News
Black Friday Deals from Scuba Travel
Scuba Travel’s Black Friday Offers have arrived – book by 5pm Monday 26th November for all Black Friday Deals… See below for a selection of great offers!
Oman Aggressor – save £1200 only £1195 (excluding flights)
Fantastic Black Friday offer to dive the hot new region in Oman. The Oman Aggressor is a fantastic 45m liveaboard with a range of stylish cabins all boasting aircon and en-suite bathrooms. For relaxation after your dives you have the choice of the large sundeck, with shade, a jacuzzi and bar, or the spacious saloon area. Enjoy a variety of local Omani and international cuisine from the onboard chef. Package is Boat Only and includes 7 nights in a deluxe stateroom on a full board basis inc. soft drinks and local beer and wine with your evening meal, and up to 25 fully guided dives.
Guest feedback so far has been fantastic. The guests love the boat , crew and food! Plus abundant marine life. Reports of snorkelling with baby whale sharks, spotting humpbacks, swimming with dolphins, and diving with huge shoals of fish!
Carpe Novo – save up to £250 from £1845 (excluding flights)
Carpe Novo was new to the fleet in 2016. Over a luxurious 43m and 3 decks, you will find 12 tastefully finished cabins. No matter which rooms you pick, all have smart TV/HD linked to a media centre with plenty movies on offer, AC, storage space, desk and thoughtfully finished en-suite bathrooms. Wifi operates throughout. Communal areas are spacious and relaxing with everything you need to relax after a days diving.
This holiday includes 7 nights full board, up to 3 guided dives daily, diving the famous dive sites of the Maldives, combining channels, drifts and pinnacles and encountering manta, whale sharks and abundant reef life.
Christmas on Whirlwind – 23rd December save £250 only £1545
How about spending Christmas diving in the Red Sea? Dive the Northern Red Sea and fill your log book with iconic dive sites. The Thistlegorm, Shark and Yolanda and so much more await, with world class wreck dives and breathtaking reef dives every day.
You could spend 7 fantastic nights on a full board basis, with up to 3 dives a day on the lovely Whirlwind. Book this for the amazing price of only £1545 which includes return flights from Gatwick, transfers and fully guided diving.
Hurricane Shark Quest – 9th May 2019 save £300 only £1095
Hurricane stands out in the Egyptian Red Sea – and not just because she is one of the few steel hulled vessels. Many Red Sea liveaboards are compared to Hurricane, but few are as enduringly popular. She has won the prestigious “Liveaboard of the Year” award no less than 5 times (including 2017 & 2018).
Shark Quest dives the Southern Red Sea to its seasonal best. The itinerary is built using the local knowledge of highly experienced dive teams to enjoy up to 3 days at the boat’s selected pelagic hotspot, be that Daedalus or the Brothers, you will be at the site where you have the strongest chance to dive with sharks and rays.
Package includes return flights to Marsa Alam, 7 nights full board, free nitrox, and around 18 fully guided dives.
Scuba Seraya, Bali – Best of Bali With Martyn Guess – 17th August save £150 only £2445
Bali is an amazing and relaxed place and Scuba Seraya is a fantastic and well-run diving resort right on the beach. Martyn Guess will give hands-on instruction through evening group image reviews and underwater instruction for those needing it. Martyn says: “The house reefs – Seraya Secrets and Noisy reef – are probably the best that I have dived with excellent macro subjects to photograph; the first early morning dive on the Liberty wreck is superb wide angle and the reefs at Ahmed blew me away! This trip to Bali has been planned to visit Bali at its seasonal best.”
Package includes return flights, airport transfers, 9 nights on a full board basis (excluding drinks) 10 boat dives plus 5 afternoons unlimited, unguided shore diving, also included is 3 full days diving at Ahmed (wide angle).
Photo FINish Malapascua 13th September 2019 – save £200 only £1695
Join photo pro Mario Vitalini on this Philippines workshop to hone your images of the biggest sharks to the smallest critters at Exotic Resort Malapascua. The diving in Malapascua is most famous for its thresher sharks and the experienced dive team have an impressive reputation for finding the sharks. You can also discover beautiful reef diving on the local sites or take a day trip to one of the picture perfect islands of Gato or Calanggaman. Step ashore and forget your everyday stresses and strains as the friendly staff welcome you to their slice of paradise.
