Red Sea Report - Click here for images

Wednesday, April 23rd

Flight TOM3061 at 11:00am from London Gatwick to Marsa Alam kick-started our 2008 trip to the Red Sea.  Our aircraft had previously been deployed in a study on the relationship between leg room (or lack thereof) and deep vein thrombosis.  Unfortunately someone forgot to put the seats back correctly before our flight.  The in-flight movie (”Enchanted”) only added to the discomfort.  After a gruelling five and a half hours in the air, we finally touched down in Marsa Alam.  We were quickly through immigration and onto the coach for the short trip to Port Ghalib and the Grand Sea Serpent liveaboard.  Cairo Sam, one of the Sea Serpent’s two Divemasters, welcomed us onboard.  After a short orientation, some form filling and sorting out of dive gear, we finally sat down to dinner.  Evening entertainment was provided by two clowns and a JCB.

Thursday, April 24th

At 0900 we departed Marsa Alam and headed for the nearby Um El Russ dive site.  At this stage, Cairo Sam had been joined by Ahmed from Alexandria - Grand Sea Serpent’s other Divemaster.  A short dive briefing preceded our dive at 11:00am which was relatively shallow and provided an opportunity to check buoyancy and weighting.  Sam was fine but Ahmed was positively buoyant and needed a little extra weight.  Needless to say, the visibility on the dive was perfect, the water temperature was 23C and the coral as colourful as ever.  Marine life on view included a Taeniura Lymma.  After lunch we set off for the four-hour trip to Little Brother and once moored we did our first negative entry, RIB dive of the trip where we spotted a number of Cheilinus Undulatus, numerous Fistularia Commersonii and a brace of Carcharhinus Amblyrhynchos.   

Friday, April 25th

Our wake-up call at 06:00am preceded a dive briefing and the dive itself on Little Brother - all of which were completed prior to 08:00am!!!  Our second dive briefing was 10% briefing and 90% Hamley’s Toy Store demonstration.  Are we contractually obliged to visit Hamley’s prior to each Red Sea trip?  On the dive itself, the lucky few spotted a Manta Birostris.  A further two dives took place on Little Brother before we upped anchor and motored over to its nearby, more mature sibling, Big Brother. 

Saturday, April 26th

Our early morning dive was a RIB entry onto the wreck of the “Numidia” which ran aground in 1901 while transporting railway cars to the Far East via the Suez canal.  Built in 1901, the Numidia was 134.4m in length and 16.7m wide.  At about 02:00am on July 20th, 1901, she ran aground on Big Brother…just below the lighthouse.  On this dive, all PSAC members observed the strict rule regarding an absolute maximum depth of 40m.  Towards the end of the dive a Sphyrna Lewini was spotted.  We had a further two RIB dives at this location with most divers returning to the Sea Serpent along the stern line.  No trip to the Red Sea would be complete without a “Leap From The Liveaboard” and 2008 was no different in this regard.  Mark’s reverse 1.5 somersault with 3.5 twists was a particularly graceful affair.  As a special treat a trip to Big Brother Island was organised to afford us an opportunity to stretch our legs and enjoy a rare glimpse of this jewel of the Red sea.  The island, which measures a mere 400m X 90m houses a Victorian stone lighthouse - a legacy of English rule - and is also home to a small Egyptian army garrison.  The Bard himself would have difficulty conjuring the words to describe the sublime beauty of this tranquil idyll.  As we alighted at the garland-bedecked jetty, we were met by the scent of citrus carried on the warm April breeze from one of the island’s many lemon groves.  A number of off-duty soldiers bid us a courteous welcome before returning to their chore of pruning the island’s numerous fig trees.  As we entered the main garrison we were enthralled by the beauty of its garden.  Its lawn was a verdant oasis bordered on all sides by a multitude of colourful and fragrant plants and shrubs.  The garden walls were tastefully decorated with a number of intricate frescoes tracing Egypt’s rich history from the time of the Pharaohs.  And the entire melange was complimented by a number of tasteful water features spread throughout the garden.  Our arrival on the island was timed perfectly for the “Changing of the Guard” ceremony which entailed an intricate combination of drills performed by a company of soldiers in dress uniform.  It was with heavy hearts we returned to the jetty for the short RIB journey back to the drab, colourless Sea Serpent.     

Sunday, April 27th

It was a case of life imitating art on Sunday morning as our movie choice of the previous evening (”The Perfect Storm”) was played out at The Brothers with heavy seas and high easterly winds.  We skipped the early morning dive and after breakfast motored south towards Marsa Alam.  The six hour trip was punctuated with pizzas on deck and a little dolphin spotting at the bow.  At 1700 we arrived at Abu Dabbab and undertook the first night dive of the trip.

Monday, April 28th

The liveaboard had motored to Elphinstone for the early morning dive in extremly heavy waters.  Such was the swell we abandoned the RIBs and swam to the dive platform after the dive.  After another dive and lunch we motored to Abu Something Or Other for our final night dive.

Tuesday, April 29th

After two dives we motored back to Port Ghalib, bid farewell to the Sea Serpent and checked in at our hotel.  We had a few hours chilling by the pool before dinner and the Champions League semi-final between Man U and Barcelona. 

Wednesday, April 30th

We had another few hours of relaxing by the pool before we departed at 4:00pm for Marsal Alam airport and the 7:00pm flight to Gatwick.

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