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Check out Scuba Travel’s latest offers
Check out the latest dive travel offers from our friends at UK-based Tour Operator Scuba Travel…
Hurricane
Save £155 onboard Hurricaneon 27th June with this early bird discount.
Dive the fabled Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone with the most experienced team on board the stable, steel-hulled Hurricane. Avoid long transfers with a direct flight to Marsa Alam. All fees, 12 L tank & weights and FREE NITROX are included in your package
Simply the Best lives up to its formidable reputation. Diving here can be unpredictable and you never know what is passing in the blue. After a check dive local to Marsa Alam, the Brothers is always your first big wall stop off. Sailing overnight means you can wake up to be where the action is. Little Brother is the stage for adrenaline fuelled shark diving, whilst Big Brother sports the highlights of the Numidia and Aida wrecks. Another overnight journey and you are whisked to Daedalus Reef. Daedalus is a huge triangular chunk of a reef, whose vertical drop offs rival the Brothers. Giant hard coral structures sprawl the walls and schooling hammerheads are frequently found off the northern point (spring). Currents pulse over a garden of splendid anemones, whose damsel residents dart between tentacles. Rounding off the week is Elphinstone reef, completing a trio of unparalleled wall dive destinations.
Book your place now for £1195!
Whirlwind
Save £155 on the Wrecks and Reefs trip
Sail away on 13th July on the ever popular, award winning Whirlwind. This is a classic itinerary in the Northern Red Sea with up to 22 dives over the week. Departing from Hurghada, you will spend 7 nights on board on a full board basis (twin share cabin). All marine park fees, 12lt tank, air fills and weights are included in your package. Flights are with Easyjet from Gatwick and transfers are also included. At the end of the week, you will have day use of a hotel and buffet lunch while you wait for your flight home.
Wrecks and Reefs is the ideal itinerary whatever your experience level. A popular route for those new to the Red Sea, the varied depths across dive sites suit all abilities – from novice to tekkie. Visibility is crystal clear and the warm blue waters are perfect for even the longest dive times. Water temperatures typically range between 20 and 28 degrees throughout the year. Diving can be accessed whatever the season, either by boat or RIB. Currents push nutrients rich water from north to south, giving you plenty of opportunity for exhilarating drift dives. Travel times between dive sites are short leaving more time for relaxing. Few other dive destinations can offer the same quality and quantity of top dive sites. This itinerary will fill your log book with both wrecks and reefs that are envied the world over.
Book one of the last 4 places for £1195…
Indonesia
Dive Raja Ampat and save £2900 PLUS FREE NITROX onboard the amazing Dewi
Travel off the beaten path and discover Raja Ampat on board the elegant and luxurious Dewi. Over your 11 night adventure and with up to 4 dives a day the expert guides on Dewi will share some of the most exciting dive sites on the planet. This is pure diving escapism. Your trip starts on arrival in Jakarta with a night at the airport hotel, before your onward flight to Sorong, where you board Dewi. Your holiday package is based on a deluxe stateroom with all meals, snacks and beverages (not incluing wine and spirits) – master cabin upgrades are available. All trips are fully guided by 4/5 expert dive guides and include 12lt tank, weights. Excluded are marine park fees ($255 paid locally), alcohol, additional kit hire, excess baggage on the local flights and any souvenirs or private guiding services. At the end of your trip, you will return to Sorong and fly back to Jakarta. UK passport holders are able to obtain an Indonesian tourist visa on arrival.
This holiday excludes international flights to Jakarta CGK. Do ask for a competitive quote to add flights from a number of UK airports to your holiday. If you plan to book your own flights, please check with your travel agent before finalising any tickets to ensure that you have sufficient time to make your domestic flight connections.
* Prices are subject to change according to availability at the time of booking.
Caribbean
Save £1000 – 10 NIGHTS FOR THE PRICE OF 7 onboard the Bahamas Aggressor
Dramatic walls, lush coral reefs and exciting animal encounters, especially the big fish! The Bahamas is high octane diving for all experience levels. Your Aggressor package is based on a full board basis in a deluxe cabin. A 12lt tank and weights, soft drinks and a selection of local alcoholic drinks are included in your package. Pack in up to 5 dives per day. All trips are fully briefed by expert guides. You have to pay the port fees locally, currently $158 for a 10 night liveaboard. Due to local regulations, transfers are not included, but taxis are readily available. Excluded are the departure tax, nitrox, additional kit hire and any onboard souvenirs. Dinner on Friday night is not included. Please advise if you would like to prebook any courses on board or have any dietary requirements.
This is a BOAT ONLY holiday. The cost does not include any international flights to Nassau international airport NAS. The Scuba Travel team is able to add flights with a wide range of airlines, including regional departures. Please ask your consultant for a competitive quote for any flight option. Do not book any flights until your boat space is confirmed by Scuba Travel. Do be aware that if your flight routes through the USA you must have an ESTA prior to travel. Local regulations prohibit prebooked transfers – the crew will assist on arrival with taxis and give directions (approx $35pp each way).
* Prices are subject to change according to availability at the time of booking.
Indian Ocean
£900 off Oman Aggressor on 8th June
Experience Oman onboard the Oman Aggressor and save £900
A truly magical itinerary for divers that love reef diving and abundant biodiversity. You have 7 nights in a deluxe stateroom on a full board basis, including all soft drinks and a limited selection of local beer and wine with your evening meal. There are master cabin and suite upgrades available; simply ask your travel consultant at the time of booking. Over a 7 night trip, you can clock up an impressive 25 dives. 12lt tank, air fills and weights are included in your package. All trips are escorted with 2 expert divemasters. There is a USD200 Port/Marine Park fee per person to be paid on board. Excluded are the Oman entry visa, alcohol, additional kit hire and any onboard souvenirs. Please let the Scuba Travel team know if you would like to prebook any PADI courses on board or have any dietary requirements. Dinner on the Friday evening is not included, although the crew will assist with recommendations and reservations. Transfers will be pre-booked but have to be paid for locally in cash USD35 per person per way – the transfer time will be advised locally.
This holiday does not include any international flights to Muscat airport MCT. Flights can be added with a wide range of airlines, including regional departures. Please ask your consultant for a competitive quote for any flight option. Do not book any flights until your boat space is confirmed by Scuba Travel.
* Prices are subject to change according to availability at the time of booking.
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.
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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