Your holiday includes return flights, transfers, 7 nights full board in a deluxe room, 20 Nitrox boat dives and daily presentations covering all aspects of underwater photography.
More deals are being added all the time so for all offers click here!
To find out more about Scuba Travel and the dive holidays they offer call 0800 0728221, email dive@scubatravel.com or visit www.scubatravel.com.
Marine Life & Conservation Blogs
Creature Feature: Dusky Shark
In this series, the Shark Trust will be sharing amazing facts about different species of sharks and what you can do to help protect them.
This month we’re taking a look at the Dusky Shark, a highly migratory species with a particularly slow growth rate and late age at maturity.
Dusky sharks are one of the largest species within the Carcharhinus genus, generally measuring 3 metres total length but able to reach up to 4.2 metres. They are grey to grey-brown on their dorsal side and their fins usually have dusky margins, with the darkest tips on the caudal fin.
Dusky Sharks can often be confused with other species of the Carcharhinus genus, particularly the Galapagos Shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis). They have very similar external morphology, so it can be easier to ID to species level by taking location into account as the two species occupy very different ecological niches – Galapagos Sharks prefer offshore seamounts and islets, whilst duskies prefer continental margins.
Hybridisation:
A 2019 study found that Dusky Sharks are hybridising with Galapagos Sharks on the Eastern Tropical Pacific (Pazmiño et al., 2019). Hybridisation is when an animal breeds with an individual of another species to produce offspring (a hybrid). Hybrids are often infertile, but this study found that the hybrids were able to produce second generation hybrids!
Long distance swimmers:
Dusky sharks are highly mobile species, undertaking long migrations to stay in warm waters throughout the winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, they head towards the poles in the summer and return southwards towards the equator in winter. The longest distance recorded was 2000 nautical miles!
Very slow to mature and reproduce:
The Dusky Shark are both targeted and caught as bycatch globally. We already know that elasmobranchs are inherently slow reproducers which means that they are heavily impacted by overfishing; it takes them so long to recover that they cannot keep up with the rate at which they are being fished. Dusky Sharks are particularly slow to reproduce – females are only ready to start breeding at roughly 20 years old, their gestation periods can last up to 22 months, and they only give birth every two to three years. This makes duskies one of the most vulnerable of all shark species.
The Dusky Shark is now listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), but further action is required to protect this important species.
Scientific Name: Carcharhinus obscurus
Family: Carcharhinidae
Maximum Size: 420cm (Total Length)
Diet: Bony fishes, cephalopods, can also eat crustaceans, and small sharks, skates and rays
Distribution: Patchy distribution in tropical and warm temperate seas; Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean.
Habitat: Ranges from inshore waters out to the edge of the continental shelf.
Conservation status: Endangered.
For more great shark information and conservation visit the Shark Trust Website
Images: Andy Murch
Diana A. Pazmiño, Lynne van Herderden, Colin A. Simpfendorfer, Claudia Junge, Stephen C. Donnellan, E. Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla, Clinton A.J. Duffy, Charlie Huveneers, Bronwyn M. Gillanders, Paul A. Butcher, Gregory E. Maes. (2019). Introgressive hybridisation between two widespread sharks in the east Pacific region, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 136(119-127), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2019.04.013.
Blogs
Join Pharaoh Dive Club for Red Sea Splash Family Summer Camp in August 2024
3rd AUGUST 2024 – 1 or 2 WEEK PROGRAMMES
Daily water programme with Snorkelling & Scuba Diving.
Beginners or qualified, something for all.
Leave the kids with the Splash Team for days of Excitement, Fun & Adventure!
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
There are various options for accommodation with options for 2, 3, 4 or 5 guests.
Eco Huts provide accommodation for families of up to 4. The best option to enhance the adventure and closest to camping with basic facilities. For August we will provide central air cooling for all the Eco Huts.
Deluxe Chalets are only suitable for 2 guests. Fully air conditioned rooms with private bathroom and other facilities.
Boutique Rooms are available for families of up to 5.
Individual bespoke rooms fully air conditioned with private bathroom and other facilities.
Eco Huts: £675 per adult / £425 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
Deluxe Chalet: £830 per adult / £505 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
Boutique Room: £925 per adult / £550 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
This is a truly unique opportunity to have a Family Desert Adventure totally away from it all! You will be based at the remote Roots Red Sea on the coast of the Egyptian Eastern Desert, 140km south of Hurghada city.
