Egypt is the cradle of civilization and is bordered by Libya, Sudan and the Gaza Strip. The scuba diving mecca called the Red Sea forms a natural geological border from Saudi Arabia. So, hunter/gatherers roamed this region until milling grain became the dominant way of life some 10,000 years ago. The first major recorded expedition of the Red Sea was 4,500 years ago. The Red Sea was at one time the preferred trade route between Rome and India. Since that time, many ships and small boats sank beneath the waves. The deepest part of the Red Sea Rift is 9,970ft deep. The rift in the middle of the Red Sea is widening and has created several currently dormant volcanoes. So, this is one of the warmest and saltiest seas in the world. In addition, the currents are quite minimal. Enjoy our blog article on
110.000 Reasons to Go Liveaboard.
Diving Egypt and the Red Sea
The Red Sea has reefs, pinnacles, walls, coral caves, and atolls to explore. There are over 1000 species of fish and 44 species of sharks. More than 150 species of hard and soft corals are just off Egypt's eastern shores. In addition, they have 175 species of nudibranchs. Lobsters like to hide in reef crevices and Dugongs prefer the southern sand and sea grass beds. Out at
Brother Islands, you may view spectacular soft coral colored walls, hammerheads, silver tips, oceanic white tips, and thresher sharks. During the Islands of the Stream excursions, you might visit
St Johns, Rocky Island, the famous
Elphistone walls,
Dolphin Reef, and/or
Marsa Alam.
Out of the thousands of wrecks in the Red Sea, the WWII
Thistlegorm is the most popular wreck with divers. The 1869
Carnactic, the 1881 Shag Rock wreck, and the 1876 Victorian steamer
Dunraven are also very popular. You really need to take two different liveaboard scuba diving trips to see both the highlights of the northern Red Sea and the highlights of the southern Egypt waters.
Accommodations, Attractions, Activities
There are many hotels and boutique resorts in Egypt to stay at before and after your liveaboard adventure. Furthermore, you may wish to stay at other hotels and resorts while sightseeing and taking land-based excursions. Egypt has sights to visit dating back to the beginning of hieroglyphically written time. There are 118 pyramids to date to visit. You can also visit temples or the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities. At the museum you can view a bust of Akhenaten: the first Pharaoh to believe in one god. Moreover, you can view the gold mask of Tutankhamun; Akhenaten's son whose burial chamber was hidden under a stream bed in the Valley of the Kings. You can also tour vast desserts and/or find an oasis, or ride a camel. Oh, and there are beaches.
