News
Latest special offers from Oonasdivers
UK based tour operator Oonasdivers have sent over an updated list of their special dive holiday offers for the remainder of 2014 and what they can offer so far for 2015.
Here are the details:
Oonasdivers | Red Sea | Sharm from £475
Sharks Bay Umbi Village
Price includes flights, transfers, 7 nights B&B and 10 boat dives.
20-27 Dec only £795 per person
8-15 Jan only £560 per person
25 Jan -1 Feb only £525 per person
1-8 Feb only £580 per person
8-15 Feb only £565 per person
22 Feb -1 Mar only £595 per person
8-15 March only £590 per person
18-25 Apr only £695 per person
9-16 May only £665 per person
13-20 Jun only £675 per person
4-11 Jul only £715 per person
12-19 Sep only £660 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 £795
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
9-16 Jan only £795 per person (North & Wrecks)
23-30 Jan only £695 per person (North & Wrecks)
30 Jan – 6 Feb only £710 per person (North & Wrecks)
1-8 Apr only £1050 per person (Fury & St Johns)
8-15 Apr only £1075 per person (Fury & St Johns)
Emperor Elite – South & St Johns
20-27 Feb only £990 per person
27 Feb – 6 Mar only £995 per person
13-20 Mar only £1080 per person
Freedom III – North & Wrecks (from Sharm) | Deep North Dahab
7-14 Mar only £795 per person (North & Wrecks)
2-9 May only £895 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 £995 per person
10-17 Oct only £995 per person
Oonasdivers | Red Sea | Sea & Shore from £675
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 £675 (Ras Mo & Wrecks)
16–23 May only £750 (Ras Mo & Tiran)
20-27 Jun only £785 (Ras Mo & Wrecks)
19-26 Sep only £780 (Ras Mo & Tiran)
10-17 Oct only £770 (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 £815 per person (Mini Ras Mo & Tiran)
18-25 Apr only £825 per person (Mini Wreck)
6-13 Jun only £805 per person (Mini Tiran)
4-11 July only £815 per person (Mini Ras Mo & Tiran)
5-12 Sep only £825 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 £2430 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.
6-13 Jan only £960 per person
13-20 Jan only £960 per person
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.
3-10 Feb only £1375 per person
10-17 Mar only £1395 per person
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 £625
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 £625 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 £675 per person
9-16 May only £675 per person
6-13 Jun only £695 per person
19-26 Sep only £720 per person
10-17 Oct only £650 per person
Oonasdivers | Canary Islands | El Hierro from £670
Dive El Hierro with Shane Gray
Price includes flights, transfers, 7 nights self catering and 10 dives.
9-16 Mar only £670 per person
23-30 Mar only £670 per person
Oonasdivers | Cyprus from £750
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 £750 per person
7-14 Jun only £795 per person
Oonasdivers | Maldives | Liveaboards from £1575
Emperor Atoll
Price includes flights, transfers, 7 nights full board and 17 dives.
30 Jan – 7 Feb – Sharktastic only £1575 per person
22-30 May – Pelagic Magic only £1695 per person
29 May – 6 Jun – Pelagic Magic only £1620 per person
5-13 Jun – Pelagic Magic only £1620 per person
12-20 Jun – Pelagic Magic only £1620 per person
19-27 Jun – Pelagic Magic only £1620 per person
For more information or to book, contact the Oonasdivers team now by calling +44 (0)1323 648924, email info@oonasdivers.com or visit www.oonasdivers.com.
Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 3: The Mighty Thistlegorm
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
Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 2: Wall to Wall Wrecks
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
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