News
Last minute Scuba Travel dive deals: Maldives and more…
There’s nothing like a dive holiday to work off the excesses of Christmas… check out the latest special offers from the Scuba Travel team:
Egypt
Departing from Sharm El Sheikh allows you to dive some of the most beautiful areas in the northern Red Sea regardless of the weather. Enjoy the colourful reefs of Tiran, always buzzing with life, the incredible walls of Ras Muhamed and the majestic Thistlegorm. You will spend 7 nights onboard on a full board basis (twin-share cabin). Included in your package are up to 22 dives over the week, 12lt tank, air fills and weights. Please prebook nitrox and 15lt tanks before travel. Flights are direct with EnterAir from Gatwick (indirect Manchester are available at a supplement) 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.
Click here to email the Scuba Travel team and receive more information about this amazing liveaboard. Dive the reefs of Tiran, Ras Mohammed and the incredible Thistlegorm.
Click here to book this great trip!
* prices are subject to change according to availability at the time of booking
Maldives
Best of the Maldives on 10th May – sail onboard Emperor Serenity for only £1225
Only 6 spaces, save £370! Get all the thrills of big fish in the Maldives on board the exceptional Emperor Serenity liveaboard. Manta, sharks, eagle rays and so much more on this classic Maldives itinerary – dive the seasonal hot spots from a dhoni tender with an average of 17 dives (including 1 night dive). You have 7 nights on board on a full board basis (twin/double share cabin) – upper deck cabin upgrades available. Enjoy a complimentary glass of wine with dinner. 12lt tank and weights are included, as well as free recreational nitrox.
This holiday is excluding international flights, with return Male airport transfers. Scuba Travel is able to add flights with a wide range of airlines, including regional departures. Flights will incur a small booking fee. 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. Transfers operate at fixed times.
Click here to email the Scuba Travel team and receive more information about Emperor Serenity on 10th May.
Click here to book your place!
* prices are subject to change according to availability at the time of booking
Check out Melissa’s blog: Fancy a warm winter getaway with lots of diving?
Maldives
Best of the Maldives on 11th October – sail onboard Emperor Virgo for only £1045
Special Offer – save £400, only 6 spaces available! Join the Emperor Maldives Fleet on the perfectly sized Virgo liveaboard for the classic, all-time great Best of the Maldives itinerary. Dive the seasonal hot spots from a dhoni tender with an average of 17 dives (including 1 night dive). You have 7 nights on board on a full board basis (twin/double share cabin) including 12lt tank and weights, as well as free recreational nitrox. To pay on board are alcoholic drinks, fruit juice, fizzy drinks, additional kit hire and any on board souvenirs.
You have booked a holiday excluding international flights, with return Male airport transfers. Scuba Travel is able to add flights with a wide range of airlines, including regional departures. Flights will incur a small booking fee. 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. Transfers operate at fixed times.
Click here to email the Scuba Travel team and receive more information about Emperor Virgo on 11th October.
* prices are subject to change according to availability at the time of booking
Maldives
Best of the Maldives onboard Carpe Vita – 6th September for only £1175
Special Offer – only 6 spaces, save £220! Discover all the pelagics that make the Maldives on board the exceptional Carpe Vita. Enjoy a relaxing 3 dives a day with the Carpe Vita team including one or two night dives. All diving is from a dhoni tender, with 12lt tank and weights are included, and free recreational nitrox. You have 7 nights on board on a full board basis (twin/double share cabin) – cabin upgrades available. Tea, coffee and drinking water are included in your package. The green tax has been prepaid.
This holiday excludes international flights to Male but includes airport transfers. Scuba Travel 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. Transfers operate at fixed times.
Click here to email the Scuba Travel team and receive more information about Carpe Vita on 6th September.
* prices are subject to change according to availability at the time of booking
Indonesia
Murex Manado Buddy Offer in January – from only £870 per person
BUDDY OFFER! £870 per person or single supplement only £125.
Great value diving in Manado and, Bunaken Indonesia. Our dive show special includes 12 boat dives – discover rich coral reefs and magical macro with the welcoming team from Murex Manado. Your holiday includes 7 nights in a deluxe cottage on a full board basis (2 people sharing). Local taxes are prepaid. Water, tea, and coffee are available free of charge, To pay locally 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 will all be billed in resort. There is a one-off Bunaken national park fee (IDR 150,000 per diver/snorkeler). UK passport holders can obtain and FOC visa on arrival. Return airport transfers in Manado are included.
This holiday excludes international flights to Manado but includes airport transfers. Scuba Travel 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. Transfers operate at fixed times.
Check out this great trip report about Murex Manado by Sam Wren, Scuba Travel’s group specialist…
Email Scuba Travel and receive more information about Murex Resort and diving in Bunaken.
Click here to book your Murex Manado holiday!
* prices are subject to change according to availability at the time of booking
Galapagos
Save £1600 and dive the Galapagos this 6th January onboard Humbolt Explorer – only £2695
Save £1600! Spend longer at Wolf & Darwin on board Humboldt Explorer with the exciting Galapagos Extreme itinerary. Your liveaboard holiday is based on a twin-share cabin – twin or queen bed double options – and on a full board basis, including alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages, premium alcoholic beverages available for an additional charge. A 12lt tank, air fills and weights are included in your package with 18-20 dives on average. All trips are fully guided with expert guides. The last night Sunday dinner is not included in your cruise. The crew will help with reservations and recommendations. To pay locally are the departure tax, the Galapagos park fees ($100), chamber tax ($35), tourist card ($20), fuel surcharge ($150) and nitrox ($150) on board.
This holiday does not include any international flights to Ecuador (UIO or GYE) or the Galapagos Islands. Scuba Travel strongly recommend you add a night in Ecuador before and possibly after your liveaboard, depending on your flight times. These can be added to your booking, with a wide range of airlines, including regional departures. Please ask your consultant for a competitive quote. 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.
Email Scuba Travel and receive more information about diving the Galapagos on 6th January.
Click here for information about Humbolt Explorer!
* 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.
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
-
News3 months agoHone your underwater photography skills with Alphamarine Photography at Red Sea Diving Safari in March
-
News3 months agoCapturing Critters in Lembeh Underwater Photography Workshop 2024: Event Roundup
-
Marine Life & Conservation Blogs2 months agoCreature Feature: Swell Sharks
-
Blogs2 months agoMurex Resorts: Passport to Paradise!
-
Blogs2 months agoDiver Discovering Whale Skeletons Beneath Ice Judged World’s Best Underwater Photograph
-
Gear Reviews3 months agoGear Review: Oceanic+ Dive Housing for iPhone
-
Marine Life & Conservation2 months agoSave the Manatee Club launches brand new webcams at Silver Springs State Park, Florida
-
Gear Reviews2 weeks agoGEAR REVIEW – Revolutionising Diving Comfort: The Sharkskin T2 Chillproof Suit