News
Latest Red Sea dive holiday offers from Oonasdivers
![](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/wreck-diving-red-sea-by-mark-webster.jpg)
UK-based tour operator Oonasdivers have released some great dive holiday offers for the Red Sea.
Here are the details:
Oonasdivers | Red Sea | Sharks Bay Umbi Village | Sharm el Sheikh from £495
Just 10 minutes away from Naama Bay but a million miles away from the hustle and bustle, Sharks Bay is located in a picturesque bay with everything on site – its own private jetty, dive centre, boats, restaurant, Bedouin café and 3 types of accommodation. Combine this with their friendly, personal approach and this makes it the perfect resort for your next diving holiday.
August 2015
08 – 15 Aug only £745
15 – 22 Aug only £715
November 2015
07 – 14 Nov only £615
14 – 21 Nov only £595
21 – 28 Nov only £605
28 Nov – 05 Dec only £540
December 2015
05 – 12 Dec only £495
12 – 19 Dec only £580
January 2016
17 – 24 Jan only £515
February 2016
27 Feb – 06 Mar only £545
April 2016
23 – 30 Apr only £595
May 2016
07 – 14 May only £610
June 2016
18 – 25 Jun only £645
Prices are per person and include flights, transfers, 7 nights B&B and 10 boat dives. Single supplement applies.
For more information, click here.
Oonasdivers | Red Sea | Marsa Alam from £585
The popular and unique villages of Marsa Shagra and Marsa Nakari in the southern Red Sea offer unlimited and unguided diving on their beautiful and diverse house reefs. From either village you can also dive the breath-taking sites of Elphinstone, Dolphin House Reef and many more.
Marsa Shagra
Definitely the most well know of our Marsa Alam destinations, Marsa Shagra is located just half an hour from Marsa Alam airport. Shagra boasts one of the most beautiful house reefs in the Red Sea region.
August 2015
26 Aug – 02 Sep only £720
September 2015
02 – 09 Sep only £780
16 – 23 Sep only £875
23 – 30 Sep only £895
30 Sep – 07 Oct only £895
January 2016
09 – 16 Jan only £595
16 – 23 Jan only £605
23 – 30 Jan only £600
30 Jan – 06 Feb only £585
February 2016
05 – 12 Feb only £595
19 – 26 Feb only £595
Prices are per person and include flights, transfers, 7 nights full board and 5 days unlimited diving.
Marsa Nakari
A smaller, quieter and more remote alternative to Marsa Shagra, Nakari is situated a further half an hour down the coast. Another fantastic house reef and a more personalised service. Expect the silence and serenity of the desert atmosphere and the world-renowned beauty of the Red Sea reefs.
August 2015
26 Aug- 02 Sep only £695
September 2015
02 – 09 Sep only £750
16 – 23 only £845
23 – 30 Sep only £865
30 Sep – 07 Oct only £865
Prices are per person and include flights, transfers, 7 nights full board and 5 days unlimited diving.
For more information, click here.
Oonasdivers | Red Sea | Liveaboards from £665
One of the best ways to see the most awe-inspiring dive sites of the Red Sea. Liveaboards offer everything a diver needs – comfort, relaxation and lots and lots of diving.
Emperor Asmaa – FREE Nitrox
Offering genuine value for money, Asmaa is a popular liveaboard drawing diver’s back time and time again. Completely refurbished in January 2015, Asmaa offers comfortable accommodation in 10 twin bed cabins, 4 of which are upper-deck.
October 2015
14 – 21 Oct –Fury & St Johns only £1120
December 2015
11 – 18 Dec – North & Wrecks only £700
January 2016
01 – 08 Jan – North & Wrecks only £765
08 Jan – 15 Jan – North & Wrecks only £675
15 – 22 Jan – North & Wrecks only £665
22 – 29 Jan – North & Wrecks only £700
29 Jan – 05 Feb – North & Wrecks only £760
February 2016
19 – 26 Feb – North & Wrecks only £765
26 Feb – 04 Mar – North & Wrecks only £805
Blue Pearl
Elegant in design both inside and out, Blue Pearl and her crew will offer the warmest of welcomes. Sleeping up to 20 guests in 8 twin bedded cabins and 2 double upper deck master cabins, Blue Pearl offers all the creature comforts for you to relax between dives.
