Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…

The second day’s diving was a day full of wreck diving at Abu Nuhas, which included the Chrisoula K, Carnatic, and Ghiannis D. The first dive of the day was onto the Chrisoula K, also known as the wreck of tiles. The 98m vessel remains largely intact where she was loaded with tiles which can be seen throughout the hold. The stern sits at 26m and the bow just below the surface. One of the highlights of the wreck is heading inside and seeing the workroom where the machinery used for cutting the tiles are perfectly intact. The bow provided some relaxing scenery as the bright sunlight highlighted the colours of the soft coral reef and the many reef fish.

Following breakfast, we then headed to the next wreck, which was the Carnatic. The Carnatic is an 89.9m sail steamer vessel that was built in Britain back in 1862. She ran aground on the reef back in 1869 and remains at 27m. At the time, she was carrying a range of items, including 40,000 sterling in gold. An impressive wreck where much of the superstructure remains, and the two large masts lay on the seafloor. The wooden ribs of the hull provide structures for lots of soft corals, and into the stern section, the light beams through, bouncing off the large shoals of glass fish that can be found using the structure as shelter from the larger predators that are found outside of the wreck.

The final wreck at Abu Nuhas was the Ghiannis D, originally called ‘Shoyo Maru,’ which was 99.5m long and built in Japan back in 1969 before becoming a Greek-registered cargo ship in 1980. The ship then ran aground on the reef on April 19th, 1983, and now sits at the bottom at a depth of 27m. Heading down the line, the stern of the ship remains in good condition compared to the rest of the hull. The highlight of the wreck, though, is heading into the stern section and down the flights of stairs to enter the engine room, which remains in good condition and is definitely worth exploring. After exploring the interior section of the ship, we then headed over to see the rest of the superstructure, where it’s particularly interesting to see the large table corals that have grown at the bow relatively quickly considering the date the ship sank. After surfacing and enjoying some afternoon snacks, we made sure everything was strapped down and secured as we would be heading north and crossing the Gulf of Suez, where the winds were still creating plenty of chop.

The next morning, it was a short hop to Ras Mohammed Nature Reserve for the next couple of days of diving. The 6am wake-up call came along with the briefing for the first site we would be diving, which was Shark & Yolanda. The low current conditions allowed us to start the dive at Anemone City, where we would drift along the steep, coral-filled wall. These dives involved drifts, as mooring in Ras Mohammed wasn’t allowed to protect the reefs. As a dive site, Shark & Yolanda is well-known and historically had a lot of sharks, but unfortunately not so many in recent years, especially not so early in the season. However, there was always a chance when looking out into the blue.

The gentle drift took us along the steep walls of the site, with plenty of anemone fish to be seen and a huge variety of corals. It wasn’t long into the dive before we were accompanied by a hawksbill turtle, who drifted with us between the two atolls before parting ways. Between the two reefs, the shallow patch with parts of coral heads surrounded by sand provided the chance to see a few blue-spotted stingrays that were mainly resting underneath the corals and are always a pleasure to see. With this being the morning dive, the early sunlight lit up the walls, providing tranquil moments. Looking out into the blue, there was very little to be seen, but a small shoal of batfish shimmering underneath the sunlight was a moment to capture as we watched them swim by as they watched us.

Towards the end of the dive, we stopped at the wreck of the Jolanda where the seafloor was scattered with toilets from the containers it was carrying. This provided a unique site to make a safety stop, which was also accompanied by a large barracuda slowly swimming by, along with a hawksbill turtle calmly swimming over the reef as the sun rays danced in the distance.

For the next dive, we headed north to the Strait of Tiran to explore the reefs situated between Tiran Island and Sharm El Sheik, which were named after the British divers who had found them. We started on Jackson before heading to Gordons Reef, where we also did the night dive. All the atolls at these sites provided stunning, bustling coral reefs close to the surface and steep walls to swim along, which always provided the opportunity to keep an eye out for some of the larger species that can be seen in the blue. Midwater around Jackson Reef was filled with red-toothed triggerfish and shoals of banner fish, which at times were so dense that you couldn’t see into the blue. Moments went by peacefully as we enjoyed the slow drift above the reef, watching these shoals swim around under the mid-afternoon sun.

