Fariborz writes….
I’m thrilled to report back on our recent diving expedition to the Red Sea! Over the course of six days, we embarked on an unforgettable journey filled with twelve remarkable dives. I'm delighted to share that our experience was nothing short of exceptional.
First and foremost, I must commend the impeccable organization of the dive centre. Throughout our stay, we found everything to be meticulously arranged, leaving us with no cause for complaint. From equipment readiness to logistical arrangements, the dive centre left no stone unturned in ensuring our comfort and safety.
Our dive guide, Basim, deserves special recognition for his outstanding service. His expertise and attentive care enriched each dive, allowing us to explore the underwater wonders of the Red Sea with confidence. Additionally, the crew members were incredibly supportive, always on hand to assist us whenever needed.
Now, let's talk about the diving highlights! The visibility ranged from a remarkable 15 to 25 meters, providing us with stunning panoramic views of the underwater landscape. We were thrilled to encounter an abundance of marine life, including the enchanting clown triggerfish, majestic giant moray eels, graceful lionfish, vibrant red sea clownfish, sleek cornet fish, and elusive lizard fish. Our luck seemed boundless as we even had the privilege of witnessing dolphins frolicking around our boat—a truly magical moment for all.
Each dive site offered its own unique charm, with depths varying from 10 meters to an exhilarating 45 meters. Whether exploring vibrant coral reefs or dramatic underwater cliffs, every descent was a thrilling adventure waiting to unfold.
As if the diving couldn't get any better, we were blessed with perfect weather throughout the week. Under the radiant sun, we enjoyed balmy temperatures and crystal-clear waters, with temperatures hovering around a comfortable 25 degrees Celsius.
In conclusion, our Red Sea diving expedition was an unforgettable journey filled with awe-inspiring moments and unforgettable memories. On behalf of the dive team, I extend my deepest gratitude to each and every one in the team for their enthusiasm and camaraderie, which made this trip truly extraordinary.
And Niall O adds…
Day one saw us getting kitted up after a relatively short boat journey. This was a check dive to group the divers with their grade level instructor - excellent idea. We did a 1 hour test dive to check kit, buoyancy and skill levels then, when our guide was happy we descended to 20m to explore our first site. It was a beautiful reef with 2 shelves, one at 16m and descending to 24m. Lots of marine life to be seen. After a soup and break we did a second dive on the other side of the reef, equally beautiful and we had the advantage of being under the sunlight. The second dive was a little deeper but worth it.
Day 2 saw us venture to Abu Galawa. It is a coral garden and well named. We did 2 dives here again and were joined by 2 turtles, one medium and one massive. We swam with these amazing mammals and then left them in peace to descend to check out the many nooks and crannies of the lagoon. This was a relaxing drift dive along the Lagoon drop off. Day 3 took us to Fanous East and then West taking advantage again of the sun. We had strong currents for some of the first dive, so some ran low on air, cutting the dive shorter than expected but the second dive was warm, bright and full of life. Day 4 saw us explore careless reef. This was an amazing site, there were many towering pinnacles to be explored, one would look dull with little signs of life, but on the other side full of beautiful fish of all colours, lots of clown and zebra fish looking after their plots of ground. Absolutely lovely weaving in and around these beautiful pinnacles. Day 5 saw us visit a new dive site, it is a military museum with tanks and military vehicles, an exclusion zone is there to be respected to enable sea life to begin transformation of these massive war machines into a peaceful fish refuge and dive site. My dive buddy was a German diver called Sabine, and her last bonus day was spent on an absolutely stunning coral marvel called Sabine’s Garden.
This is one of the most fantastic place I have ever dived, teaming with life, everywhere you look are beautiful clams of all colours and sizes, the bottom maxed out at 15m and the garden went up and down in waves up to 3m so we just followed the bottom profile along this beautiful garden. After this it was kit off and washed so we could dry it on the journey back to shore.
Well done Fari for a great trip, and thanks to all who travelled with us, and those who joined us. Fari, Hamid and I began as 3 but we ended as a very happy group of 6 joined from India by Jags, a girl beginning her PADI training, Alan from the Midlands, a PADI diver and trucker, and from Germany we had Sabine another brilliant PADI diver.
