Our second diving trip to Egypt, after the one to Dahab for New Year celebrations in 2010.
Organizer: Best Divers, Poland.
Dive center in Marsa Alam: Dive Top.
The diving center operated in Nada Resort where we stayed.
Which was very convenient for us as they have a nice house reef.
So, just a short stroll to the base; as well as for the night dives (we did three this time around).
We can recommend this diving center: trips well organized, dive guides were very helpful, and the briefs before dives were quite precise.
To our surprise the hotel was Italian: service, cuisine, cooks, animation - all Italian in style and language!
It was extremely difficult to find someone who speaks English.
Though I must admit there were positives, too: 3 different pastas every day and delicious desserts.
On the minus side: "all inclusive" does not really mean "all inclusive" there!
Well, "all" but drinks, even non-alcoholic ones between meals - these you need to pay for additionally.
But I think it's rather Egyptian thing, not Italian...
Places:
Details:
We flew with Thomson from Gatwick.
Standard baggage allowance was 20kg + 5kg hand luggage; not that they checked this, fortunately... ;)
Nice thing though: +5kg additional allowance, for free,
for divers (one needs to produce at the check-out desk a diving certificate with a photo, check here).
The airport at Marsa Alam is very small; but there are several shops with local stuff - can be helpful after a long stay in a closed resort.
We flew with Thomson from Gatwick.
Standard baggage allowance was 20kg + 5kg hand luggage; not that they checked this, fortunately... ;)
Nice thing though: +5kg additional allowance, for free,
for divers (one needs to produce at the check-out desk a diving certificate with a photo, check here).
The airport at Marsa Alam is very small; but there are several shops with local stuff - can be helpful after a long stay in a closed resort.
Day 0 - getting there
[MJT] The Alps
[MJT] The Alps
[MJT] A jellyfish like cloud in Egypt
[MJT] A jellyfish like cloud in Egypt
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Nice: above water +32°C (90°F), water +27°C (81°F). Vis around 20-30 meters. Nice.
First check dive for weight and equipment check.
We've arrived one day before the whole group, so we dived alone with the instructor.
From this day on we could dive alone - it's worth to behave properly under the water!
Nice: above water +32°C (90°F), water +27°C (81°F). Vis around 20-30 meters. Nice.
First check dive for weight and equipment check.
We've arrived one day before the whole group, so we dived alone with the instructor.
From this day on we could dive alone - it's worth to behave properly under the water!
Day 1 - Nada Resort house reef
[MJT] Check dive
[MJT] Check dive
[MJT] Welcomed by a giant moray
[MJT] Welcomed by a giant moray
[MJT] Net fire coral (Millepora dichotoma)
[MJT] Net fire coral (Millepora dichotoma)
[MJT] A school of glassfish around a typical to Red Sea anemone coral (Goniopora planulata): gray, column-like shapes
[MJT] A school of glassfish around a typical to Red Sea anemone coral (Goniopora planulata): gray, column-like shapes
[MJT] Common lionfish with intriguing antennae
[MJT] Common lionfish with intriguing antennae
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[MJT] Hovering under a reef ledge - a shoal of blotcheye soldierfish (Myripristis murdjan)
[MJT] Hovering under a reef ledge - a shoal of blotcheye soldierfish (Myripristis murdjan)
[MJT] A convenient metal ladder directly from the peer to the house reef (from -5m to -30m deep)
[MJT] A convenient metal ladder directly from the peer to the house reef (from -5m to -30m deep)
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The main attraction of this site was a dugong, or sea cow, that came to feed on the sea grass.
At once, the whole party of divers with cameras threw themselves in pursuit after the animal.
Marcia didn't like it at all and we stayed behind.
The whole situation reminded us of the pursuit after a whaleshark in the Maldives...
The main attraction of this site was a dugong, or sea cow, that came to feed on the sea grass.
At once, the whole party of divers with cameras threw themselves in pursuit after the animal.
Marcia didn't like it at all and we stayed behind.
The whole situation reminded us of the pursuit after a whaleshark in the Maldives...
