BROTHERS, DAEDULUS AND ELPHINSTONE 7-14TH OCTOBER 2021

Project Shark Best Of The Red Sea October 2021

Rea Sea

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8-15th OCTOBER 2021

This itinerary combines some of the greatest reefs for spotting large pelagics such as a variety of shark species, and one of the most unspoiled reefs in the Red Sea, which is where it gets its itinerary name ‘Best of the Red Sea’.sharks are often sighted, but Daedalus is most famous for its scalloped hammerhead sharks which can often be seen in large schools out in the blue during the summer months. The sheer size of this reef means that you can do several dives here and never get bored!

How to Book Your Place

There are only 24 spaces available and they will be awarded on a first come first serve basis! To book your place we require a £500 deposit. The balance of payment is due 14 weeks prior to departure (1st July 2021). Minimum age 18 unless accompanied by an adult.

To pay by card call 0808 253 3064

To pay by bank transfer send an e-mail to info@oysterdiving.com confirming that you wish to come on the trip and we will then send you an invoice.

To pay by cheque send an e-mail to info@oysterdiving.com with your details and we will send you an invoice with our details.

Overview

You’ll discover deep drop offs and the chance to see schooling hammerheads, dolphins, oceanic white tips, thresher sharks, grey reef sharks, silkies. Get away from the crowds at these remote off shore reefs and soak up the Autumn sun on this amazing trip. This is a dive trip for thrill seekers!

We will be guided and looked after by our good friend Elke aka “the Shark Lady”. Elke heads up the ‘Red Sea Shark Trust’ and uses these trips to educate people on the beauty of sharks and in particular ‘oceanic whitetips’, and also to collect data for her studies. With several presentations throughout the week by Elke, you’ll be a shark expert by the end of the trip.

This liveaboard holiday explorers the reefs further South which offer a very good chance of encounters with sharks and Dolphins, on one recent trip we managed to swim amongst a pod of 100 or so for around an hour – simply breathtaking!

For this trip we will be aboard the fabulous Blue Melody, winner of the prestigious Diver award for ‘liveaboard of the year’ and SportDiver ‘Best Liveaboard’.

DolphinsThis trip is not for the feint-hearted, if you’ve never dived with sharks before it can be quite daunting the first time you enter the water. As soon as you see your first shark the adrenaline kicks in but very quickly you soon realise that they are not the blood thirsty creatures portrayed by the media and fictional books. In fact once your heart stops thumping like a racehorse, you soon see that they are fascinating creatures, often very shy and is an experience that you will never forget.

Our motor yacht for the weeks is Blue Melody, which is everything you would expect from a 5* diving motor yacht. It benefits from a large dining area, separate sky lounge with state of the art entertainment system, and double and twin cabins all benefiting from en-suite facilities, air conditioning and personal entertainment systems. A spacious dive deck also makes kitting up and getting in the water a stress free experience!

Price

Price: £1,227 + £30 VISA Speedy Visa, Meet & Greet – EU passport holders only.

Price includes transfers, 7 nights’ accommodation in a twin room, all meals and soft drinks (with the exception of Schweppes tonic, soda and lemon), tea and coffee, 12 ltr cylinder and weights. Not included in the price – flights, crew and dive guide gratuities, on-board merchandise, alcoholic drinks, diving equipment hire. Divers will also need a torch (for 1-2 night dives), dive computer and SMB. We will be renting out regs, BCD, shortie wetsuit, fins and boots at £125/week if you take it from the UK. A double suite is available for an additional fee of £100pp.

Blue Melody

Updated in early 2016, award-winning M/Y blue Horizon is our flagship fleet vessel and the benchmark for all other blue o two vessels to follow.

With a contemporary and stylish feel, M/Y blue Melody takes Red Sea liveaboard luxury to a whole new level and is truly deserving of the title ‘Best Liveaboard’ in the Sport Diver awards, as well as ‘Liveaboard of the Year’ awarded by DIVER magazine in their recent industry awards.

With a large dining area, totally separate sky lounge with state of the art entertainment system, shaded deck area and sun deck, there is always space to relax and enjoy the beauty of the Red Sea. TV’s in the communal areas are also equipped with an Apple TV and a hard drive containing movies and TV series.

King suite upgrades are available and all cabins benefit from air conditioning, ensuite facilities, mini refrigerators and personal entertainment systems.

Itinerary

Day 1 :

SAMPLE ITINERARY:

Red Sea**PLEASE NOTE** the itinerary below is an example of the planned route and dive sites cannot be guaranteed. All dives sites are subject to weather conditions and the final route taken is at the absolute discretion of the captain and dive guides. Adverse weather can affect this route which includes several overnight sailings.

