News
Deptherapy’s 2021 expedition plans underway
Ongoing travel restrictions due to COVID-19 may have led to a temporary pause in Deptherapy’s expeditions but divers from the rehabilitation charity are already engaged in home-based training in preparation for the recommencement of programmes in 2021.
Last year, Deptherapy, supported by its strategic partner the Endeavour Fund, secured a grant from the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust (AFCFT) Positive Pathways programme. The grant was to cover two Marine Ecology courses in 2020 that would look at coral cover and fish assemblages. Following in 2021, course students would join a 10-day liveaboard to the Red Sea where they would compare coral and aquatic life on two historical WWII wrecks. The courses and liveaboard have now been re-scheduled for 2021 and 2022.
Deptherapy – changing and saving lives through scuba diving. Photo: Dmitry Knyazev for Deptherapy.
The two Marine Ecology courses are being led by Dr Deborah McNeill and Guy Henderson of the Open Ocean Project, which operates the Open Ocean Science Centres in El Quseir and Dahab in Egypt. Programme Members for the first 2021 course have been issued with supporting materials and Deborah is setting work that will establish a secure base of knowledge prior to travel. The whole team is active on a private online group, where there has already been plenty of discussions about the course and Marine Science in general.
The two practical courses will run at Deptherapy’s Egypt base Roots Red Sea and the 10-day liveaboard will be on Roots’ brand new accessible liveaboard ‘Big Blue’.
The 2022 liveaboard expedition will form a comparative study of the iconic and much dived SS Thistlegorm, alongside the rarely dived SS Turkia. The study of the two wrecks, which were both sunk in 1942, is an international first. The results will be shared with the Hurghada Environmental Protection & Conservation Association (HEPCA) and Egypt’s Chamber of Diving and Watersports (CDWS). A formal presentation either to the Egyptian Embassy in London or at the British Embassy in Cairo is also planned.
The study reinforces Deptherapy’s ecological work on the wreck of the Shinkoku Maru in Chuuk Lagoon in 2018 and is part of the charity’s Protecting Our Oceans project.
Dr Deborah McNeill will be leading the project and it is hoped that Deptherapy’s Vice-Chair, Explorer and TV Presenter Paul Rose, will be part of the expedition team.
Those selected for the 2022 liveaboard will need to have completed one of the two Marine Ecology Courses in 2021, be certified to at least RAID Advanced 35 standard, as well as having a minimum number of dives that will reflect the challenging nature of the expedition.
Tom Oates with Deptherapy MI Andy Alfred diving in Egypt. Photo – Dmitry Knyazev.
Deptherapy Programme Members who have progressed through the charity’s training to Divemaster and Divemaster trainee standard will need to qualify as RAID Advanced Wreck Divers before the expedition, and it is expected that they will subsequently lead the dives.
Divemaster Trainee Tom Oates, a Deptherapy Ambassador and Protecting Our Oceans’ Champion said:
“I start my Marine Biology degree at a Hull University in September. The Marine Ecology courses that Deptherapy has introduced are really exciting. My knowledge has increased massively since the courses were announced and being part of the expedition will be a once in a lifetime experience.”
Divemaster Trainee Tom Swarbrick, a Deptherapy Ambassador and Protecting Our Oceans’ Champion said:
“I missed out on the 2018 Chuuk Lagoon Expedition as I didn’t have the level of experience required. Being part of this new project is something very special. I am already working with the rest of the team on the first Marine Ecology course and the learning is hard but fun. Looking forward to a challenging Advanced Wreck course on the way!”
Dr Deborah McNeill, who is based at the University of Glasgow, said:
“I’m very excited about running these field courses for Deptherapy. The courses are designed to develop a specific set of scientific skills, but they also represent an excellent opportunity for team building. We’ve already made a promising start on the academics and it will be brilliant to see these skills put into practice in the amazing classroom that is the Red Sea.”
For more information about the work of Deptherapy and Deptherapy Education visit www.deptherapy.co.uk.
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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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