Day 2 - Marsa Murain
[MJT] Orbicular spadefish
[MJT] Orbicular spadefish
[MJT] Bluespotted stingray
[MJT] Bluespotted stingray
[MJT] Crocodilefish
[MJT] Crocodilefish
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[MJT] Common butterflyfish, here: masked butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus)
[MJT] Common butterflyfish, here: masked butterflyfish (Chaetodon semilarvatus)
[MJT] A lionfish - isn't it a beauty?
[MJT] A lionfish - isn't it a beauty?
[MJT] Yellowspotted burrfish
[MJT] Yellowspotted burrfish
[MJT] One dugong came to graze on the sea grass
[MJT] One dugong came to graze on the sea grass
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[MJT] The ray digs through the sand to find food
[MJT] The ray digs through the sand to find food
[MJT] We saw the dugong again on the way back
[MJT] We saw the dugong again on the way back
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[MJT] Strange creatures, those manatees - representatives of sirens, or sea cows (you really need to be desperate to see a siren here...)
[MJT] Strange creatures, those manatees - representatives of sirens, or sea cows (you really need to be desperate to see a siren here...)
[MJT] Flatfish
[MJT] Flatfish
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[MJT] A large aggregation of yellowfin goatfish
[MJT] A large aggregation of yellowfin goatfish
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[MJT] Freckled hawkfish
[MJT] Freckled hawkfish
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[MJT] Nada Resort
[MJT] Nada Resort
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Our first dive (out of three) at the house reef.
As always, the night dives were very interesting; however, after the third one, they got a bit boring.
And, obviously, you can't party till late evening...
Our first dive (out of three) at the house reef.
As always, the night dives were very interesting; however, after the third one, they got a bit boring.
And, obviously, you can't party till late evening...
Day 2 - Nada Resort house reef - night dive
[MJT] Tiger flatworm
[MJT] Tiger flatworm
[MJT] Scorpionfish
[MJT] Scorpionfish
[MJT] Boxer shrimp cleaning a moray
[MJT] Boxer shrimp cleaning a moray
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[MJT] Orangespine unicornfish
[MJT] Orangespine unicornfish
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[MJT] Hawksbill turtle
[MJT] Hawksbill turtle
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[MJT] A small yellowhead moray
[MJT] A small yellowhead moray
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A classing, one might say, Red Sea reef.
A classing, one might say, Red Sea reef.
Day 3 - Small Shuni
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[MJT] Starry puffer
[MJT] Starry puffer
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[MJT] A pair of Red Sea bannerfish
[MJT] A pair of Red Sea bannerfish
[MJT] Bluegreen chromis close to a coral into which they retreat when frightened
[MJT] Bluegreen chromis close to a coral into which they retreat when frightened
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Our second night dive; we saw several sleeping fish - at least you can take pictures of them then...
Our second night dive; we saw several sleeping fish - at least you can take pictures of them then...
Day 3 - Nada Resort house reef - night dive
[MJT] Lyretail(?) grouper
[MJT] Lyretail(?) grouper
[MJT] Spanish dancer
[MJT] Spanish dancer
[MJT] A well-camouflaged scorpionfish
[MJT] A well-camouflaged scorpionfish
[MJT] Red cup coral: orange with yellow tentacles (Tubastrea coccinea)
[MJT] Red cup coral: orange with yellow tentacles (Tubastrea coccinea)
[MJT] Probably one of wrasses family
[MJT] Probably one of wrasses family
[MJT] Boxer shrimp with long antennae, again
[MJT] Boxer shrimp with long antennae, again
[MJT] Sleeping dusky parrotfish
[MJT] Sleeping dusky parrotfish
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[MJT] Cleanfin lionfish
[MJT] Cleanfin lionfish
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An interesting place for the non-trivial entrance and exit.
You had to navigate several corridors between rocks (a rope is in place to help in that);
and check your depth.
An interesting place for the non-trivial entrance and exit.
You had to navigate several corridors between rocks (a rope is in place to help in that);
and check your depth.
