Video of a previous Shark Week Trip

Red Sea Shark Week - 4th-11th November 2024 - Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone

C-Life invite you to this unique Shark Week itinerary. Departing from Hurghada and visiting The Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone. Minimum recommended diver qualification is PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, with Deep certification or equivalent with min 30 logged dives. Enriched Air Diver certification is an advantage to obtain nitrox onboard. The week is Tec friendly.

The aim of 'Shark Week' is to highlight the global issues facing sharks, with a Red Sea focus, as well as enjoying some of the most spectacular reefs and wrecks that the Red Sea has to offer. 

Short description

Visit some of the most famous Red Sea dive sites with biologist Dr. Elke Bojanowski and Ahmed Fadel Tech Instructor, who both manage the boat diving the Marine Parks of Brother Islands & Daedalus, Elphinstone & the St. John's plateau - all offering spectacular drop-offs with a chance for pelagic action.

While the shark sightings cannot be guaranteed, the itineraries are maximizing the chances for shark sightings in the respective season.

Join the informative presentations on shark biology, behaviour, conservation & research, given by Elke, the founder of the Red Sea Sharks Trust, experienced dive guide and shark researcher.

During this week, divers will experience pristine diving, as well as becoming involved in a fundamental study of one of the world's most unique marine habitats - the Red Sea. The week will involve close encounters with sharks, manta rays and whale sharks (although these sightings cannot be guaranteed!) with the possibility to observe them in their natural habitat and donate vital information to the study.

Founded by our expert dive guide and marine biologist, Elke Bojanowski Ph.D, in her quest to track and collect basic population data on oceanic whitetip sharks (Carcharhinus Longimanus), in the Egyptian Red Sea. Shark Specialty Courses offered on trip.

Elke began the Longimanus Project in October 2004 and since this date she has been actively collecting underwater photographs and video-clips of the Oceanic Whitetip for catalogue, review and analysis. Joining the blue o two team in 2007, Elke unifies blue o two's unique panel of expert dive guides; all offering our divers exceptional skills in scuba diving, marine studies and underwater audio-visual production.

Dates

4th-11th November 2024

• Promo Video from the Owners
• Promo Video by Oyster

M/Y Scuba Scene

Scuba Scene’s NEW luxury steel-hulled liveaboard located in the Red Sea with a SWIMMING POOL and Jacuzzi. She is 49m long, fitted to rigorous safety standards and makes a great home from home to enjoy some of the worlds best dive sites.

She is spacious, comfortable, and beautifully laid out, with a maximum capacity for 32 diving guests but limited to 28 for extra comfort. All the cabins have en-suite and no cabin is on the lower deck. This is the New Generation style Liveaboard. Two large speedboats fitted with tank racks and dive ladders make life easier for divers – no more being hauled into a rib and face planting on the dive gear.

This boat comes highly recommended for shark and pelagic lovers, TEC divers and fans of coral and wrecks – a luxury yacht, friendly crew, knowledgeable guides, and delicious buffet food.

She is also equipped with NITROX, is RE-BREATHER FRIENDLY, TEC-DIVING FRIENDLY AND PHOTOGRAPHY FRIENDLY. Offers to carry a minimum of 2-3 dive guides. Twinsets, Sidemount cylinders available to hire too. Deck Plan 

The route and time of year of this itinerary have been specifically chosen to increase your chance of diving with sharks. There will also be optional evening seminars to help you learn more about sharks in the Red Sea.

The week will offer the opportunity to

• Learn about the biology and behaviour of sharks within the Red Sea
• Learn and develop skills in marine biological studies; collecting data, species identification and analysing data
• Learn about globally endangered marine species and what we can do as divers to ensure their protection
• Enjoy fantastic diving on some of the most unique Red Sea reefs
• Experience potential close encounters with sharks, manta rays and whale sharks*

Expertly run

Shark Week is delivered by our Scuba Scene team of expert dive guides, who will conduct seminars giving divers the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the biology and behaviour of sharks within the Red Sea. There will also be a chance to learn about globally endangered marine species and what as a diver we can do to aid their protection.

Why join this itinerary

Encounters with endangered species allows divers to add a greater purpose to their Red Sea holiday, so anyone who has an active interest in the preservation of the marine environment and its inhabitants would enjoy this itinerary. However, important to bear in mind is that as well as learning from experts about marine bio-studies within the Red Sea, divers will enjoy daily diving on very special reefs; Brother Islands and Elphinstone Reefs, as well as Daedalus Reef, St. Johns, Zabagrad and Rocky Islands on allocated weeks, making this an equally enjoyable week for those just wanting to enjoy the diving.

