Red Sea October 2011

Packing for any trip gives me a headache, but packing for a dive trip is even worse...How was I going to fit all my dive kit, my clothes,all the suntan creams, bottles and jars I wanted to take? And all into my 20kg baggage allowance. Excited I packed my wreck worn Cressi Frog Fins and shiny new Sunto Dive Computer and after what felt like hours,(it was only 35minutes) I was ready to go.

Off we went to the airport, I was very excited but a little apprehensive. This was to be my first and maybe last liveaboard. You see normally I am dreadfully sae sick. You may be think... why then have I chosen this type of holiday? Well the simple reason is I have never met anyone who has not had a simply fab time... So with my hand luggage briming with over with sea sick tablets I arrived at the airport.

Stuart our trip organiser arrived a little later and smiling we headed off to have our cases weighed and to check in. It was then off to the executive lounge, not that we are execs but we do love a beverage before we fly and well we are on our holidays

On arrival at Hurguarda we were met by thew efficient team of Blue O Two guides who whisked us away to the marina and our ship The Blue Fin. (Editors note I think ship should be boat?) Suitably impressed with the ship/boat outside I was very impressed with the facilities and the cabin. Spacious and true to Egyptian style my bedding was arranged in the form of Swans.

Stuart, Neil and I had noticed a bar in the marina and rather than stay onboard we headed off for a couple of hours to explore the local night life. After a couple of beers and a visit to the Dolphin Bar (mum would have called it a den of iniquity) Stuart loved the place. Back aboard we retired to bed.

Day 1

At 6am I was awake,  like a child at Christmas I could not sleep and wanted to get in the water. I was not disappointed. We did a check out dive at Fanuos, which is normally a pretty average site. However after only three minutes into the water a Dolphin arrived to greet us. The Dolphin swam with us for half an hour, playing around us unworried and happy to be the centre of attention. A great start to the holiday, wish I had taken my camera.

Unfortunately we had to wait for fuel so we did a second dive taking the Zodiacs to the west side of Fanuos. Here we saw hard and soft Coral and a juvenile Lion Fish. Happily I had taken my camera and you can see the results. A night dive finished off the day with one final finale a Spanish Dancer (a first for me) Also a first finding my way back to the boat, although I am sure Neil knew the way had I got lost.

Day 2

After a rough sail over to The Brothers we headed off into the warm aqua waters. Glad to be in the water and off the boat (those sea sick tablets do not appear to be working, oh no) We had just under an hour in the water, enjoying the profusion of fish and coral. Dive two was on the far side of Big Brother, so we had to take the Zodiacs. I was amused with the very serious safety instructions given before using the Zodiacs. They warned us that it would be very rough to get in and out of, obviously they havent been in a Rib with Peter Hall. We were more than prepared. Poor Penny had ear ache and could not dive and Neil felt poorly so Stuart and I set off for the third dive of the day which was to be Little Brother. Great dive we saw a Grey Reef Shark and a Barracuda. Again I was happy to find my way back to the boat and happy I had not bent anyone... Our night dive was a quick thirty minutes and I was glad again to find the boat and have a hot chocolate in my hand.

Day 3

Words cannot wxplain our next dive... In a three Stuart, Neil and I headed off in the Zodiac to the far side of Little Brother. Jumping into the water we were no more than four minutes into the dive when in the distance I saw what I can only describe as flying blanket. A huge Manta Ray swam towards us and just kept coming and coming until it was so close I felt I may have been able to touch him, so like a kid I put my hand out and in one graceful movement it swam away, but then it came back and awam around us for what seemed ages. A true memory to last a life time... The Brothers are certainly the place to see Sharks, we saw a number due to the sites being cleaning stations, a bonus for Shark enthusiasts.

Day 4

We were a little disappointed to be unable to go to Daedalus and Elphinstone due to the weather, however today was wreck day. The Zodiacs dropped us just over the wreck of the Aida, a cargo ship that went down in 1957 during a mooring procedure while transporting troops to Alexandria. The crew scrambled ashore leaving the Aida to slide down the side of the larger island, finally resting its stern in 60m with the bow in 20m. We swam through the engine room and down the companion ways as the photo shows.

Not far from the Aida lies an older wreck, which was our next dive. It was carrying a cargo of train wheels that scattered as the vessel sank and are now the home to a wide range of creatures. There was plenty of marine life action here, with larger fish involved in "domestics", vying for territory and surprisingly ignoring the divers completely.

The Small Brothers Island is only about 20m across, with absolutely nothing on it except a few piles of rocks. Underwater it's a different story with Crown Butterfly Fish, Royal Angel Fish, Masked Butterfly Fish and lots of Damsel Fish swimming in their usual pairs.

Day 5

Today was going to be one of the highlights of the week, a dive on the Salem Express.

The Salem Express is a big wreck that makes for a very eerie dive. You cannot help but be aware of the massive loss of life here as you swim over the lifeboats that lie on the sea bed. Somewhat surprisingly there is little in the way of coral growth considering that it has now been submerged for over a decade. The Salem Express is arguably one of the most controversial wreck dives in the Red Sea due to the tragic loss of life which occured when she sank shortly after midnight on December 15th 1991. Returning from the port of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia. Reportedly heavily overloaded with several vehicles and hundreds of pilgrims returning from their holy pilgrimage to the city of Mecca. She was nearing the end of her journey and approaching the port of Safaga from the South East. A storm had been building for some hours and was now blowing gale force when the Salem Express struck the South East part of a reef chain known as Hyndman Reef with catastrophic force. Striking the reef on her starboard side of the bow, slightly below the bow door, which not only ripped a hole in her side, but forced the entire bow door upwards. Her forward motion only served to increase the upward pressure on the door till it was fully open and forced thousands of gallons of water into her hull. It is reported that she sank fully to the seabed in 30m of water, close to the reef she struck in as little as ten minutes, where she rests today on her starboard side with her bow door gaping open.

Claiming over 1000 victims it is easy to see why so much controversy surrounds the Salem Express as a dive site. Eerie as may be the dive was a great one for me, the feeling of sadness on the site was lifted somewhat when a turtle was discovered eating soft coral from the mast.

Day 6

On the last diving day we dived a site known as the Aquarium. I know why, an easy dive with good photographic opportunities. If it moved I took its photo and in the gallery on the site you can see the results. A great end to a weeks diving.

Going Home

On the last night we decided to leave the boat and hit the town, I think Stuart wanted another look in the Dolphin Bar... We wandered around getting the feel opf the place. Penny and myself did the girly thing and went shopping, we bought some spices(although I don't know why as can't cook). We then headed of to meet our boat buddies and do the usual diving last night thing...Drink. We found a sea front bar in the new marina where thew drinks where 2 for 1 and celebrated the holiday.

I hate going home. As we sat by the pool side at the Marriot we all commented on the quality of the diving and the exceptional quality of the boat. The Blue Fin was excellent, a little disappointing we could not get to some of the sites but when all was said and done we had no complaints. The food was superb, with a varied and extensive menue being offered daily. The staff on the boat had been helpful and fun and did the sea sick tablets work? Yes they did, I survived, in fact I did more than survive I revelled in it. Thanks to Stuart, Neil and Penny for their company and laughs and finaly come on next year...

Sara

Click below to see Stuarts Video of the trip

http://youtu.be/cBvTNSxbUkA