Day 4 - Sharm Shuni
[MJT] Red Sea garden eels
[MJT] Red Sea garden eels
[MJT] Rather shy - hard to catch a closer look at them
[MJT] Rather shy - hard to catch a closer look at them
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[MJT] There's absolutely nothing in the area...
[MJT] There's absolutely nothing in the area...
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[MJT] The desert...
[MJT] The desert...
[MJT] A network pipefish lived near the entrance; note the nice small fan-like tail...
[MJT] A network pipefish lived near the entrance; note the nice small fan-like tail...
[MJT] The entrance/exit parts were secured with a rope to avoid confusion around boulders, tunnels and caverns
[MJT] The entrance/exit parts were secured with a rope to avoid confusion around boulders, tunnels and caverns
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Our last night dive; at the beginning, the whole group went down to 20 meters; and we all turned our torches off.
Then, you only need to wave your hands slightly - and all the plankton will light up.
Our last night dive; at the beginning, the whole group went down to 20 meters; and we all turned our torches off.
Then, you only need to wave your hands slightly - and all the plankton will light up.
Day 4 - Nada Resort house reef - night dive
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[MJT] Porcelain crab - very hard to take a decent picture of them!
[MJT] Porcelain crab - very hard to take a decent picture of them!
[MJT] Green-eye dancing shrimp
[MJT] Green-eye dancing shrimp
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A one and a half our trip to a reef out at sea; a part of the reef is protected from divers - for the dolphins
(apparently, they bring their young there). We didn't see any dolphins, though...
Two dives around and through underwater rocks; a couple of very nice caves.
The second dive followed the same path as the first one, so wasn't as interesting as it could've been.
And, unfortunately, for most of the dive, we had to fight opposing currents (except for the caves)...
A one and a half our trip to a reef out at sea; a part of the reef is protected from divers - for the dolphins
(apparently, they bring their young there). We didn't see any dolphins, though...
Two dives around and through underwater rocks; a couple of very nice caves.
The second dive followed the same path as the first one, so wasn't as interesting as it could've been.
And, unfortunately, for most of the dive, we had to fight opposing currents (except for the caves)...
Day 5 - Shaab Samadai - Dolphin House
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[MJT] At the reef
[MJT] At the reef
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[MJT] The end of the first dive...
[MJT] The end of the first dive...
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[MJT] Ok, the caves were pretty cool
[MJT] Ok, the caves were pretty cool
[MJT] And the visibility wasn't anything to sneeze at either
[MJT] And the visibility wasn't anything to sneeze at either
[MJT] Our hotel service got artistic
[MJT] Our hotel service got artistic
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This dive site is a hotel beach really.
There is nothing interesting underwater, gently sloping sandy bottom.
Except... for the sea turtles(!) - they came there to feed on the sea grass (apparently, one of the best grasses around).
The whole diving this day was devoted to turtles (there is a small wall, but not really worth mentioning).
Max. depth 4-6 meters. Marcia was completely taken by the turtles - they were wonderful.
This dive site is a hotel beach really.
There is nothing interesting underwater, gently sloping sandy bottom.
Except... for the sea turtles(!) - they came there to feed on the sea grass (apparently, one of the best grasses around).
The whole diving this day was devoted to turtles (there is a small wall, but not really worth mentioning).
Max. depth 4-6 meters. Marcia was completely taken by the turtles - they were wonderful.
Day 6 - Marsa Abu Dabbab
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[MJT] Yellowmargin triggerfish
[MJT] Yellowmargin triggerfish
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[MJT] A small group of spotted halfbeaks, just below the surface
[MJT] A small group of spotted halfbeaks, just below the surface
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[MJT] I'm lost; and I need a hug...?
[MJT] I'm lost; and I need a hug...?
[MJT] A small colony of humbug dascyllus aggregate near a coral
[MJT] A small colony of humbug dascyllus aggregate near a coral
[MJT] That lionfish found a nice hide-out!
[MJT] That lionfish found a nice hide-out!
[MJT] A crocodile in the hotel!
[MJT] A crocodile in the hotel!
[MJT] And a nice halo around the moon to see us off
[MJT] And a nice halo around the moon to see us off
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