Red Sea Splash main focus is Snorkelling & Scuba Diving but that’s not all, we provide a rounded week of activities in support.
Pool& Field Games – Arts & Crafts
Marine Biology Workshops
Cultural Activities – Orienteering Adventures
Roots Red Sea have established strong links with the local communities of Hamerwain & El Quseir affording our guests to have a true taste of the local culture, SPLASH CAMP embraces this opportunity and bring in the local children to join in the fun with our adventure seekers.
During the day, families are welcome to take part in all activities together or the kids can be left with the SPLASH CAMP team while the parents enjoy the facilities or go diving themselves!
At the end of the day, its family time while the SPLASH CAMP team take a break. For those with the energy, there are family evening activities planned a few evenings.
Open Air Movie Night – Desert Star Gazing Walk & Talk
El Quseir Evening City Tour
The second week is very special, we head off on the Big Blue for a liveaboard safari around Fury Shoals.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
U-8 Splash Club
Sadly we can’t offer Scuba Diving to the Splash Club but we can have lots of fun Snorkelling & Free Diving!
Splash Club includes:
Certified Snorkel Course – Marine ID Games – Intro to Free Diving
Arts & Craft Sessions – Adventure trails – Cultural Playtime – Pool Games
U-12 Explorer Club
In addition to an exciting snorkelling and Free Diving Programme in the Splash Club we can take you under the water on SCUBA to a whole new world of fun and wonder. If you are under 10 your first breath under water will be as a Bubblemaker and continue with daily Seal Team Missions. From 10 we will complete a Discover Scuba Diving experience in the amazing Red Sea. Alternatively we offer a full junior certification programme to become an international qualified Scuba Diver.
U-16 Adventurer Club
For qualified Scuba Divers regardless of age it’s the Adventurer Club and exploration of the local reefs and marine life. There will be 2 dives every day with the Open Ocean marine field station team who will introduce you to Red Sea marine life and workshops on marine research. Alternatively there are opportunities to continue your scuba diving certifications with our instructional team.
Parents are welcome to join the club activities and join the courses.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
Big Blue might seem like the new kid on the block, but the team behind the highly acclaimed liveaboard is far from that. They have been running Red Sea safaris since the late 1980’s and were in fact part of the early pioneers who ventured out to the unknown on vessels that in today’s world, really shouldn’t have left the harbour! It’s that experience and the years of operating the award-winning Roots Red Sea resort which truly set Big Blue apart from the crowd!
Large lounge area, spacious sun deck and terrace deck.
Airy restaurant with five tables with up to six chairs per table, serving a varied and delicious menu with special dietary requirements catered for.
The spacious cabins have side by side beds and a large walk in wet bathroom.
Ample dive deck for divers & snorkelers.
Safety is everyone’s priority, whether you are relaxing on board, swimming, snorkelling or diving.
On board Big Blue is fitted with smoke alarms, emergency lighting and a fire alarm system. The lower corridor has a full-size door fire exit at the bow and open stairs to the stern. There are evacuation plans in each room along with life jackets, glass breaker tool and a fire extinguisher.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
Red Sea Splash at Fury Shoals is a very rare opportunity to get involved with marine biology expedition for children and adults. Open Ocean biologists are on board to provide fascinating and entertaining facts about the marine life you will see. The team will provide workshops on marine life identification and survey methods both of which, should you wish, you will have the chance to put into practice during your safari.
The week is open to snorkelers, scuba divers and non divers too!
Fury shoals is perfect for first time mariners as it offers plenty of protection from the weather.
We board at Port Ghaleb on Saturday evening and prepare to set sail early on Sunday morning.
Heading south, our first day will be diving the reefs of Abu Dabbab before sailing overnight to reach our ultimate destination the Fury Shoals.
Here we will spend four days swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving amazing reefs. This includes guaranteed DOLPHIN encounters at Sataya Reef! After the last dive we haul anchor and head back to Abu Dabbab for our final two dives before disembarking our boat BIG BLUE.
Camp Extension Cost*
Adult £650 per adult
Under 16 £350 per child
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
FURTHER INFORMATION – INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM
TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
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