News
Scuba Scene… the luxury Red Sea liveaboard that sets the standard

M/Y Scuba Scene was launched in April 2023 and is the ultimate luxury steel-hulled liveaboard located in the Red Sea. She is 48m long, fitted to rigorous safety standards, and makes a great home away from home to enjoy some of the world’s most spectacular dive sites.
Book now with Oyster Diving: info@oysterdiving.com / 0800 699 0243
Scuba Scene is spacious, comfortable, and beautifully laid out, with a maximum capacity for 28 diving guests. She comes with two large Zodiacs both fitted with large outboard engines, tank racks and dive ladders – no more being hauled into a rib and face-planting on the dive gear. This makes it quicker and more comfortable to reach the dive sites and easier to get back in the boat, especially for elderly/less able-bodied divers.
This boat comes highly recommended for shark and pelagic lovers, Tech divers, and fans of coral reefs and wrecks – a luxury yacht, friendly crew, knowledgeable guides, and delicious food.
Book now with Oyster Diving: info@oysterdiving.com / 0800 699 0243
KEY FEATURES
48m long steel hull for stability
Large comfortable rooms
Outdoor pool
Jacuzzi
Cinema and video games room
2 x RIBS with ladders and equipment racks
Expert guides
Original Shark Weeks in association with the Red Sea Shark Trust
WHAT MAKES SCUBA SCENE THE BEST LIVEABOARD IN THE RED SEA?
Expertly run by Ahmed Fadel & Elke Bojanowski, the layout of M/Y Scuba Scene shows their combined work experience on Egyptian liveaboards. The kitchen and spacious dining area are in the lower deck (hull). All guest cabins are on the main or upper deck, so large windows and plenty of distance to the engine room make for comfortable, quiet and light accommodations.
Book now with Oyster Diving: info@oysterdiving.com / 0800 699 0243
Camera preparation and charging areas are very spacious, and the salt water swimming pool & jacuzzi offer relaxation opportunities to all. Our large salon as well as the TV room offer inside chilling areas, both fitted with large screens. A number of sundecks with both shaded and sunny sections give the guests a choice of where and how to enjoy the surface intervals.
On top of this you will be looked after by at least one of the 2 top cruise directors and guides in the Red Sea who specialise in either sharks, wrecks and tec diving.
THE AUTHENTIC RED SEA SHARK WEEK
Shark weeks are run by the manager/marine biologist ‘Elke Bojanowski’ of the charity ‘Red Sea Sharks’.
The other manager, Ahmed Fadel, has been a guide in the Red Sea for over 20 years and has even written dive guides to the Southern Red Sea.
Many of you will know Ahmed and Elke from their many years working for blueotwo.
Book now with Oyster Diving: info@oysterdiving.com / 0800 699 0243
There are lots of little details to attention that make the trip better for divers – use of a washing machine and tumble drier, cubbyholes with charging points, and full rental equipment for recreational and technical divers.
Scuba Scene runs all of the most popular itineraries including the Best of the Red Sea – Daedalus, Brothers and Elphinstone, the Northern Red Sea, Deep South and Best of Wrecks.
The boat embarks/disembarks from either Marriott Marina in Hurghada or Port Ghalib, depending on season and itinerary.
Great group prices are available!
Book now with Oyster Diving: info@oysterdiving.com / 0800 699 0243
WRECKS, TEC AND PHOTOGRAPHY
As well as itineraries such as Northern Red Sea, Southern Red Sea and Shark Weeks, Scuba Scene is also well known for it’s Photography Workshops and Tec Weeks. Tec diving can also be taught on board.
Scuba Scene is brought to you by Oyster Diving!
Oyster Diving are a fully bonded travel centre, and under their ATOL can provide a full package holiday including flights, resorts, hotels, liveaboards and transfers. They provide diving holidays around the world including popular destinations such as the Maldives, Caribbean, Europe, Indonesia and Asia.
Visit www.oysterdivingholidays.com for more information.
