to dive in the Southern Marine Parks and night dives are prohibited by law in the marine parks. Long sailing times are often required to meet the southern itineraries.  All dive sites are subject to weather conditions.

The Southern Marine Parks consist of the following major sites:

• 
  Brothers Islands


• 
  Daedalus Reef


• 
  Zabargad Island


• 
  Rocky Island

The Brothers' Islands, tops of two undersea mountains, Big Brother and Little Brother, rising from the depth, are located about 50 N.M. offshore, at the same latitude of the town of Quseir. A protected area within the marine parks of the Red Sea, they offer breathtaking underwater scenery, wall diving along their perimeter and the possibility to spot a wide variety of pelagic activity.



Daedalus Reef, also part of the marine park, is the most offshore of all the reefs in the Egyptian Red Sea. It is a big, oval reef with a lighthouse, and its perimeter of walls offers some of the most stunning diving in the Red Sea. Typical of Daedalus are its huge and pristine hard coral formations, and the possibility to spot schooling hammerheads. Thresher sharks, mantas and whale sharks can also be spotted here.

Elphinstone is truly a legendary reef, with its northern and southern plateaus and walls festooned in soft coral. Although it is not part of the marine park, it is often visited as a part of the Southern Marine Park itineraries. Hammerheads, grey reef and Oceanic sharks can also be spotted here on a regular basis.

Zabargad Island is the largest of Egypt’s 4 Southern Marine Parks and lies just 7km north of Rocky Island.  The island has a sandy slope that leads to a maze of coral where reef fish and numerous invertebrates find protection in the corals.  The sandy bottom is home to rays and turtles.  Off the steep walls Oceanic Whitetips, Grey Reef Sharks, and Manta Rays are frequently spotted.   Northeast of the island lies the Khanka wreck and off the west coast of the island the Neptuna wreck still remains.

Rocky Island is a small, sand island in the southern most part of the Red Sea.  It is a favourite among divers for its huge schools of fish, step walls, and strong-current drift dives.  Sharks are attracted to the schooling fish and can be seen feeding near Rocky. Surface conditions are often rough, so this is a site for more experienced divers. 

Cruise & Stay Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in your chosen resort, transfer to your liveaboard boat.

Days 2-3: Liveaboard diving (8 dives), 2 nights on boat.

Day 4: 2 dives. Disembark from boat and check into your hotel.

Days 5-7: Day boat diving for 3 days (6 dives), 3 nights in your chosen resort.

Day 8: Free day. Transfer from hotel to the airport.

What's included - and what's not

Mini Liveaboard includes:

-3 nights onboard

-3 days of diving, 3-4 dives/day (last day 2 dives)

-Return transfers to boat on boarding and disembarking

-Guide, tanks and weights

-Full board, soft drinks and snacks

-National Park fee



Hotel Accommodation

-4 nights B&B at your resort hotel sharing double room



Day Diving

-3 days diving at Emperor Divers' Dive Centre



Transfers

-Meet and greet at the airport



Package does not include:

-Flight and visa

-Diving equipment

-Nitrox

-Alcohol

-Tip for the crew

-Single occupancy supplement for single divers

-Half board supplement

-Day diving: Lunch & drinks, Special trip supplements, National Park fee

Day 1: Arrive Marsa Alam where you are transferred to the boat, spending the first night on board in the marina at Port Ghalib.



Day 2: After breakfast, head to Abu Dabab for a check dive. Dive Ras Trombi in the afternoon before setting sail for the Brothers. 



Day 3: Spend the full day diving Little Brother, diving the North Plateau, South Plateau and West Wall. Night dives are prohibited in this area. Spend the night at Little Brother.



Day 4: Move to Big Brother for the full day diving the Numidia, the Aida and South Plateau. Night dives are prohibited in this area. After three dives, set sail for Daedalus.



Day 5: Spend the day diving the North Plateau, Anemone City and South Plateau at Daedalus. Night dives are prohibited in this area.  After a full day's diving, the boat will head for Elphinstone. 



Day 6: Make two dives on Elphinstone's North Plateau and South Plateau. A night dive is made at Abu Dabab.



Day 7: On the final day, dive Marsa Abu Dabab and Ras Shona before returning to Port Ghalib. Transfer to the hotel in Port Ghalib in the afternoon for your last night.



Day 8: Spend the afternoon at leisure at the hotel and transfer in the afternoon to the airport  in Marsa Alam for your flight back to the UK.

Day 1: Arrive Hurghada. Check-in & overnight on board at marina.



Day 2: Check dive near Soma Bay, then diving Panorama reef & Sha'ab Shaer, sailing at night to the Brothers.



Day 3: Big Brother the full day, stay the night at Big Brother.



Day 4: Little Brother the full day, sailing at night to Daedalus.



Day 5: Daedalus the full day, stay the night at Daedalus.



Day 6: Daedalus the full day, sailing at night to Elphinstone.



Day 7: Diving at Elphinstone full day, sailing at night to Hurghada.



Day 8: Check out and transfer to airport.

Day 1: After arriving in Marsa Alam, you are transferred to the boat in Port Ghalib, where you will spend your first night.



Day 2: After breakfast you will set sail for a local reef where you will have your first check dive.  After your check dive, you will head to Elphinstone for your next dives. Travel overnight to Daedalus.

Day 3: Full day at Daedalus, diving the North Plateau, Anemone City and South Plateau. Night dives are prohibited in this area. Set sail for Rocky after three dives. 



Day 4: Dive Rocky Island twice before heading across to Zabargad Island. The fourth dive of the day is at the South Plateau and a night dive is possible here.

Day 5: Start your day off with a short trip to St. Johns where you will dive Habili Ali. Gota Soraya and Gota Kebir, followed by a night dive at Dangerous. 



Day 6: Dive Habili Jaffa and St. John's Caves, then head off to Fury Shoal. Shaab Claudia is the third dive, with a night dive at Shaab Sharm. 



Day 7: A morning dive is made back at Elphinstone before finishing the week's diving at Marsa Abu Dabab. After arrival in Port Ghalib, pack up and transfer to your hotel in the afternoon. 



Day 8: Spend the day in the hotel, until your late afternoon transfer arrives to take you to the airport for your flight back to the UK.