Included

• Transfer from/to Hurghada airport
• 7-night accommodation on board
  
• All Meals & snacks on board. Dinner has four courses
• Water, soft drinks, tea & coffee (From proper coffee machine)
• Standard 12L cylinder (DIN/INT) & air fills
• Weights (& weight belts, if required)
• Marine Park & Port Fees

Not Included

• Tourist visa (to be paid on arrival at the airport)
• Nitrox fills (can be prepaid)
• Rental equipment (can be prepaid)
• Diving Courses (can be prepaid)
• Onboard merchandising
• Alcoholic beverages
• Gratuities for crew & guides (10-15% of your liveaboard price as guide, in cash any currency)
• Last day before flight home Marriot Hotel (next to Scuba Scene Mooring) day use facility in Hurghada $25

Sample itinerary

**PLEASE NOTE** the itinerary below is just an example of the route taken and the order and dive sites are not guaranteed. All dive sites are subject to weather conditions and the final route taken is at the absolute discretion of the captain and dive guides.

This sample route is based on the vessel departing from and arriving back to HURGHADA however this itinerary can also be run from and to Port Ghalib and so therefore the order of sites can vary.

Day 1 - Gota Abu Ramada x 3 - overnight sail

Day 2 - Big Brother - Numidia and Aida Wrecks

Day 3 - Small Brother

Day 4 - Daedalus

Day 5 - Elphinstone

Day 6 - Panorama/Abu Kaffan, Abu Hashish

Itinerary highlights

Big Brother: A 400 metre long island offering fabulous wreck diving and wall diving. The wreck of the Numidia lies on the northern tip between 10 and 80 metres. The north-west side of the island houses the wreck of the Aida. On every section of this reef the wall is covered with corals and life.

Little Brother: Boasts a very high concentration of life within a very small area. Fan coral forests, overhangs, hard and soft corals in a variety of astonishing colours… and of course there are plenty of fish! With regular sightings of hammerheads, thresher sharks, grey sharks and white tip reef sharks, at the right time of year.

Daedalus: This huge reef rises from the seabed in the middle of the Red Sea. Easily recognized by its zebra-striped lighthouse, this massive reef offers some of the most amazing dives in the Red Sea. The sheer walls are covered in over-grown hard coral formations and a variety of reef fish. Napoleon wrasses and turtles are often cruising by, but make sure you keep your eyes open on the blue! Daedalus is one of those places where anything can happen... oceanic white tip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, a lonesome hammerhead shark or schools of them. The excitement and the sheer size of this reef means that you can do several dives and not get bored!

Elphinstone Reef: A Red Sea legend. One of the most beautiful reefs, with its north and south plateau's covered in hard and soft corals, this truly is an awesome reef.                                           

Navigation and Safety

First Aid kit, First Aiders, Emergency Oxygen, Oxygen Administrators, Life Jackets, Life Rafts, Tag & Dive System, Tender Safety Boxes, VHF Ship to tender radios, Fire Fighting Equipment in all cabins and around boat, Engine Room Fire Control System. CCTV around the whole boat in communal areas. And night watch crew patrol the boat.

Extras and what to bring

We can offer dive insurance

• Bring Save a Dive Kit (Spare straps etc) and own small toolkit
• Your dive kit or pre-booked hire from boat
• Sun protection - cream and hats
• Summer casual clothing
• Cash in most currencies accepted, plus DD or DC

• If the amount is greater than $25 USD on Scuba Scene. Credit and debit cards will incur a processing fee. American Express is not accepted.

• $25 or equivalent for Egyptian Visa at Airport
• Exchange Rate £1 to 65LE (dated 24/9/24)
• 10LE = £0.15p, 20LE =£0.31p, 50LE =£0.77p, 100LE = £1.53, 200LE = £3.07.
• Notes for tipping Taxi, land staff, Boat Tips given at end of trip (roughly 10%) exchange Rate £1 to 65LE
• Boat Crew Tips around 10-15%
• 14% VAT is added to all onboard purchases made with cards.
• Small First Aid Kit to incl Paracetamol, Imodium, Rehydration Salts, Kwells (Even though boat will supply)
  
• Logbook and cert Cards - or print out eCerts
• Own Reusable Water Bottle/s
• Bring paperwork from list at bottom

In Hand Luggage

• Your personal medications
• Cert Cards - or print out eCerts
• Dive computers
• Rebreather LID and Loop
• Book to read on plane or download films to Mobile or laptop 
• Passport
• e-Tickets
• Credit Cards or/and Debit Cards and Free Fee Currency Card