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Boat safaris
Shore diving is the norm in Dahab
but we offer some special boat safaris from Dahab. Also, we have our own
27 meter dive boat based in Sharm-el-Sheikh and offer a number of regular
boat safaris as well as private “Liveaboard” trips.
Listed here are the most popular boat safaris. For groups who wish to arrange their own custom planned safaris we offer liveaboards for 3 to 14 days. Please contact us with group size and preferred itinery for a quotation.
SS Thistlegorm and Ras Mohammed
This is, quite rightly, the most popular day trip by boat from Sharm, the Thistlegorm is one of the most famous wrecks in the world and Ras Mohammed offers some of the best marine life anywhere in the red sea.
Thistlegorm
Sunk in 1941 the Thistlegorm was “lost” until 1955 whenshe was rediscovered by Jacques Cousteau on one of his early explorations of the red sea. She was then “lost” again and only discovered again in 1992 to become the diving attraction she is today.
The
Thistlegorm is a British Second World War supply ship that was sitting
at anchor awaiting instructions to pass through the Suez Canal and supply
the British troops in North Africa . She never made it, German long range
bombers out of Crete were patrolling the area and spotting a large ship they
released their bombs, one scoring a direct hit on the munitions hold, blowing the ship in two, sinking her instantly and killing 9 of the crew. She now sits upright at
a maximum bottom depth of 31 meters with her cargo largely intact.
The wreck is normally done over two dives.
The first is around the outside of the wreck where you will see the mighty flanks of the 126 meter ship. The stern was blown off the main body of the wreck and sits at a 45% angle, looking up you can see the unmistakable shape of the ships, ultimately useless, guns. The current normally runs bow to stern and large groupers are often to be found near the prop. Venturing over the debris of the impact area look out for the two upturned Bren-gun carriers and lots of Wellington boots. Up to the deck area we find many fish, locomotive rolling stock and the Thistlegorms huge winches which dive boats use for tying on to.
On the second dive we explore the inside of the wreck, your guide will take you through the holds to see the Thistlegorms cargo of BSA motorcycles, trucks, munitions and assorted spare parts. Back on the deck area lookout for schools of Bat-fish, large Napoleon Wrasse and even the occasional shark.
A fantastic dive site for wreck addicts and fish lovers alike.
Diving here is not especially difficult but due to the depth of the dives and as there is often a strong current, divers need to be experienced and hold a minimum of advanced open water certification.
This safari is normally done as an overnight trip from Dahab and combined with a 3rd dive at Ras Mohammed.
Ras Mohammed
Ras Mohammed lies at the southern tip of the Sinai peninsular where the northern red sea splits into the gulf of Suez to the west and the gulf of Aqaba to the east. Its unique position means it experiences strong currents which bring the nutrients which are responsible for the extraordinary
richness of marine life found here. Above the
water Ras Mohammed National Park is just as unique with its dunes, fossilised reefs and even a mangrove forest.
There are many sites here which offer fantastic diving but the most popular is Shark to Yolanda reef.
The dive begins with a giant stride entry from the boat at Shark reef. You find yourself on a wall which drops off to 800 meters, watch your depth! you can swim either north or south around the reef depending or the prevailing current. There is actually a very good chance of seeing sharks here, especially in the summer months. Even if there are no sharks on your visit the life here is amazingly abundant with large schools of Barracuda, Jackfish, Batfish and Snapper.
Coming round Shark reef you head over the shallow lagoon towards Yolanda reef. Common sittings here are giant Morays, Turtles, massive Napoleon wrasse (2 meters or more) and varieties of Ray.
Yolanda reef is named after the wreck of the Yolanda, a Greek cargo vessel that sank in 1985. The main body of the wreck dropped into the depths a few years later (it has recently been re-discovered by a British Tec diving team at around 160 meters). What remains is the ships cargo of toilets and bathtubs which add a surreal feel to this site. The corals here are stunning and amazingly colourful, these, combined with the richness of fish life makes Shark to Yolanda many peoples favourite dive site.
You surface at the back of Yolanda reef where the boat will be waiting to pick you up.
Ras Mohammed is either done in combination with the Thistlegorm or as a day trip in its own right.
Straits of Tiran
A very popular day trip from Sharm and a must for any live-aboard itinerary is diving at the Straits of Tiran. Just one hours sailing brings us to the reefs called, from south to north, Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse and Jackson, named after the 19 th century English cartographers who first mapped the region... The reefs are strung across the entrance to the gulf of Aqaba and almost completely close the gulfs access to the red sea proper. 
Only two narrow passages afford access, the Enterprise passage to the west and the Grafton passage to the east. These narrow passages coupled with the relatively shallow sea floor which is only about 360 meters compared with depths of 1800 meters just to the north and south force the tidal water into powerful currents which bring the nutrients that in turn attract the fish and large pelagic species which prey on them.
The diving here is fantastic all year round but the best chances of seeing top predators such as Hammerheads and Tiger sharks come in the summer months, other sharks such as Whitetips and Grey reef sharks are also common.
Your crew will decide which sites to dive on the day, determined by wind and the currents which can be very strong. The nature of the dives at Tiran means that this trip is only really suitable for experienced, advanced divers.
Red Sea Wrecks
This 3 day safari is a must not just for wreck lovers but lovers of marine life as well. Due to the nature of some of these dives this trip is only suitable for experienced, advanced divers and some dives are only for those with extended range or technical diving qualifications. The itinerary is flexible and depends on weather conditions.
Among the wrecks visited are;
- SS Thistlegorm
- Rosalie Moller
- Dunraven
- Ghiannis D
- Christola K
- Carnatic
Other Sites;
- Ras Mohammed
- Gubal Island
- Abu Nuhas
- Tiran
If you have a private group of 10 or more divers we can customise this trip to suit your preferences. Contact us for more information.
Gabr-el-Bint
The one dive site in Dahab that is often reached by boat, the only other way to reach it is by camel safari.
We leave at early for the one hour voyage to the site whose name literally means “Tomb of the Girl”. Being less accessible than other sites means that this area is still largely in pristine condition. 
The main features of this area are splendid corals, especially some impressive Gorgonian fans on the deep reef wall and beautiful formations in the shallow lagoon. All the varieties of fish found around Dahab are found here, along with sightings of less common visitors such as Manta rays, the occasional Dolphin and even Whale Sharks.
Depending on conditions, the boat safari is now sometimes extended to take in other sites further south which have only just been discovered and are truly untouched by human fin.