What pulls us as divers to Egypt and the Red Sea? For many of us, the Red Sea is among the dream dive destinations on our wish list, often as soon as we earn our C-cards. The curiosity may have been sparked when we were kids and learning about the towering pyramids of Giza, the mysterious gazes of the Sphinxes, mummified pharaohs and the life-giving Nile River. As the “cradle of civilization,” Egypt’s history is ancient and captivating. Then there’s the allure of the underwater treasures found in the Red Sea. Add in the warm and welcoming hospitality that Egyptians are known for, and you have all the ingredients for a perfect dive vacation. Well, there is one more crucial component—the ideal liveaboard to get you to the best dive sites. All Star Scuba Scene and the All Star Liveaboards team will ensure that your dive vacation will be everything you’ve dreamed about.
Unlike many other destinations in the world, the Red Sea isn’t just one dive destination nor a single itinerary route. The Egyptian Red Sea can be divided into three geographic regions—the North, Central/Southern and Deep South. Each region offers divers something unique that’s not found in the other two.
Courtesy of All Star LiveaboardsFascinating subjects and excellent visibility make the Red Sea a hotspot for underwater photographers.
If a dive vacation to the Red Sea is one that you’re planning but you’re not sure which itinerary to choose, our guide below should help. It highlights the three itineraries the All Star Scuba Scene liveaboard offers. What a beauty this boat is! The 159-foot yacht and its crew pamper up to 28 guests on three amazing weeklong itineraries as well as specialty charters. The dreamy accommodations have set the standard for what it means to be a luxury liveaboard. The main level features the dive deck and platform and eight staterooms, each with seaview windows and plenty of storage space. The spacious dive deck area has a private hot-water shower, large camera table and personal gear stations. The upper deck boasts a swimming pool, sundeck, chaise lounge chairs, shaded pool bar, and air-conditioned TV room with entertainment options. Six cabins are located on this level. All 14 cabins have a private bathroom and adjustable, temperature-controlled air conditioning. The top sundeck has open-air, shaded seating and a Jacuzzi. The dining area is located on the lower deck, where guests are served traditional Mediterranean, Middle Eastern and international gourmet meals. From the moment you wake up to the moment you retire to your cabin in the evening, the multilingual crew will tend to all your needs.
Here’s a guide to the three itineraries offered by All Star Liveaboards. For those who want to see it all, join the two-week Ultimate Red Sea itinerary!
Courtesy of All Star LiveaboardsFor those who desire to explore beyond the limits of recreational diving, the Red Sea boasts an excellent selection of dive sites that will impress even the most seasoned tec divers. Northern itineraries are suitable for technical instruction.
The Northern Itinerary: Historic Wrecks and More
Northern Red Sea trips include Ras Mohammed Nature Reserve and the Straits of Tiran, but the marquee attraction is the sunken fleet of wrecks found here. On this itinerary, you’ll experience the thrills offered by the famous Thistlegorm, a World War II wreck that divers have been visiting for more than a half century, ever since Jacques Cousteau rediscovered it during his pioneering scuba diving expeditions in the Red Sea. Divers are able to enter cargo holds blasted open by German fighter pilots to war artifacts, such as motorcycles, rifles and even soldiers’ boots, as well as a profusion of marine life that has made the wreck a living reef, too.
Also on the itinerary are the four wrecks found at Abu Nuhas (Carnatic, Giannis D, Chrisoula K and Kimon K), the Barge at Gubal Island, the wreck of the Yolanda in Ras Mohammed and the SS Dunraven on the southern edge of Sha’ab Mahmoud Reef. Most of the sites are within recreational diving depths and are suitable for guests with minimal wreck diving experience. Recreational divers can penetrate many wrecks, while tec divers can access sites requiring more advanced skills.
The reefs in the northern Red Sea are as spectacular as the wrecks. In addition to Sha’ab Mahmoud, your itinerary may include Shark and Yolanda Reef in Ras Mohammed National Park and Thomas Reef in the Straits of Tiran.