News
Filming 360 in The Bahamas

In December 2024, the Shark Trust had a very special opportunity to film sharks and rays in The Bahamas. Frogfish Photography are the Bahamas Dive Ambassadors for the UK. And Caroline, Deputy Editor at Scubaverse, is the Marketing Manager at the Shark Trust. So, when the need arose to film footage of several species of shark and ray for a new Shark Trust project, The Bahamas seemed the perfect fit. A huge thank you is needed here to the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism. As they stepped in to fully support the trip both financially and practically. Ensuring that the filming expedition ran smoothly, and that we got as much time as possible in the water with sharks and rays, during the 10 day, 3 island trip.
The Bahamas is famous for its sharks and rays. Divers flock there to experience getting up close to a range of species. Our itinerary saw us visit Nassau, Bimini and Grand Bahama. It packed in as many in-water experiences as possible and had us dive, snorkel, and even take a submarine to experience them in a variety of different habitats and to capture them on film. We saw 148 sharks and rays from 8 different species (all of which have been logged on the Shark Trust Shark Log!).
But why were we there? The expedition was designed to fulfil the needs of two new projects being launched by the Shark Trust in 2025. The filming done underwater on this trip was the start of creating OneOcean360: A Shark Story. A new 360 immersive experience designed primarily for immersive domes and planetariums. The film will be the nearest experience to getting in the water with sharks and rays without getting wet! It will bring the world of sharks to an audience that may never get the chance to experience it first-hand. A Shark Story aims to deepen people’s understanding of sharks, uncovering and illustrating why they are so wonderful as well as being vital to marine ecosystems.
The film is being made in collaboration with Real Immersive. Also based in Plymouth, they have an immersive dome and are providing the technical expertise behind creating this unique experience. Reviewing the footage in the dome has been an invaluable part of the process. Both inspiring the team and allow us to refine the filming techniques to suit this immersive theatre.
You might imagine that we are using expensive cameras and even more expensive housings. But this is not the case. The entire project is being filmed using Insta360 X4 cameras. With only a few simple additions to the standard dive setup. The INON weight plate allowed us to attach this camera to a dive weight, set it down on sand or wreck, and then swim away and let the sharks be the stars. And the results are very exciting. The film will be ready this autumn. It will be accompanied by an educational pack for teachers to take away after school trips to see the film. Encouraging all those that see it to continue learning about these incredible animals.
You can support the creation of OneOcean360: A Shark Story by heading to the crowdfunder page and donating or selecting a reward.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/a-shark-story
Read about the shark and ray dives we did on Nassau, Bimini and Grand Bahama in our next blog post coming soon on Scubaverse.
Blogs
PADI Global Membership Contributes to Study That Indicates Revival of MPAs Would Bolster Billions for the Industry

Scientists, including those from National Geographic Pristine Seas, find scuba divers are willing to pay more to seek adventure in Marine Protected Areas, estimating an additional USD 2.7 billion spent per annum.
11 February 2025 – PADI®, the world’s largest scuba diving organisation, has been working with National Geographic Pristine Seas for the last three years to help identify the positive effects of protecting scuba diving sites around the world – which was recently published in new peer-reviewed research.
PADI’s global membership of 6,600 PADI Dive Centres and Resorts in over 180 countries helped National Geographic Pristine Seas assemble a database that estimated the number of scuba dives annually, the extent to which protection would increase biomass and biodiversity in an area, and a scuba diver’s willingness to pay access fees to dive in Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).
As a result, the study found that more fully protected dive sites would generate an estimated USD 2.7 billion in additional income globally for the scuba diving industry, most of which would come from access fees paid by divers directly to local communities. This additional protection would also help regenerate marine ecosystems and a new long-term income source for these coastal economies.
“Bottom line, ocean protection benefits marine life, coastal communities and businesses,” remarked Enric Sala, founder of National Geographic Pristine Seas. “Protecting diving sites from fishing and other damaging activities can generate new streams of income and benefit more people. It’s increasingly clear that efforts to protect 30% of the ocean by 2030 are even more beneficial than we thought.”
