DIVE
SHARM EL SHEIKH
LIVEABOARD DIVE TOURS
WITH REEFCOMBER TOURS

Luxury boats especially designed and built for liveaboard diving in the Red Sea offer passengers a successful combination of pure comfort, a unique diving experience, and the choice between Northern, South and Deep South routings.

The Diving :

THE SOUTHERN RED SEA
The southern Red Sea encompasses the coastline from just south of Hurghada on the mainland of Egypt, extending all the way to the southern border with Sudan. With the Eastern Desert to the west, this rugged, arid region is one of the most isolated areas in Egypt, where the only sign of human inhabitation is often a solitary army post hundreds of kilometres from the nearest town. Although the teeming Nile valley lies only a couple of hours away from the coast by road, this region can sometimes feel like the land that time forgot, its’ small towns seemingly unchanged since medieval times.
Diving in this region of the Red Sea is superb - stick a pin in the map almost anywhere on the coast, and you would most likely find a prime dive site of pristine beauty. This is an area of elaborate coral gardens, maze-like labyrinths of caves and canyons, drop-offs and gentle slopes, shallow undersea playgrounds and submarine valleys. Some of the big names of Red Sea diving lie in these waters – particularly the Brothers Islands - a pair of isolated towers of pristine coral rising from abyssal depths and shrouded in schools of sharks. These sites are almost a holy grail of dive sites, encompassing sheer walls and exquisite coral gardens. But there are hundreds of lesser-known reefs here that far surpass the best that the northern Red Sea has to offer, and they form part of the thrill of exploring unknown reefs and seeing sights that few divers will ever see.
Most of the reef fish species abound in huge numbers and display little of the timidity which has become common further north. Huge schools of snapper, surgeonfish, barracuda, fusilier and jacks are extremely common, while solitary reef fishes are present in numbers usually reserved for schooling species in other parts of the Red Sea. Grouper reach incredible sizes, big moray eels fill nooks and crannies in the reef, colourful angelfish of many species abound, and looming giants such as Napoleon wrasse and huge bumphead parrotfish patrol the waters along the reef’s edge. The sandy bottoms along the coast support a variety of rays, as well as oddities such as guitar sharks and crocodile fish. The area’s other marine residents are sea turtles, squid, cuttlefish and octopus – and this is one of the few places in the world where wild dolphins have been known to play with divers in the water. There are even areas where that most elusive of marine mammals, the dugong, have been seen by divers.
Temperatures in summer (May-October) can sometimes reach 45ºC while in winter (November-April) the temperature in the surrounding desert can sometimes drop below freezing at night. Rainfall is minimal but what precipitation there is generally falls in December and January. Water temperatures range between 29ºC in the summer to the lower twenties in winter. Visibility is generally very good, with averages over 20m, and highs far beyond that. The best time of the year to embark on a dive safari to this area is between May – July when the wind is not as much of a factor, as an expedition to the Brothers’ Islands can only be undertaken when conditions are at their most favourable. Including the Brothers’ Islands on the dive itinerary can never be 100% guaranteed for this reason, and the decision on whether to make the trip out to the islands is at the discretion of the liveaboard skipper.
The Brothers Islands
Located in the central Red Sea, about 67km east of El Quseir, accessible by liveaboard from the Red Sea port town of Hurghada. Special permissions are required to dive this area. Average depth of 25m, with a maximum depth of 70m plus and an average visibility of 20m.
The Big and Little Brothers islands are a pair of tiny islands – actually the exposed tips of two massive reef pillars that rise from the abyssal depths, which have achieved a reputation for spectacular underwater scenery. They are the only significant reefs in the area, and as such act as a magnet for any pelagic and reef fishes. They support an incredibly dense and diverse coral population, with an almost overwhelmingly profuse soft coral growth on all sides. These sites attract numerous sharks: grey reefs, whitetip reefs, hammerheads, tigers, and even the ominous oceanic whitetip have been seen. Majestic whale sharks are a tantalizing possibility.

