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Dive holiday offers from Scuba Travel
Check out the latest dive travel offers from our friends at UK-based Tour Operator Scuba Travel…
Egypt
Whirlwind
Save £155 onboard Whirlwind this 4th of May
The trip offers 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. 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.
After the check dive, this tour starts in style. Tiran and Ras Mohammed are rightly two of the best-known areas for diving in the Northern Red Sea. The coral gardens play host to thousands of coloured fish. The wrecks of the Thistlegorm, Dunraven, Giannis D and Carnatic only add to the excitement. These 19th and 20th-century wrecks have, over the course of time, formed artificial reefs but each is still packed with unique artefacts that tell their story.
But hurry up, there are only 3 places left (1 free cabin + 1 female share)
Book now your spot for only £1195
Hurricane
Book one of the last 4 spaces left on this great trip for only £1145
May is one of the best months of the year to visit the Southern Red Sea. The cooler water brings many pelagics closer to the reefs and the so why not sail away onboard the ever popular, Hurricane and save £250 on this great trip to Daedalus Rocky and St. Johns
Daedalus, the first of the big wall dive sites looms large. Daedalus is the place for exhilarating drift dives and the first shark sightings. Be it hammerheads, grey reefs or thresher sharks there is plenty of reason to keep a watchful eye to the blue. At Rocky and Zabagad slender coral towers and plunging drop offs are the order of the day. St Johns is only a short hop away where diving is a thrilling mixture of sunken reef tops, steep walls and shallow cave systems. Returning north does not mean the end of this itinerary. The succulent coral gardens of Fury Shoal and Wadi Gamal are just as spectacular and finish the week with an exclamation mark.
Direct flight to Marsa Alam, all fees, 12L tank & weights and FREE NITROX are included in your package.
Maldives
Carpe Vita
Save £300 on the Maldives Seasonal Sensation onboard Carpe Vita
The Maldives Seasonal Sensations itinerary wends its way between Male and Baa atolls, cherry picking the highlight dive sites for that season. Timing is everything – dive the east side of the atolls, when sites that are at their seasonal hottest for sharks, manta and gorgeous coral reefs.
Carpe Vita offers up to 4 dives daily (except for on the day of arrival and day before departure) including one or two night dives and all diving is from a dhoni tender, with 12lt tank and weights included. You have booked a standard cabin on board on a full board basis (twin/double share cabin) – cabin upgrades available. Tea, coffee and drinking water are included in your package, as well as non alcoholic beverages and 2 glasses or beer or wine with dinner. All trips are fully guided with 2 expert guides. Excluded are additional alcoholic drinks, nitrox (7 night package $150). The green tax has been prepaid. If your itinerary requires a domestic flight this will be included in your holiday – simply ask your consultant at the time of booking. International flights not included
Emperor Atoll
Dive some of the iconic Maldivian sites on a budget
Emperor Atoll is a traditional Maldives liveaboard. If you are looking for an affordable way to access the full range of dive sites in this world class destination, then look no further. She might be smaller than some of her sister ships, but her charm lies in her open, airy layout and warm welcome.
Experience some amazing shark encounters on the Sharktastic trip or enjoy the magnificent mantas and whale sharks that made the Maldives one of the top destinations from £1195 plus international flights.
Indonesia
Mermaid 2
Save £350 on the Raja Ampat Discovery onboard Mermaid 2 this 28th of February
Experience one of the bests destinations in the world and dive the unique reefs of Raja Ampat onboard Mermaid 2 with this great offer
Raja Ampat may be difficult to find on a map but it is a scuba diving experience quite unlike any other and one of the all time great Indonesian dive destinations. This is a vast expanse of sea, peppered with literally hundreds of tiny islands and coves, which means the only way to truly explore Raja Ampat is on a liveaboard and Mermaid 2. The biodiversity is off the charts with walls, reefs, pinnacles, caves, mangroves and black sands, each creating a unique ecosystem. Areas such as Fam and Kawe boast an enormous quantity of schooling fish. Regular shark sightings at Fiabacet and Uraine are an undeniable highlight. Mansuar is the place to head for mantas and turtles. Epaulette and wobegong sharks can also be seen, rushing across the seabed at Waigeo. Snorkel with the resident dolphin pod in between dives! Macro lovers will be in paradise at Bantana or Kri where muck diving is the order of the day with a myriad of bright, colourful critters – some of which have only been recently identified by science! Pygmy sea horses, mimic octopus, cockatoo wasps, Coleman shrimps… there is no end to what miniature marvels await.
This holiday does not include international flights.
Murex Bangka Resort
Dive the amazing Bangka Island and save £150 on selected dates from £1845
Save £150 – Dive Bangka island Manado with the pioneering team from Murex. With a 15 boat dive package explore the reefs and pinnacles, teeming with life, big to small. Your holiday includes flights from Heathrow to Manado with Singapore Airlines, airport transfers and 7 nights garden view bungalow on a full board basis (2 people sharing). Local taxes are prepaid. Water, tea, and coffee are available free of charge, Not included are any drinks not included in your board basis, laundry, land excursions, Diving extras such as special trips, private guiding, kit hire, courses and nitrox.
* prices are subject to change according to availability at the time of booking
Philippines
Kasai Village
Explore some of the best diving areas in the Philippines
Kasai Village Dive resort and spa is nestled in one of Cebu’s diving meccas – Moalboal. Pescador is only a short ride away. Dive over 30 sites with options for new divers through to technical divers. House reef and boat diving await and there are a range of action packed day trips for those dry days! Under the water or above it, this is an exclusive getaway perfect for those looking to escape the daily grind and demanding crowds.
Prices start from £2295 and 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.
Free Octopus with every purchase of a SCUBAPRO regulator system
Just in time for the spring season, divers can save money with the FREE OCTOPUS SPRING PROMOTION! Until July 31st SCUBAPRO offers an Octopus for free
with every purchase of a regulator system!
Get a free S270 OCTOPUS with purchase of these combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with A700
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with S620Ti
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with D420
MK25 EVO Din mit S620Ti-X
Get a free R105 OCTOPUS with purchase of the following combinations:
MK25 EVO or MK19 EVO with G260
MK25 EVO or MK17 EVO with S600
SCUBAPRO offers a 30-year first owner warranty on all regulators, with a revision period of two years or 100 dives. All SCUBAPRO regulators are of course certified according to the new European test standard EN250-2014.
Available at participating SCUBAPRO dealers. Promotion may not be available in all regions. Find an authorized SCUBAPRO Dealer at scubapro.com.
More information available on www.scubapro.com.
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
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
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