Red Sea Liveaboard

Northern Wrecks and Reefs

M/Y Blue Horizon, Hurghada

18/08/2017 to 25/08/2017

The Destination

The Red Sea, Egypt provides UK divers with the closest coral reefs and clear, blue water. The sea temperature in August is warm! Visibility is excellent with 20m being the norm and the variety of fish species and corals is huge (not to mention the dolphins!!). The best way to explore this diver’s playground is on a liveaboard boat, so we are chartering the M/Y Blue Horizon!

The Liveaboard

At 41 metres long with 9 cabins and 4 suits divided over two decks, M/Y Blue Horizon is Blue O Two’s flagship vessel.  There are nine comfortably appointed twin cabins plus 4 suites providing accommodation for up to 26 guests. All cabins benefit from en-suite facilities, air conditioning and in-cabin entertainment. The vessel boasts a large communal dining and saloon area with entertainment system, shaded deck area and two sun decks; there is always space to relax and enjoy the beauty of the Red Sea and there is a Jacuzzi on board!

The Package

This 1-week package offered by blue o two includes 6 days diving (3/4 dives per day, normally including 2/3 night dives) with air, 12 lt cylinders and weights; full board, shared occupancy for 7 nights on board M/Y Blue Horizon; return flights from Manchester to Hurghada and transfers to/from the boat in Hurghada. Applicable marine park fees and Egyptian Entry Visa inclusive.

The Price

Blue o Two:  £1224.00

New Horizons fee:  £80 (£40 for gold Dive Society members)

Please note, single supplement is not available on this trip. If a booking is made as a single traveller, you will be asked to share a cabin.

NITROX fills are available at additional cost, paid at the time of full payment £70 full week or £5 per fill, capped at £70.

Finally, New Horizons will provide you with a group leader. To ensure a fun and safe trip for all concerned!  Courses can be completed while on board at a discounted price, such as the Night or Drift Diving Specialties, so please ask for further details.

Included

Double or twin bed, air-conditioned, en-suite cabins.

All refreshments, with the exception of daytime meals or snacks on the final day.

A wide selection of soft drinks, teas, coffee and beer (available following your final dive of the day and at an extra charge).

Marine park fees and Egyptian Entry Visa costs.

Not Included

Transport to/from your home and Manchester airport.

NITROX fills; these are to be paid at the time of full payment at £70 for the full week.

15L cylinders; if you would like to order one at £45 for the week please make sure you let us know at the time of full payment

Itinerary

We will be flying direct to Hurghada from Manchester followed by a short bus ride to the port from which we sail. The boat will spend 6 days sailing the Red Sea for some wonderful diving and plenty of photo opportunities.  This itinerary is ideal for all levels of experience and there are only short distances between dive sites. The cruise takes in some of the very best wrecks the Red Sea has to offer including the iconic SS Thistlegorm, complete with its 2nd World War cargo, the Rosalie Moller and Abu Nahas (Known as the Ships Graveyard). And it’s not just wrecks as we shall be diving in the Ras Mohamed Marine Park, diving the Shark & Yolanda Reef, Gubal Island, and Sha’ab El Erg, famous for its Dolphin sightings!

SS. Thistlegorm – Shaab Ali Probably the most famous of the Red Sea wrecks. The 129m English Freighter was bombed by German aviation on 6th October 1941. Today she creates an artificial reef on a sandy bottom at 32m max depth. She is home to an enormous variety of marine life and is especially popular with large schooling fish.

Small Crack – Shaab Mahmoud This is a small split in the middle of Shaab Mahmoud’s barrier. Drift along the outside wall next to beautiful corals and colourful fish. Look for a sand slope that leads you up and through the crack. When the current is right you can fly through the 5m deep channel and be thrown out across the sandy lagoon! 

Gubal Island At the gate of the Straits of Gubal is ‘Bluff Point’, which gets its name from the turbulence created by strong currents that beat the eastern wall of the island. The wreck of the ‘Ulysses’ lies on the reef 300m north of the lighthouse, starting at 5m and sloping to 25m. ‘The Barge’ wreck, south of the lighthouse, provides divers with a fun and unusual night dive. The wrecks skeleton creates protection for all types of night creatures.

Abu Nuhas Also known as the ‘Ships Graveyard’, this reef is dangerously positioned close to the busy shipping lanes of the Gulf of Suez. This reef has claimed more ships than any other in the area. On the north side are four wrecks laying on a sandy seafloor at the bottom of a steep sloping reef layered with table corals. Wrecks here include the Ghiannis D, Carnatic, Tile and Lentil Wrecks. On the south side is a safe anchorage for liveaboards and two ergs, known as Yellow Fish Reef.

Shag Rock This large circular reef is often overlooked but offers excellent diving on pristine coral from any location on its perimeter.

All dive sites are subject to weather conditions and cannot be guaranteed.

To Book

To reserve your place on this trip, please complete a New Horizons Dive Centre booking form, returning the completed form (one per person) to the shop by post, email or in person, along with payment of a deposit of £122.40 per person (9 months or more in advance) or £306 (less than 9 months before departure), payable to Blue O Two (2% credit card surcharge) plus £80 per person payable to New Horizons (2% credit card surcharge).  We will provide you with confirmation of your place on the trip once we’ve received the booking form and receipt of payment.

Payments may be made by credit/debit card or online payment – please contact us for details.

The final balance will be due 12 weeks before departure.

Equipment

Equipment rental is available from New Horizons for the week. You must take all your personal dive equipment, except tank and weights. Due to the nature of the diving during this week, all divers MUST have dive computers and delayed SMBs with reels. Night dives are included in this package and to participate on these good quality torches will be required.

Diving Experience

Suitable for Open Water qualified divers and above, but Advanced Open Water Diver is recommended.  Courses, such as Advanced Open Water Diver and a wide range of Specialties can be completed while there at a discounted price; ask for more details.

Insurance

To go on this trip you must have travel and diving accident insurance. You can book your insurance with Dive Master Insurance through the New Horizons website and save 5%. Simply go to the bottom of our homepage and click on the link to Dive Master Insurance and SAVE 5% – couldn’t be easier.

The Legal Stuff

Your holiday will be booked with ATOL holder BlueOTwo, for whom we act as agents. All holiday bookings will be subject to this ATOL holder’s booking conditions, which can be found at www.blueotwo.com/Terms-and-conditions. When a booking and a holiday deposit has been received by New Horizons Dive Centre Ltd, a contract exists between you and the ATOL holder, BlueOTwo, once New Horizons Dive Centre Ltd issues a confirmation of booking. The client copy of the ATOL holder’s confirmation will be sent to you on request.

New Horizons Dive Centre Ltd will provide your own group dive and holiday leader to organise dives, provide expertise and to run courses as required. The services of this leader and the gear rental available from New Horizons Dive Centre Ltd are the responsibility of New Horizons Dive Centre Ltd and are provided under a separate contract. These arrangements will be confirmed by us.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or require further information, please contact us or call in to the dive centre.