RAS MUHAMMED is a small group of  about a dozen dive sites in one area

CLICK HERE to read a personal account of a dive trip to the RED SEA and DAHAB

Other Holiday Packages : Ghazala Liveaboards

SATURDAY - 
The flight Jhb / Cairo leaves at 20h00.
SUNDAY - 
Arrive Cairo 0500 Meet and assist, transfer, 2 nights President Hotel Cairo (good 3 star) with half day tour of Pyramids and Sphinx and continental breakfast.
TUESDAY - Fly Cairo to Sharm
Board the Ghazala 1 in Sharm El Sheik, lunch, first refresher dive. Night dive and dinner.
WEDNESDAY -
Cruise south before sunrise and wake up at Beacon Rock. The ill fated British ship Dunraven lies stern up in 28m of water with the bow just 14m below the surface. This wreck is easy to enter and explore, making it a good dive.
THURSDAY -
SS Thistlegorm. Prepare yourself for the best wreck dive ever! This British supply ship was carrying supplies and ammunition to an English  battalion in Egypt when she was sunk by a German aircraft during World  War II. Discovered in 1993 she became a diver's delight. She lies in 2  pieces in 30m of water, the bow only 12m below the surface. This 150m long ship is full of trucks, motorcycles, train engines, tanks and other war supplies. There are plenty of small souveniers to be found. Huge schools
of game fish together look like a beautiful garden of soft coral. Here we spend a full day with at least 4 dives.
FRIDAY -
Shag Rock is the next stop. It forms part of Shaab Ali. Here we can choose from either another spectacular wreck dive or a reef dive featuring gigantic table and fan corals. Around this reef there is an opportunity to see white tip sharks, reef sharks, sea turtles, and a variety of soft corals. The reef is one of the most colourful, living reefs in the Red Sea and is one of the best locations for underwater photography.
SATURDAY -
Early this morning the boat travels to Shaab Abu Nuhas, an atoll north of  Shaduan Island. This reef is the graveyard of 4 wrecks. The oldest is  Carnatic, a steam ship which sank in 1867 while travelling from Suez to Bombay with 230 passengers and crew. She struck the reef of Abu Nuhas and 26 lives were lost. The ship was carrying a lot of gold, most of  which has been recovered by divers. Three other cargo ships lie side by side along this reef. But not only the wrecks are spectacular, the marine life is stunningly beautiful. In the afternoon cruise to Alternatives Reef which is an excellent location for a night dive.
SUNDAY - Today you will dive what is reputed to be the best reef dive in the world!
Shark Reef on Ras Muhammed - the ultimate wall dive. Before breakfast we dive around the north island of Ras Muhammed. At this time in the morning we are likely to encounter hammerhead sharks, manta rays, big game fish and more surprises. The dive will be highlighted with theever friendly Napoleon Wrasse and the Map Angel Fish - a magnificent sight and photographer's dream. After at least 2 dives in this wall we move to a new site where we do a long and shallow dive.
MONDAY - Today we dive at Shark Observatory of Ras Muhammed, one of the more exciting dives in the area. the reef table is very narrow and its seaward wall is a sheer 700 metre drop into the deep blue. This wall is a treasure trove of coral species guaranteed to drive a marine biologist 'up the wall!' After exploring this wall we cruise to Fishermans Bank to dive an amazing reef and visit 2 caves. This dive features a combination wall, white sandy bottom, and a coral garden - a beautiful end to a trip of a lifetime!
In the evening cruise back to Sharm El Sheik for the last evening party.
TUESDAY - Disembark after breakfast, transfer, FLY SHARM/CAIRO, transfer 1 night Presdient Hotel
WEDNESDAY - transfer to airport
THURSDAY : FLY CAIRO JNB 0130 0800

(Itinerary is an example and is subject to slight changes.)

7-night Package Cost :

Ghazala Liveaboards:
* transfers Sharm airport
* 7 nights Glazala 1
* all meals, unlimited diving, tanks and weights
* 1 night Cairo
* return transfers Cairo
R 10 250 per person sharing

JOHANNESBURG - CAIRO - SHARM EL SHEIKH - CAIRO - JOHANNESBURG
R 4250 per person, excl. taxes low season rate
R 4660 per person, excl taxes - high season rate

JOHANNESBURG - CAIRO - HURGHADA - CAIRO - JOHANNESBURG
R 3930 per person, excl. taxes low season rate
R 4310 per person, excl taxes - high season rate

Low season: 15 Jan - 20 March; 14 April - 19 June; 5 July - 14 Sept; 1 Oct - 30 Nov
High Season: 21 Mar - 13 Apr; 20 Jun - 4 Jul; 15 - 30 Sep; 1 Dec - 14 Jan 2002

What's Included?

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For your next
dive trip call
André Nel

Tel: (011) 781 6520
Fax: (011) 781 6521
Email: info@reefcomber.co.za

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