Ocean View Red Sea Liveaboard 2024
4th-11th July 2024
Southern Red Sea
Sizzling sunshine and awesome diving with Ocean View
Cost: from £1850/person – (soft) full board basis
Suites and Premium Twins will incur surcharges (see below)
Enjoy Seven nights, full-board basis on Emperor Elite.
This fantastic itinerary takes in the stunning areas of the Southern Red Sea. The sites visited include St. Johns and Fury Shoals.
With approximately 21 dives over the week. 12lt tank and weights are included in your package. All trips are fully guided with expert guides. Flights from Gatwick and transfers are included. Nitrox (12litres) is free to those who are certified.
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.
So come on… who’s up for some awesome diving and lots of sun?!?
If you would like to make a booking a £600 non-returnable deposit will be required, with the balance due 13 weeks prior to departure.
Please note a space is NOT secured until we receive your payment.
Itinerary Highlights:
(always weather dependant)
St. Johns
St Johns is a vast collection of small reefs offering some of the most remote and rewarding diving in the Red Sea. This incredibly beautiful reef lies a short distance north of the Sudanese border. The reef covers a huge area and many dives would be needed to explore the numerous coral heads and islands. Habili Ali offers giant gorgonians and black corals whilst grey reef, silvertip and schools of hammerhead sharks might be found on the west side. Habili Gafaar is a mass of soft corals teaming with shoals of snappers, butterfly fish and barracudas. Mantas, grey reef and silvertip sharks can often be seen in the blue.
Gota Soraya
Rated as possibly one of the best wall dives in the Red Sea. Overhangs and cracks in the reef wall are full of glass fish and sweepers and an abundance of corals, Grey Reef, Silvertips and Hammerhead sharks.
Fury Shoals
At Fury Shoals, dive Sha’ab Claude with its famous swim-throughs and huge porite corals. White tip 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.
PLEASE NOTE:You don’t need a minimum number of dives, but you should be comfortable with drift dives, as currents can be unpredictable and strong. If you are an Open Water Diver, some dives are below 18m therefore we recommend having advanced experience or taking your PADI Advanced Open Water course on board to maximise your enjoyment from the trip. Inexperienced and beginner divers may find some dives challenging and may be asked by the Cruise Director to skip dives that are not suitable for their diving experience. All diving is made from zodiacs to give precise entry and exit points.
The Vessel…
Emperor Elite is custom-designed and built to a superior standard. Elite is a 38 metre boat accommodating a maximum of 26 guests. All cabins are ensuite, boast independent air conditioning, three towels and a dive poncho per guest.
She is a spacious boat with limited free WiFi (signal permitting), three sundecks, dive deck with platform, a stylish air-conditioned salon and air-conditioned dining room where great food is served.
She has all diving and safety equipment. Two large RIBs with outboards, and is also equipped with NITROX and can handle sidemount, rebreather & tech diving on request
The trip cost includes:
Shared cabin. 7 nights on board. 6 days diving (up to 21 dives). Local transfers.
Guide, 12 litre tanks, weights, full board & soft drinks, red wine with dinner, environmental tax, Marine Park fees and port departure fees.
Not included: Visa, diving equipment, tanks other than 12 litres, and alcohol.
Approximate Itinerary
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. 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 white tips and silky sharks can sometimes be found in the blue, 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. White tip 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.
St. Johns is a vast collection of small reefs offering some of the most remote and rewarding diving in the Red Sea. This incredibly beautiful reef lies a short distance north of the Sudanese border. The reef covers a huge area and many dives would be needed to explore the numerous coral heads and islands. Habili Ali offers giant gorgonians and black corals whilst grey reef, silvertip and schools of hammerhead sharks might be found on the west side. Habili Gafaar is a mass of soft corals teaming with shoals of snappers, butterfly fish and barracudas. Mantas, grey reef and silvertip sharks can often be seen in the blue.
Gota Kebir is a massive reef, famous for its tunnels and south plateau, where jacks and barracudas can be seen and the occasional manta. The tunnels are ideal for novice cave divers.
Gota Soraya is rated as possibly one of the best wall dives in the Red Sea. Overhangs and cracks in the reef wall full of glass fish and sweepers and an abundance of corals, Grey Reef, Silvertips and Hammerhead sharks.
On the last day as we head back to port, we will try to take in a dive or two on the world famous Elphinstone Reef if weather and diver experience permits us, or we will finish in the Abu Dabab area perhaps with another dive or two closer to Port Ghalib to relax and unwind before your final night in port.
Suite and Premium Twin surcharges:
1 x Main deck twin /double cabin – £90 per person supplement for the week
2 x Upper deck twin cabin – £90 per person supplement for the week
1 x Upper deck Junior Suite double cabin – £250 per person supplement for the week
1 x Upper deck Executive Suite double cabin – £350 per person supplement for the week
These supplements do not give you single occupancy, this can be arranged, please enquire.
Please read our basic booking conditions