September 2015
02 – 09 Sep – The Brothers only £1045
January 2016
08 – 15 Jan – North & Wrecks only £765
15 – 22 Jan – North & Tiran only £795
22 – 29 Jan – North & Brothers only £895
29 Jan – 05 Feb – The Brothers only £870
February 2016
05 – 12 Feb 2016 – North & Wrecks only £775
Blue Seas
An impressive looking boat, offering some of the most impressive looking diving the Red Sea has to offer. Blue Seas is the combined result of Egypt’s years of yacht building experience and modern technology.
Sleeping up to 22 guests, Blue Seas offers 8 twin bed cabins, 2 double upper-deck master cabins and a honeymoon suite.
August 2015
12 – 19 Aug – Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone only £1195
26 Aug – 02 Sep – Daedalus, Zabargad & Rocky only £1195
September 2015
02 – 09 Sep – St Johns only £1095
Blue Planet 1
Fast, spacious and beautifully fitted out, Blue Planet 1 is a friendly boat. She is ideal for smaller groups and individuals who would like to explore the northern Red Sea from Hurghada.
Fully refitted and upgraded in July 2013, Blue Planet 1 sleeps a maximum of 16 guests in 8 twin bed cabins.
August 2015
21 – 28 Aug – North & Wrecks only £895
January 2016
08 – 15 Jan – North & Wrecks only £765
15 – 22 Jan – North & Wrecks only £755
22 – 29 Jan – North & Wrecks only £765
29 Jan – 05 Feb – North & Wrecks only £825
February 2016
05 – 12 Feb – North & Brothers only £895
19 – 26 Feb – North & Wrecks only £785
Juliet
One of the few smaller liveaboards left in the Red Sea. Juliet takes a maximum of just 14 guests. At 28m this means more space, more flexibility and more personal attention to you.
Her amazing and attentive crew will guide you to the very best dive sites in the northern Red Sea. Juliet is a great option for small groups and clubs.
November 2015
21 – 28 Nov – North & Wrecks only £995
28 Nov – 05 Dec – North & Wrecks only £940
December 2015
05 – 12 Dec – North & Wrecks only £795
12 – 19 Dec – North & Wrecks only £880
April 2016
23 – 30 Apr – North & Wrecks only £990
May 2016
07 – 14 May – North & Wrecks only £995
June 2016
18 – 25 Jun – North & Wrecks only £1035
Prices are per person and include flights, transfers, 7 nights full board and 6 days diving.
For more information, click here.
To find out more or to book, contact the Oonasdivers team now by calling +44 (0)1323 648924, email info@oonasdivers.com or visit www.oonasdivers.com.
News
Book Review: Fire on Monroe Bravo by Fred Lockwood
![the ship beneath the ice](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Book-Review.jpg)
Fire on Monroe Bravo is the latest book in the Jack Collier series by Fred Lockwood. Our story begins with our lead characters, Jack and Sandro, owners of Marine Salvage & Investigation Company, arriving on the Monroe Bravo Oil & Gas Platform in the North Sea. Having secured a contract for their vessel the MV Stavanger to act as support ship to the platform for TransGlobal Oil, our protagonists are on a celebratory visit.
However almost as soon as they arrive a series of explosions rock the platform, causing huge damage, loss of life and the very real danger of a massive human, ecological and financial disaster.
![](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/fireonmonroebravo-683x1024.jpg)
As the danger mounts for both our heroes and the surviving workers, Jack and Sandro will have to escape the inferno, all while trying to save the platform and the men still trapped unable to help themselves.
The disaster sets the scene for the unfolding story lines following the fate of the platform and our main characters, the police investigation into a suspected terrorist act and the actions of TransGlobal Oil as they attempt to navigate the pubic outcry and financial repercussions.
In his eighth book, Fire on Monroe Bravo, Fred Lockwood delivers an explosive thriller, with plenty of above and in-water drama, and our heroes fighting for survival, what more can you ask for?
We thoroughly recommend this read and look forward to the next in the series. For more information about his book series, you can check out the reviews of his previous books here on Scubaverse.
- Title: Fire On Monroe Bravo
- Author: Fred Lockwood
- ISBN: 979-8325324536
Available in a paperback version and for Kindle from Amazon and book stores.
