News
Shark Week: Coming Soon…
Shark Week is coming soon… our friends at LiveAboard.com give the lowdown on what’s in store this July.
WHAT IS SHARK WEEK?
Shark Week 2018 marks the 30th anniversary of Shark Week and is sure to be one of the best, with Discovery Channel going all out to celebrate with more than 19 hours of shark programmes.
WHEN IS SHARK WEEK 2018?
Shark Week 2018 begins on 22nd July 2018 and runs until Sunday 29th July 2018, providing eight days of shark-filled shows.
SHARK WEEK 2018 LATEST NEWS
Discovery Channel teased Shark Week fans with a promo featuring Shaquille O’Neal, mistaking Shark Week as ‘Shaq Week’, when they announced the start date of Shark Week 2018. A Shania Twain promo has since been released on 5th June 2018, gearing up fans for the big event.
SHARK WEEK 2018 TV SCHEDULE
Discovery Channel have released the Shark Week 2018 programme schedule and it will include a number of Shark Week specials:
Shark Tank Meets Shark Week
The celebrity investors of ABC’s hit show Shark Tank will take to the water for Shark Week and go swimming with sharks to learn about the issues they face. The celebrities will each pair up with an oceanic organisation and decide which charity to award $50,000.
Cuba’s Secret Shark Lair (working title)
One of the largest sharks ever recorded ‘El Monstruo’ was captured in Cuba in 1945 and huge shark sightings around Cuba have continued since then. One of the main attractions when scuba diving Cuba is the sheer diversity of sharks and Cuban waters are home to around 100 shark species. Researchers for this show are searching for large great white sharks and hammerheads in Cuban waters.
Great White Abyss
Guadalupe Island, Mexico is well known as the premier destination for cage diving with sharks and is visited by massive female white sharks during October and November each year. The Shark Week team returns to Guadalupe Island this year to search for the biggest great white sharks they can find.
Divers can experience great white shark diving at Guadalupe with the Solmar V liveaboard.
Tiger Shark Invasion (working title)
Shark scientist Dr Neil Hammerschlag heads to the Galapagos Islands to observe how tiger sharks, new to the area in the last 10 years, are affecting the marine ecosystem at this world-class diving destination.
Monster Tag (working title)
The New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski is joined by Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and Olympic skier Lindsey Vohn for this special. The team of athletes join marine biologists working hard to conserve sharks with the latest satellite technology.
Jaws in Paradise (working title)
The Bahamas is well-known for Tiger Beach liveaboard diving and the chance to get up close and personal with numerous tiger sharks. The Shark Cam returns in 2018, this time investigating the private lives of bull and hammerhead sharks in the Bahamas with Doc Gruber and Dr Tristan Gutteridge of the Bimini Shark Lab.
Son of Jaws (working title)
Dr Craig O’Connell, a shark scientist and Shark Week host, goes in search of giant great white sharks off Long Island, New York. This iconic area gave rise to the legendary Jaws and the big sharks in the area were hunted and killed after the film’s release. Dr O’Connell finds out if “the bloodline of Jaws continues”.
Bear vs. Shark
Bear Grylls has survived some of the world’s most extreme environments. This time he is going up against sharks to test his skills as the ultimate survivor.
Air Jaws vs. Orca (working title)
Five great white sharks washed up dead on South African beaches in 2017, confirmed as eaten alive. Shark biologist Alison Towner and conservationist Chris Fallows investigate if two well-known orcas Port and Starboard have taken to hunting great white sharks and what can be done to save the great white sharks from being wiped out by this ultimate predator.
Sharkwrecked (working title)
Shark attack survivor Paul de Gelder joins a marine survival expert in a daring 48-hour experiment to discover which sharks are attracted to humans in distress and what really happens when a shipwreck occurs amongst sharks.
The Laws of Jaws (working title)
Are shark attacks the result of shark behaviours or human behaviours? A team of expert divers investigate why shark attacks occur, by re-enacting real-life incidents in real time.
Uncaged: Shark vs. Ronda Rousey
Ronda Rousey, the WWE Superstar, goes diving with mako sharks in New Zealand.
Great White Mama (working title)
Where do the pregnant great white sharks of Guadalupe Island go to give birth to their pups? Dr Mauricio Hoyos believes they go to Baja California. This western state of Mexico is a popular dive destination thanks to abundant schooling hammerhead sharks, whale sharks and giant manta rays. Dr Hoyos’s team of scientists track pregnant great white sharks to confirm a birthing ground in need of protection.
WHERE CAN I WATCH SHARK WEEK 2018?
Shark Week episodes are available to purchase and view online through Amazon and iTunes. Shark Week episodes are also available on the Discovery Channel website for cable subscribers.
DIVE LIKE EVERY WEEK IS SHARK WEEK
To really live the Shark Week experience, divers can go shark diving and find out for themselves what all the fuss is about. There are great shark diving destinations around the globe, with something suitable for all diver experience levels and even non-divers. Find out more in Best Places to Dive with Sharks.
Discover liveaboard diving holiday solutions around the world at Liveaboard.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
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