Brothers (Marsa Alam): All the Brothers and Elphinstone (departure from Marsa Alam)
This cruise focuses on the magnificent marine
Park the Brothers (with Big Brothers
and Small Brothers) which is laying
at the borders of the deep waters of the Red Sea, more or
less at the same latitude of El Queseir.
The Brother Islands are the pinnacles of two undersea mountains
rising from the depths of the abyss 300m deep and are located
about 60 miles offshore. Big Brother, which is easily identified
with it's lighthouse, is about 100 metres across and 400 metres
in length, with two extremities to the east and west. Little
Brother lies about 800 metres east of Big Brother.
As part of the Marine Park Islands National Park, these islands
offer stunning wall diving and a breath-taking display of
colour with their rich variety of soft corals and gorgonians
which cover the walls. You will find large and small fish
here in abundance; tuna, barracuda, shoals of snappers and
jack fish, as well a hammerheads, silky and oceanic white
tip sharks, even the occasional thresher shark and manta ray.
Sightings of the Grey Reef Shark are almost guaranteed on
the North and South Plateaux of Small Brother.
The first day of this cruise, except for
security check dives, is used to sail from Port Ghaleb to
the marine park (it is recommend to leave on Saturday evening
to use the night to sail). We will stay at least four days
in the marine park to explore Big and Little Brother as it
should be done. The last one or two days, by coming back to
Marsa Alam, dives are planned in the also beautiful Elphinstone
and Abu Dahab.
Note: Egyptian Law request a minimum of 50 logged dives and night dives are not
permitted in the Marine Park area. All dive sites are subject to weather conditions.
Dive sites Brothers (Marsa Alam) tour
Big Brother
Big Brother, the northerly of the two island has a small lighthouse. It has two
wrecks laying on its walls. The Aida II an Italian ship which was carrying troops
one night in 1957 when it hit Big Brother. A large wreck with much intact superstructure,
its shallowest point is at 15 m and ends below 45m. There are other older wrecks
scattered at depths between 9 and 40 meters The famous Numidia is to find in the
Northern tip of the Island. Often there is a strong current running straight onto
the wreck. The wreck starts at a depth of 8m, she lies on the steep drop-off at
an almost vertical angle and the soft coral covers it nicely until 55m. The stern
is raised and provides a nice rounded poop deck below which the large propeller
is found at a depth of about 80m.
There is of course also excellent wall diving all along the southern side of the
reef with strong currents promoting the growth of a spectacular forest of soft
corals. Frequent sightings of big pelagic and an astonishing variety of marine
life.
Small Brother
This island is the smaller of the two as the name implies. At the north end is
a long tongue of reef that extends seaward and in good weather it is possible
to drop in here and drift. The current runs east west and here sharks may be seen
cruising. On the south east side is a superb fan coral forest but it is deep and
starts at 35m, there are also plenty of caves, overhangs, black coral, and lots
of pelagics including sharks, tuna, barracuda, turtles and schools of reef fish.
As you round the southern corner the slope gives way to a vertical wall where
you can catch a glimpse of a silver tip shark. In summer thresher sharks are seen
here, in October grey reef sharks gather to mate and divers have also reported
schooling hammerheads and groups of sailfish in this area. Before you know it
your computer will tell you it time to head back to the boat having had the most
spectacular diving.
Abu Dahab
Abu Dahab is a collection of 7 reefs offering sheltered diving, suitable for night
dives (to see sleeping turtles and Spanish dancers). It gives you the opportunity
to explore a wreck of a boat which sank in July 2003 together with large mounds
of boulder and mountain corals, rose and salad corals with different fish species
hiding in and underneath its midst and giant clams. You will also have a good
chance of seeing white tip reef shark together with nice swim-throughs and caves.
However, the major attraction is ‘Dennis’ Dugong, with a bit of luck,
hanging around in the sea-grass area.
Elphinstone
Elphinstone Reef, with its sheer walls plunging into the blue, is one of the most
beautiful reefs in the Red Sea. It is richly decorated with soft and black corals,
sponges, gorgonians and fans. Sharks often swim over the plateaus at the North
and south of the reef. The east and west walls offer an excellent drift dive.
Frequent sightings of Hammerheads and Oceanic White Tip sharks.
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