Courtesy of All Star LiveaboardsCheck Oceanic Whitetips off your bucket list. Central/Southern All Star itineraries in the Red Sea offer the best chance to meet these magnificent sharks.
Central/Southern Itinerary: Oceanic Whitetips and More
Oceanic whitetip sharks are known for their distinctive white-tipped fins and are considered a critically endangered species globally. All Star Liveaboards offers trips—May to June and during the fall—where divers can potentially encounter oceanic whitetip sharks and contribute to their conservation through citizen science initiatives.
This region is also home to Elphinstone Reef, Daedalus Reef and Brothers Islands, which are often magnets for sharks, especially oceanic whitetips. At Elphinstone, the reeftop rises from the sea bottom to within a few feet of the surface. The soft corals here are splendid, and along the reef’s edge where steep walls drop off into much deeper water, you’ll find schooling barracuda, jacks and trevallies. Lucky divers may even encounter manta rays, hammerhead sharks or even a passing whale shark.
A candy cane-striped lighthouse marks the location of Daedalus Reef, a pristine and remote standalone reef offering underwater thrills galore. Divers may encounter oceanic whitetips, gray reef and thresher sharks. Tunas, trevallies and manta rays are seen here, too.
The walls at the Brothers Islands—Big Brother and Little Brother—are adorned by magnificent hard and soft corals, and the action amps up during late spring, early summer and fall, when the opportunity for shark sightings increases. Gray reef sharks are most commonly encountered, but oceanic whitetips are sometimes found during the fall. Big Brother Island also offers two wrecks, the Numidia and Aida, as well as the possibility of seeing thresher sharks, an elusive species that is found in only a handful of dive sites around the world.
This itinerary may also take guests to some sites featured on Deep South charters.
Courtesy of All Star LiveaboardsHammerheads often appear from May to August and are the marquee attraction at dive sites on the Deep South itinerary.
The Deep South Itinerary: Hammerhead Sharks and More
The Deep South itinerary—which includes St. John’s, Zdabargad and Rocky Island—is experienced only via a liveaboard. St. John’s Plateau offers stellar and varied diving in the southernmost Egyptian region of the Red Sea. Hammerheads, which often appear from May to August, are the marquee attraction at dive sites on this itinerary. Caverns, swim-throughs and walls provide an endless underwater playground of exploration and discovery.
Pinnacles and sloping walls, adorned by a profusion of soft corals, surrounds the beautiful, uninhabited island of Zabargad. Divers can explore a 246-foot Russian Moma-class vessel, built as a hydrographic survey ship but converted during the Cold War for electronic intelligence gathering. Located in roughly 80 feet of water, its mast breaks the surface during low tides. Passing pelagics, including hammerheads and other shark species, are often encountered.
Rocky Island is a pelagic hotspot—hammerheads, leopard sharks and manta rays are often cruising these waters—as well as home to some of the most pristine reefs found in the Red Sea.
Specialty Charters: Shark and Tech Weeks
All Star Scuba Scene’s “Shark Weeks” are hosted by Dr. Elke Bojanowski, a shark expert and founder of Red Sea Sharks Trust. She gives onboard presentations on the oceanic whitetips and hammerheads you may encounter. “Tech Weeks” are led by Ahmed Fadel, an expert tech diver who leads tech-focused trips during certain itineraries.
ShutterstockDon’t miss out and make your Red Sea trip a complete experience with one of All Star’s boutique luxury tours either before or after your All Star Liveaboards dive trip.
All Star Add-on Land Tours
Don’t travel all this way without considering adding on a land tour to visit some of the world’s most impressive historic and cultural monuments and buildings. All Star Liveaboards can help you plan one of several possible land tours around Egypt, either before your liveaboard charter departs or after it ends. The team can also help arrange your hotel stay pre- and post-charter.
Learn More Today!
Discover more about the Red Sea itineraries, as well as the other destinations All Star Liveaboards offer, in their World of Diving Adventures digital brochure.
Contact
(800) 327-9600, [email protected], allstarliveaboards.com
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