This itinerary can depart from and arrive to either Port Ghalib or Hurghada, which will influence the order of the itinerary and the dive sites available at the start and end of the week. Please note that ports are subject to change.

Day 1 – Visit dive sites local to your departure port for three dives (a check dive, practice zodiac dive and night dive) before heading out to the marine parks.

Days 2-5 – We normally plan to spend a day each at Big Brother, Small Brother, Daedalus and the Elphinstone area. Normally you will have the opportunity to make three dives per day (night dives are not permitted in the marine parks).

Day 6 – After a week of drop-offs, enjoy two relaxed morning dives local to your arrival port allowing you to cruise into harbour in the early afternoon. Take advantage of an evening onshore to purchase souvenirs and enjoy Egypt’s famous hospitality before your journey home the next day.

ITINERARY HIGHLIGHTS

DAEDALUS REEF

This huge tear-drop shaped reef rises from the sea bed in the middle of the Red Sea, 80km offshore and more than 300km south of Hurghada. Easily recognised by its zebra-striped lighthouse, this reef offers some of the most amazing dives in the Red Sea. The sheer walls are covered in over-grown hard coral formations and a variety of reef fish.

Napoleon wrasses and turtles are often cruising by, but make sure you keep your eyes open on the blue! Daedalus is one of those places where anything can happen… oceanic white tip, grey reef and thresher sharks are often sighted, but Daedalus is most famous for its scalloped hammerhead sharks which can often be seen in large schools out in the blue during the summer months. The sheer size of this reef means that you can do several dives here and never get bored!

BROTHER ISLANDS

The northernmost part of Egypt’s offshore marine park is made up of two islands 60km away from the coast and 140km south from Hurghada. The larger island (complete with a lighthouse from 1883) is 400 metres long with a spectacular plateau on the south east corner which is dotted with coral mountains and famous for thresher and grey reef shark sightings. The western side of the island has two impressive wrecks which both lie almost vertical on the side of the reef. The most spectacular is the Numidia, a large cargo steamer which sank in 1901 and now lies on the tip of the island between 10 and 80 metres covered in soft corals and frequented by large pelagic predators. The smaller wreck of the Aida (sitting between 30 and 65 metres) was a lighthouse authority supply vessel which sank in bad weather in 1957.

The smaller island, whilst only a little over 200 metres long, hosts an incredible concentration and variety of marine life. There is a pristine fan coral forest, a massive collection of hard and soft corals and compelling overhangs to explore. The highlight is the fish life; with regular seasonal sightings of hammerhead, thresher, grey reef and oceanic whitetip sharks.

ELPHINSTONE REEF

A Red Sea legend; a finger shaped reef, with north and south plateaus covered in hard and soft corals, unpredictable and exciting this truly is an awesome reef where hammerhead sharks are regularly spotted in the summer and oceanic whitetip sharks often congregate in large numbers during late autumn.

 

Cost includes

  • 7 nights’ accommodation in a twin room
  • All meals and soft drinks (with the exception of Schweppes tonic, soda and lemon)
  • Tea and coffee
  • 12 ltr cylinder and weights

Cost excludes

  • Flights (can be quoted)
  • Crew and dive guide gratuities
  • On-board merchandise
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Diving equipment hire. Divers will also need a torch (for 1-2 night dives), dive computer and SMB. We will be renting out regs, BCD, shortie wetsuit, fins and boots at £125/week if you take it from the UK.
  • A double suite is available for an additional fee of £100pp.
Qualifications Needed

You must be a PADI Advanced diver or equivalent with a minimum of 30 logged dives to join this safari. If you are not at this level yet – don’t worry, you can complete your Advanced course in one weekend with us and with a few more weekends of pleasure diving you’ll have plenty of dives too! Many of the dives will be from a RIB.

What equipment do you need?

Tanks and weights are included in the price of the trip. You will be required to have your own dive computer, SMB and reel.

We can rent full equipment for £125 per week or you can hire from the boat.

How to book your space

There are only 24 spaces available and they will be awarded on a first come first serve basis! To book your place we require a £500 deposit. The balance of payment is due 14 weeks prior to departure (1st July 2021). Minimum age 18 unless accompanied by an adult.

To pay by card call 0800 699 0243.

To pay by bank transfer send an e-mail to info@oysterdiving.com confirming that you wish to come on the trip and we will then send you an invoice.

To pay by cheque send an e-mail to info@oysterdiving.com with your details and we will send you an invoice with our details.

You can send your enquiry via the form below.

Project Shark Best Of The Red Sea October 2021