News
Dive into Scuba Travel’s latest holiday special offers
Dive into 2018 with one of these fantastic offers from UK-based Tour Operator Scuba Travel:
Red Sea: 25 January I WOW! Shark Quest on Mistral I Only £995
Start 2018 as you mean to go on with an adrenline-fuelled adventure in the Southern Red Sea.
Join Mistral on the 25th January diving the exciting Shark Quest Itinerary. Shark Quest is all about diving the southern Red Sea at its seasonal best and spending more time on fewer, carefully selected dive sites. We trust the local knowledge and experience of our dive teams. Building on their know how and recent sightings, they will select one of the big marine parks to dive. Be that Brothers, be that Daedalus, you can enjoy up to three days in the boat’s selected pelagic hot spot. Dive where you have the strongest chances for sharks and rays. It’s that simple. Join our quest for the most inspiring and exciting pelagic sightings possible.
Includes 7 nights full board, flights from Gatwick direct to Marsa Alam, fully guided diving and Nitrox.
Maldives: Serenity I Save up to £400 I From £1395 (excl. flights)
Emperor Serenity is a contemporary, spacious liveaboard where fine accommodation and service is standard. This sleek liveaboard was built in the Maldives especially for divers. Stand out from the crowd as you moor in the picture perfect Maldivian atolls.
This 40 metre boat easily accommodates 26 guests in 13 well-appointed en-suite cabins, all with air-con. There are 5 lower deck cabins, each with double beds and a single too, as well as 3 double only cabins. On the main deck, you find 3 cabins with double beds and a single, and the same again on the upper deck. A supplement applies for main and upper deck cabins – please do ask your travel consultant at the time of booking about which cabin option would suit you best.
Includes transfers from Male airport, 7 nights full board and approx 17 fully guided dives.
Sudan: 22 February or 1 March I Save up to £400 I From £1695
Sha’ab Rumi, the Con Shelf, Sanganeb and Wingate’s Umbria are some of Sudan’s finest dive sites. The Sudan North itinerary focuses on these undeniable highlights. The walls are deep and the plateaus make an ideal stage for shark watching. Add to this the beautiful wreck dives at the unique Umbria and Con Shelf II and you are guaranteed an incredible Sudan liveaboard, packed with excitement and variety.
Voyager is operated by an experienced team who have made the Sudan their home and know each reef intimately – there is no one better to guide you through the Sudanese waters. With such an unparalleled knowledge of the dive sites, marine species and their seasonality it is no wonder that divers flock back to this vessel year after year.
Includes flights, transfers, 7 nights full board and fully guided diving.
Philippines: Dive the Phillipines from £1295 incl. flights
Exotic Resort Malapascua are the original pioneering dive centre – get closer to thresher sharks and enjoy the warm welcome at this beach front resort. The island of Malapascua has an impressive reputation for such a small location. The diving here is most famous for its thresher sharks. With their wealth of experience, the Exotic Resort has an exceptional track record at getting the best sightings of these elusive and shy sharks. Step ashore and forget your everyday stresses and strains. Take in the crystal turquoise waters that surround the Exotic Resort and relax into a slower pace of life.
Includes flights, transfers, 7 nights full board plus 10 boat dives.
Galapagos: Humboldt Explorer I Galpagos Extreme I Save £1000 I From £4595
Humboldt Explorer is a one of a kind Galapagos liveaboard. There is plenty of space on board for relaxing in between dives. The sun deck has a large lounge, as well as a partially covered sun deck and jacuzzi. Building on their experience diving this one of a kind destination, the team have crafted a very special itinerary that focuses on extra dive time at Wolf and Darwin.This means you have even more time to dive with the famous hammerheads, Galapagos sharks and silkies. Add to this the seasonal whaleshark and ray sightings, as well as iguanas and sea lions, and you can see just why the Galapagos is one of the ultimate diving destinations.
Includes flights, transfers, 7 nights full board plus fully guided diving.
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.
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
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.
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
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