SOUTH & ST. JOHNS

St. Johns Reef Systems and Fury Shoals

This trip takes you to some of the best diving the Red Sea has to offer. Here the diving is less arduous so it's a trip for those who want to see the best but have a more relaxed time while doing so. Sailing to the southernmost reefs, you'll depart from Marsa Ghalib Port and dive some sites to the South before sailing overnight to your southernmost point in the St. John's area. Depending on the weather, government approval, and marine life sightings in recent weeks, we may sail to the southernmost islands of Rocky and Zabargad, or we'll moor instead in the vast reef system of St John's to begin the adventure in the South.

When leaving Marsa Ghalib the route can sometimes take in a dive at Abu Dabab on the first or last day. Often spoilt for choice, your guides will pick sites that they know to be the best for the time of the year and can find excellent alternatives should the weather affect the normal route. Although the distances are long, where possible we travel overnight so, as a 21 plus route, our aim is to get as many dives in as possible at some of the most impressive reefs. Below are some of the highlights.

On the way to Fury Shoals, dive Sha'ab Sharm with its wall dives and white tip reef sharks. Oceanic whitetips and silky sharks can sometimes be found in the blue and turtles often visit the south side before heading further south. At Fury Shoals, dive Sha'ab Claude with its famous swim-throughs and huge porite corals. Whitetip reef sharks and an anemone and clownfish settlement can be seen a little off the reef to the South. Abu Galawa Soraya has a fantastic coral garden and a wreck of a private sailing boat populated with glass fish.

RED SEA SHARKS

Brothers Islands, St. Johns, Rocky Island, Daedalus, and Elphinstone

Looking for some shark action? We know the best time to have the best chance to see those sharks in action! Explore the majestic Red Sea during the warm summer months of May to August with our much anticipated Red Sea Sharks itinerary offering flexibility and focus for 'action' dives. These months are best known for the variety of sharks visiting some of the remote offshore reefs. But be prepared to change diving plans at the last minute because we go where the action is.

Our guides select the best possible action sites to visit based on their immense local knowledge and on insider data on recent activity including a variety of Red Sea sharks, dolphins, and anything else that chooses to join the party.

Some of the sites we might visit are St John's, Rocky, Daedalus, and Elphinstone. However, please remember that the focus of this trip is not about where we go but about what we want to see...sharks! To that end, if we've had better shark sightings at, say, The Brother's Islands, then we'll head off there to catch the action! As always reefs we can visit may be restricted by weather conditions.

As you may be visiting some of the remote offshore Red Sea reef systems many of these may have deep drop-offs and be exposed to strong currents so be prepared to spend some time waiting 'in the blue' or in the shallows looking for those unmistakable shapes and shadows.

There are no guarantees in life but one thing is for sure, this itinerary will give you the best chance of close encounters of the 'sharky' kind.

REEFS & WRECKS

Abu Nuhas - Straits of Gubal - SS Thistlegorm - Ras Mohamed - Straits of Tiran - Ulysses and others

This itinerary presents the best of both worlds, where you visit famous wrecks in the northern Red Sea along with some stunning reef diving.

The famous horseshoe-shaped reef of Shaab El Erg is a perfect example of the reefs on offer on this cruise with its beautiful hard coral garden and the chance to see dolphins.

Abu Nuhas has four well-known wrecks: Giannis D, Carnatic, the Chrisoula K ('tile wreck'), and the Kimon M ('lentil wreck'), all offering spectacular dives and plenty of fish life. In between wreck dives you will also visit the reefs of the Straits of Gubal, Gulf of Suez and those to the north of Hurghada. A variety of deep walls and hard coral gardens with an abundance of reef fish make them well worth a visit.

Night dives can be superb as Gubal Island offers protected anchoring for the night. A small wreck at 8-10 metres makes for a spectacular night dive with lionfish, scorpion fish and its resident giant moray eel as well as the wreck of the Ulysses. Next onto the Kingston lying at Shag Rock, the Carina lying close to Sha'ab Ali and the Dunraven at Beacon Rock.

Daedalus, Fury & Elphinstone

Elphinstone - Daedalus - Fury Shoals

This trip offers you some of the best diving in the Red Sea and includes Daedalus, Fury Shoals, and Elphinstone. With less distance to travel than some routes, you have more time to dive these iconic sites and there is less chance of seasickness with shorter sailings and secure moorings. Depending on prevailing weather conditions your guides will pick sites suitable for night dives outside the Marine Park.

Heading first to Fury Shoals, we may dive around the Marsa Alam area or perhaps dive Sha'ab Sharm with its wall dives and white tip reef sharks. Oceanic whitetips and silky sharks can sometimes be found in the blue and turtles often visit the south side before heading further south. At Fury Shoals, we have more time to explore the vast reef system than other itineraries afford. Of course we will dive the classics such as Sha'ab Claude (a.k.a. Claudio) with its famous swim-throughs and huge porites corals, Malahi with its mazes and friendly turtles and Abu Galawa Soraya with its fantastic coral garden and a wreck of a private sailing boat smothered with glass fish. Sataya with its resident spinner dolphin population is a must for snorkelling between dives, as well as having some good underwater offerings, and on top of that we can spend time exploring less dived sites such as Sha'ab Hamam (Stairway to Heaven), Abu Galawa Kebir with the Tien Hsing wreck, Gota Sataya and if the weather is kind there are some submerged reefs that can be moored on such as Habili Sameh that will blow you away!

Famous Five

Rosalie Moller - Abu Nuhas - Thistlegorm - Ras Mohamed - Brother Islands - Salem Express

Starting from Hurghada, we sail north towards Gubal Island and on to Abu Nuhas and its four well-known wrecks: Giannis D, Carnatic, the 'Lentil Wreck' and the 'Tile Wreck', all offering spectacular dives and plenty of fish life. Explore the Rosalie Moller (the sister ship of the slightly more famous Thistlegorm), which lies from 30 to 50 metres deep and is in excellent condition. Although the visibility is not always good the wreck is covered in glassfish from bow to stern and hunting them are masses of lionfish. Around the wreck are the usual pelagics such as tuna, trevallies, Emperor fish, and many more.

A short ride across the Straits of Gubal and you visit the most famous wreck of the Red Sea, the SS Thistlegorm! An awe-inspiring World War II British vessel with a cargo full of armaments, Bedford trucks, and BSA motorbikes, which were all destined for the British troops in North Africa. She was sunk by the German Luftwaffe and now lies in 30 metres of water. Depending on divers' experience, along with the weather and current conditions, we try to offer a night dive here. Nearby is the Ras Mohamed National Park, offering a morning dive at the renowned 'Shark and Yolanda' reefs. Ras Mohamed National Park is the furthest Sinai destination before heading south towards the Brothers.