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Book your 2015 diving holiday now with Oonasdivers
If you’re beginning to think about where to go for your diving holidays in 2015, you need to check out these awesome deals from UK based tour operator Oonasdivers:
Oonasdivers | Red Sea | Sharm from £555
Sharks Bay Umbi Village
Price includes flights, transfers, 7 nights B&B and 10 boat dives.
8-15 Jan only £575 per person
25 Jan -1 Feb only £565 per person
1-8 Feb only £585 per person
8-15 Feb only £565 per person
22 Feb -1 Mar only £595 per person
8-15 March only £555 per person
18-25 Apr only £665 per person
9-16 May only £660 per person
13-20 Jun only £665 per person
4-11 Jul only £720 per person
12-19 Sep only £645 per person
17-24 Oct only £720 per person
Oonasdivers | Red Sea | Marsa Alam from £760
Marsa Shagra
Prices include flights, transfers, 7 nights full board and 5 days unlimited diving.
7-14 Jan only £760 per person
14-21 Jan only £760 per person
21-28 Jan only £760 per person
28 Jan – 4 Feb only £760 per person
24 Jun – 1 Jul only £865 per person
Marsa Nakari
(Enter Scubaverse.com’s competition to win a dive holiday with Oonasdivers to Marsa Nakari here!)
Prices include flights, transfers, 7 nights full board and 5 days unlimited diving.
15-22 Apr only £865 per person
22-29 Apr only £865 per person
29 Apr – 6 May only £865 per person
24 Jun – 1 Jul only £835 per person
Oonasdivers | Red Sea | Hamata from £920
Wadi Lahami
Prices include flights, transfers, 7 nights full board and 5 days offshore RIB diving (up to 4 dives per day).
10-17 Jun only £920 per person
24 Jun – 1 Jul only £920 per person
15-22 July only £920 per person
Oonasdivers | Red Sea | Liveaboards from £725
Juliet | Freedom III | Blue Planet 1| Emperor Asmaa | Emperor Elite | Blue Seas | Blue Pearl
Price includes flights, transfers, 7 nights full board and 6 days liveaboard diving.
Emperor Asmaa – North & Wrecks (from Hurghada) | Fury & St Johns
23-30 Jan only £725 per person (North & Wrecks)
30 Jan – 6 Feb only £740 per person (North & Wrecks)
1-8 Apr only £1110 per person (Fury & St Johns)
8-15 Apr only £1130 per person (Fury & St Johns)
Emperor Elite – South & St Johns
20-27 Feb only £970 per person
27 Feb – 6 Mar only £985 per person
13-20 Mar only £1075 per person
Freedom III – North & Wrecks (from Sharm) | Deep North Dahab
7-14 Mar only £790 per person (North & Wrecks)
2-9 May only £930 per person (Deep North Dahab)
13-20 June only £895 per person (Deep North Dahab)
26 Sep – 3 Oct only £895 per person (Deep North Dahab)
10-17 Oct only £915 per person (Deep North Dahab)
MY Blue Pearl – North & Brothers | St Johns
13-20 Mar only £995 per person (North & Brothers)
24 Jun – 1 July only £1045 per person (St Johns)
26 Aug – 1 Sep only £1045 per person (St Johns)
16-23 Sep only £1045 per person (St Johns)
MY Blue Seas – Brothers | BDE | St Johns
29 Apr – 6 May only £1075 per person (Brothers)
12-19 Aug only £1175 per person (BDE)
23-30 Sep only £1095 per peson (St Johns)
MY Blue Planet 1 – North & Wrecks (from Hurghada)
8-15 May only £925 per person
MY Juliet – North & Wrecks (from Sharm)
9-16 May only £965 per person
20-27 Jun only £995 per person
11-18 Jul only £1025 per person
12-19 Sep only £965 per person
10-17 Oct only £995 per person
Oonasdivers | Red Sea | Sea & Shore from £680
Price includes flights, transfers, a 2 or 3 night mini liveaboard safari with 3 days liveaboard diving, 4 or 5 nights B&B at Sharks Bay Umbi Diving and 4 boat dives. FREE Nitrox.
Freedom V (3 nt mini safari) & Sharks Bay Umbi Village
Ras Mohammed & Wrecks | Ras Mohammed & Tiran
14-21 Mar only £680 (Ras Mo & Wrecks)
16–23 May only £760 (Ras Mo & Tiran)
20-27 Jun only £795 (Ras Mo & Wrecks)
19-26 Sep only £780 (Ras Mo & Tiran)
10-17 Oct only £760 (Ras Mo & Wrecks)
Freedom VIII (2 nt mini safari) & Sharks Bay Umbi Village
Mini Wreck | Mini Ras Mohammed & Tiran | Mini Tiran
21-28 Mar only £825 per person (Mini Ras Mo & Tiran)
18-25 Apr only £780 per person (Mini Wreck)
6-13 Jun only £805 per person (Mini Tiran)
4-11 July only £820 per person (Mini Ras Mo & Tiran)
5-12 Sep only £805 per person (Mini Ras Mo & Tiran)
17-24 Oct only £840 per person (Mini Ras Mo & Tiran)
Oonasdivers | South Africa from £1395
Shark Diving South Africa – Scuba Addicts Lodge
Price includes flights, transfers, 6 nights B&B and 10 Shark Dives.
