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Travel report live-aboard Red Sea 2015 with the MY Independence II


(Rocky/Zabargard - Fury Shoals - Daedalus - Elphinstone)

 

We had thought about it long and it has once again become the longer tour, 10 days liveaboard from Port Ghalib. Unfortunately, there were again no flight options to Marsa Alam, so we had to book again through Hurghada the longer distance. While Condor offered the best flight connection timewise, the price / performance ratio has deteriorated again. At 600 euro ticket price plus 120 euros for the diving equipment now just 20g salt pastries, coffee / tea and mineral water are offered an incredible price on this route.

We reached the ship at some point in the evening, and got our prebooked cabin #9 on the upper deck, one of the largest on board, but with two stumbling blocks to which one only had to get used to. The evening passed quickly with the usual paperwork and the first briefing. Dive guides were Annika and Fadlalah, Björn joined the team as a "trainee". The ship was fully booked with 20 divers.

 

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The tour started next morning 8 o clock, the Checkdive took place at Shaab Marsa Alam where we experienced the first highlight with dolphins during the dive. They should accompany us throughout the tour in unusually large number at most dive sites.

After the second dive of the first day (Shaab Sharm) the long crossing to Rocky Iceland followed, with (this time a little later) the first early morning dive. Again, we saw a large pod of dolphins while diving. The wind was unusually strong for August; the water temperature was 29 °, which, unfortunately, also affected any big fish sightings. Rocky was therefore left in the afternoon of the 3rd day of diving, going to Zabargad where we made 2 dives, one of them made at dusk.

 

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In the evening there was a new crossing in the direction of Fury Shoals, on the 4th day, there were two very interesting dives at Shaab Sataya (our very first frogfish in the Red Sea was sitting there on a small rock) and the possibility in the lagoon to snorkel. However, the resident dolphins could hardly look, no wonder, with the hordes of snorkelers who rushed into the water here. It was again very frustrating to see how this bay has become a fairground.

Gotha Sataya, the dive site for the afternoon dive, here there was also a night dive, which however was very disappointing again. Besides feather-stars there was not a lot to discover.

On the next day (5) we then dived successively Malahi and Shaab Claudio. In our opinion Malahi belongs to one of the absolute top dive sites in the Red Sea, the play of light in the usually open cave passages is unique. Also Claudio was very interesting again; Annika took us on her special tour through the maze. Unfortunately, a night dive due to the wind conditions here was not possible, we changed therefore to Abu Galawa Kebir, here at last the longed-for Spanish dancer was found.

Day 6 we spent exclusively on Shaab Maksour. In quite different current conditions we saw several of Napoleon, barracuda, for the first time a mangrove stingray and a manta ray in the flyby. The sharks were also unwilling at this site to show up.

The journey now went back north to the expected highlight Abu Kizan, the Daedalus Reef. The hammerheads were reliably seen in almost every dive (though far below), the school is fortunately become larger again. Unfortunately, the Mantas have not shown up here this year, but fortunately, this reef also still has a lot of other interesting things, so that in the three days boredom has come up. One does not experience hammerheads beyond 30Meter border every day while chasing up dolphins on the surface.

The last day of the tour as usual ended with a rather unspectacular visit to Elphinstone Reef. For the friends of the seagrass bottom we went to Shaab Shona at the end again after.

Once again a very successful Red Sea Safari with a proven team, a big compliment at this point goes to Annika and Fadlalah for professional care. Also Felix and his kitchen team have outdone themselves again, the Antinal® consumption on this trip was quite unusual.

Thanks to Blue Water Safaris, we will recommend you again.

 

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