These research findings directly align with the goals of PADI’s Blueprint For Ocean Action– in which safeguarding recreational dive hotspots around the globe would deliver a host of benefits to tourists, local communities, and marine life. In 2022 PADI Iaunched an ambitious new initiative to establish the world’s largest network of conservation sites aimed at protecting ocean habitats and species threatened with extinction. Supported by Blancpain, founding partner of PADI’s MPA Program, the Adopt The Blue™ program activates a global network of dive sites across the planet to establish more Marine Protected Areas to regenerate local economies and coastlines.
“By PADI joining forces with like-minded global partners such as National Geographic Pristine Seas, we will exponentially increase our positive impact for saving the ocean,” said Dr. Drew Richardson, President & CEO of PADI. “With more marine protected areas, we can reinvigorate the diver experience and regenerate hope for the ocean; and with that comes more people who are inspired to explore the ocean and become Torchbearers to further advocate for safeguarding its future.”
Since 2008, National Geographic Pristine Seas has helped establish 29 of the largest MPAs in the world, covering a total area of 6.9 million square kilometers – more than twice the size of India. Their latest peer-reviewed research joins their resume of over 300 that have already been published.
“If you protect a marine area, more recreational divers will show up and they’ll pay more for the privilege of seeing sensational underwater life,” said Reniel Cabral, a Senior Lecturer at James Cook University and the study’s lead author. “Communities and businesses are leaving money on the table by overlooking the benefits of marine sanctuaries.”
Other key findings from the most recent study include:
- Some 33 million dives take place in the ocean each year, but only 15% of dive sites are fully protected from fishing and other destructive activities
- More MPAs estimated to increase the number of dives annually by 32% (10 million + more per year)
- Egypt, Thailand, and the US host the most scuba diving annually (est. USD 3 million annually)
- Indonesia, Egypt, and Australia host the most dives within MPA borders annually
- The Philippines, the US, and Indonesia would benefit the most economically from designating sanctuaries in popular diving spots.
- The Global South — host to some 62% of recreational dives — is poised to gain the most.
“The potential for the recreational diver industry to create positive ocean change is unparalleled,” continues Richardson. “As the only global community to have the superhero skills to descend beneath the surface and both connect with and help the marine world directly, there is a massive opportunity to change the way we all seek adventure. As the world’s largest scuba diving organisation, we can play a key part in reaching the global target of 30% protection by 2030 and enrich both ours and the ocean’s livelihood simultaneously.”
To help PADI advocate for the establishment of more MPAs, visit padi.com/aware/AdoptTheBlue
National Geographic Pristine Seas
Pristine Seas works with Indigenous and local communities, governments, and other partners to help protect vital places in the ocean using a unique combination of research, community engagement, policy work, and filmmaking. Since 2008, our program has conducted more than 45 expeditions around the world and helped establish 29 marine reserves, spanning more than 6.9 million square kilometers of ocean. Pristine Seas is part of the global non-profit, the National Geographic Society. Our mission is driven by science and filmmaking — we are fully independent from National Geographic publishing and its media arm.
About PADI
PADI® (Professional Association of Diving Instructors®) is the largest purpose-driven diving organisation with a global network of 6,600 dive centres and resorts, 128,000 professional members, and more than 30 million certified divers to date. Committed to our blue planet, PADI makes the wonder of the underwater world accessible to all, empowering people around the world to experience, explore and take meaningful action, as Ocean TorchbearersTM, to protect the world beneath the surface. For over 50 years, PADI is undeniably The Way the World Learns to Dive®, setting the standard for the highest quality dive training, underwater safety and conservation initiatives while evolving the sport of diving into a passionate lifestyle. For divers by divers, PADI is obsessed with transforming lives and, with its global foundation, PADI AWARETM, creating positive ocean change. Seek Adventure. Save the Ocean.SM www.padi.com
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