24-31 Jan only £1395 per person
7-14 Feb only £1395 per person
7-14 Mar only £1395 per person
25 Apr – 2 May only £1395 per person
30 May – 6 Jun only £1395 per person
5-12 Sep only £1395 per person
10-17 Oct only £1395 per person
ScubaAddicts Sardine Run
Price includes flights, transfers, 7 nights B&B, 5 days Sardine Run Diving and 2 dives Aliwal Shoal.
21-29 Jun only £2405 per person
2-10 Jul only £2320 per person
Oonasdivers | Caribbean | Tobago from £960
Toucan Inn, Pigeon Point
Price includes flights, transfers, 7 nights B&B and 10 dives with weights and cylinders.
3-10 Feb only £960 per person
17-24 Mar only £990 per person
21-28 Apr only £965 per person
Blue Waters Inn, Speyside
Price includes flights, transfers, 7 nights B&B and 10 dives inclusive of equipment.
21-28 Apr only £1395 per person
Oonasdivers | Sudan from £2625
Royal Evolution
Price includes 14 nights full board (13 nights onboard and 1 night hotel either before or after your trip), 12 days liveaboard diving with weights and cylinders and the Egyptian Visa. Sudanese visas and taxes are payable locally in Euro.
25 Feb – 11 Mar only £2625 per person
11-25 Mar only £2625 per person
25 Mar – 8 Apr only £2965 per person
8-22 Apr only £3145 per person
20 May – 3 Jun only £2995 per person
Oonasdivers | Malta & Gozo from £610
Dive Malta with Maltaqua
Price includes flights, transfers, 7 nights self catering at the Sands Apartments and 10 dives.
2-9 May only £660 per person
6-13 Jun only £695 per person
5-12 Sep only £720 per person
3-10 Oct only £610 per person
Discover Gozo with Calypso Divers
Price includes flights, transfers, 7 nights B&B at the Calypso Hotel and 10 dives.
18-25 Apr only £665 per person
9-16 May only £665 per person
6-13 Jun only £690 per person
19-26 Sep only £740 per person
10-17 Oct only £650 per person
Oonasdivers | Canary Islands | El Hierro from £650
Dive El Hierro with Shane Gray
Price includes flights, transfers, 7 nights self catering and 10 dives.
9-16 Mar only £650 per person
23-30 Mar only £660 per person
Oonasdivers | Cyprus from £740
Dive Cyprus with Latchi Watersports
Price includes flights, transfers, 7 nights B&B at the Souli Beach Hotel and 10 dives.
3-10 May only £740 per person
7-14 Jun only £795 per person
Oonasdivers | Maldives | Liveaboards from £1560
Emperor Atoll
Price includes flights, transfers, 7 nights full board and 17 dives.
13-21 Feb – Sharktastic only £1950 per person
22-30 May – Pelagic Magic only £1660 per person
29 May – 6 Jun – Pelagic Magic only £1560 per person
5-13 Jun – Pelagic Magic only £1560 per person
12-20 Jun – Pelagic Magic only £1560 per person
19-27 Jun – Pelagic Magic only £1560 per person
For more information or to book any of the dive holidays above, contact the Oonasdivers team now by calling +44 (0)323 648 924, email info@oonasdivers.com or visit www.oonasdivers.com.
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
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
The Shark Trust is excited to announce that, for two more days only, all donations, large or small, will be doubled in the Big Give Green Match Fund!
Donate to Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants
The Shark Trust is hoping to raise £10k which will be doubled to £20k. This will go towards Basking in Nature: Sighting Giants. And they need YOUR help to reach they’re goal.
The Shark Trust’s citizen science project is to monitor and assess basking sharks through sightings; encouraging data collection, community engagement, and promoting nature accessibility. This initiative aims to enhance health and wellbeing by fostering a deeper connection with British Sharks.
Campaign Aims
- Increase citizen science reporting of Basking Sharks and other shark sightings to help inform shark and ray conservation.
- Provide educational talks about the diverse range of sharks and rays in British waters and accessible identification guides!
- Create engaging and fun information panels on how to ID the amazing sharks and rays we have on our doorstep! These can be used on coastal paths around the Southwest. With activities and information on how you can make a difference for sharks and rays!
- Promote mental wellbeing through increasing time in nature and discovering the wonders beneath the waves!
Donate, and double your impact. Click Here
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