Blogs
Alonissos: The complete diving destination (Part 1)
![](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20-scaled.jpeg)
In June we were incredibly fortunate to be invited to dive in Alonissos, a small Greek Island in the Sporades island chain located in the North Aegean Sea. While I have long been a big fan of the Greek Islands as a great holiday destination, I had not had the opportunity to do any diving on previous visits and Mike and I were extremely excited to see what Alonissos had to offer both above and below the surface!
![](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_20230611_132718-1024x769.jpeg)
The Sporades are easily accessible via the airport in Skiathos (the first island in the chain), which is served by Jet2 flights from all major UK airports from May through October. Numerous ferries and charter boats make island hopping from Skiathos Town a breeze. After an hour boat ride, the picturesque port of Patitiri was a wonderful introduction to Alonissos, where we were met by our gracious hosts Kostas of Albedo Travel and Dias of Alonissos Triton Dive Center. Mike and I were delighted to be staying at the Paradise Hotel, aptly named for its stunning views over the sea and great location for walking to the waterfront.
![](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/IMG_20230611_134526-1024x769.jpeg)
Alonissos is beautifully situated in the National Marine Park of Alonissos and the Northern Sporades, the largest marine protected area in Europe. The surrounding seas offer fabulous marine life, including incredibly rare species such as the Mediterranean monk seal. They boast deep walls covered in gorgonians and sponges, stunning topography with caverns, swimthroughs and pinnacles, and the first accessible ancient shipwreck from 500BC!
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In locations where historical sites have been reported, the waters are largely restricted, but with collaboration between government, underwater archeologists and dive centres, incredible underwater museums are being created for a truly unique diving experience. Alonissos is home to the first of these, the Ancient Shipwreck of Peristera Accessible Underwater Archeological Site. The chance to dive into history (along with reports of healthy reef life and amazing underwater topography) meant Mike and I were keen to get in the water.
![](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/27-1024x768.jpeg)
Our introduction to the diving around Alonissos was at the Agios Georgios Pinnacles, in the channel between Alonissos and Skopelos. This fantastic site was named “The Chimney,’ and proved to have a huge amount to see. We got to a decent depth here (over 25m), and marvelled at a colourful reef wall with a wonderful swim through whose rocky walls were absolutely covered with life. As well as brilliant topography there was no shortage of macro life here. We saw numerous nudibranchs, five different species in total. The second dive at Mourtias reef nearby was a shallower dive along a nice wall with lots of crevices. Several moray eels and grouper called this site home. We enjoyed looking in the crevices for lobster and smaller benthic life, such as cup corals and tunicates.
![](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/30-1024x772.jpeg)
Our itinerary allowed us two dives a day with afternoons left to explore the island with our hire car and evenings to enjoy the famous Greek hospitality. This proved to be a lovely mix of in-water and land based diversions.
![](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Sunset-chapel-1024x694.jpg)
The next days diving to the Gorgonian Gardens and Triton’s Cave was to be even better! These two stunning sites are nothing short of fabulous. The Gorgonian Gardens was a deep wall near to the Agios Georgios islands. The ever-present currents in this deep channel meant that the sea life was amazing … the namesake Gorgonian sea fans dotted the wall at a depth of 30 to 50 meters, getting ever larger the deeper we went. Above 30m was by no means less beautiful, with sponges, corals, scorpionfish, moray eels and some rare and colourful nudibranchs.
![](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/15-726x1024.jpeg)
The second shallower dive of the day was to Triton’s Cave or the Cavern of Skopelos, on the east side of that island. The spectacular rock formations had wild striations both above and below the water making a truly epic topography. The cavern entrance was at 14m, and big enough for a buddy pair, winding up to 6m and passing two beautiful windows out into the blue. Emerging from the cavern, the light at the shallower depths and the incredible rock formations made for a fantastic gentle swimming safety stop and we all surfaced by the boat with massive grins.
![](https://www.scubaverse.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/34-768x1024.jpeg)
Check out our next blog :Alonissos: The complete diving destination (Part 2)” to hear about our amazing dive on the 2500 year old Peristera Wreck!
Thanks to:
Alonissos Triton Dive Center https://bestdivingingreece.com/
Albedo Travel https://alonissosholidays.com/activities/
Paradise Hotel https://paradise-hotel.gr/
Alonissos Municipality https://alonissos.gr/en/
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