The night dive at Gordon’s Reef was mainly among the stacks of corals surrounded by sand, which was great to explore under the darkness. After some time circling the corals, we came across what we were really hoping to find, and that was an octopus hunting on the reef. We spent the majority of the dive just watching it crawl among the reef, blending into its changing surroundings through changes in colour and skin texture. It’s always so fascinating and captivating to watch these incredibly intelligent animals, in awe of their ability to carry out these physical changes to perfectly blend into the reef. Before we knew it, it was time to head back to the boat to enjoy a well-deserved tasty dinner prepared by the talented chefs onboard.

Check in for the 3rd and final part of this series from Jake tomorrow!

To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:

Email: dive@scubatravel.com

Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590

www.scubatravel.com

Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red

Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…

The Red Sea is known for its range of dives, from bright, colourful reefs with a diverse array of reef species to world-famous wrecks scattered along its numerous atolls. The reefs and wrecks of the North Red Sea are one of the best ways to experience many of these.

Organised by dive tour operator specialist Scuba Travel, Ghazala Explorer was going to be home for the week for this exciting trip, a 37m steel-hulled vessel with top-class reviews by previous guests.

Departing from Hurghada, the plans were to head north for the first couple of days, including check dives on Global reefs, before then heading to see a few of the wrecks at Abu Nuhas reef. Then we would head across the Gulf of Suez into Ras Mohammed National Park to see what are considered to be some of the best reef dives in the Red Sea. From there, we would head to the Strait of Tiran for a day, then head back south to dive the world-famous wreck and one of the trip’s highlights: the SS Thistlegorm. This would include a night dive prior to heading back for the final day’s diving around Hurghada before heading back to port.

Arriving from Gatwick into Hurghada late in the evening, the Scuba Travel rep was waiting for arrivals ready to take us all to the Ghazala Explorer, docked in Hurghada’s New Marina. Stepping onboard, the high-quality and spacious deck spaces and interior provided an instant sense of comfort. There was a friendly welcome by the crew and guides. After some food, it was time for the boat briefing, which was detailed and covered all the important safety aspects of the vessel and procedures. The kit was then set up in the allocated spaces, and the spacious tables in the interior provided the perfect place to build up my camera ahead of the week’s trip. As soon as everything was done, it was time to head to the cabin to get some rest before an early start for a check dive.

The northerly wind provided a chop, but it wasn’t felt as the steel hull of the vessel cut through each wave. By mid-morning, we were moored up at the reef at Gobal Island, sheltered from the chop on the other side. With Ahmed providing a detailed briefing, it was time to kit up and get in the water to explore some of the reefs below during the check dive. It’s always exciting to stand on the stern of the boat, looking into the clear blue water before taking a stride entry to enter the colourful coral scenery below.

Like most of the dives on coral reefs in the Red Sea, the colours and busyness of the reefs were great to see. It was great to be back on the reefs, taking the time to watch the many species which make up the Red Sea ecosystems before picking out a few to film and photograph. The time flies by as you are constantly engaged with the surroundings, and then before I knew it, it was time to head back onboard, where everyone coming back from the water had big smiles and were full of excitement and anticipation for the rest of the week.

The next two dives, which included the night dive, were on the wreck of the barge, where very little remains act as an artificial reef for many species, which included a few perfectly hidden large stonefish and a crocodile fish camouflaging on the sand beneath the hull. Looking up though was the highlight of the dive, as a squad of squid could be seen mid-water, dancing around. Ascending slowly and calmly, I was able to position myself amongst the squad for the opportunity to get a few close-ups of this great species. Shortly after, the squid were then accompanied by a shoal of halfbeaks just below the surface. Everywhere was just full of life!

After some afternoon snacks, and as part of the safety protocols of the vessel, it was time to practice an emergency drill to put the briefings into action. The fire alarm rang, and we then had to carry out a full drill of getting the life jackets and using the closest emergency exits to then gather at the muster point on top deck where we would then have a run-through of the life rafts. The drill was great to do and I thought it was a really important part of the boat’s safety, as it was an opportunity to use the emergency exits to ensure a safe and effective evacuation, while also convening at the muster station to go through different scenarios and become familiar with some of the kit used during these emergencies.

Check in for Part 2 from Jake tomorrow!

To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:

Email: dive@scubatravel.com

Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590

www.scubatravel.com

Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red