Tag: Red Sea

Dive 259: Marsa Shouna, Red Sea (Egypt)

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Dive time: 00:57:00
Max depth: 22.3 metres
Temperature: 28 C
Visibility: 15 metres
Buddy: John North
Surface interval: 02:50:00
Mix: EAN 32

We saw a dugong!!!

We were in the second zodiac and there were already squeals from the snorkellers on the day boats of “DUGONG!!!” so we dropped in and descended beside the first group. I was about 5 metres away from it and could see clouds of sand coming up as it munched on the sea grass.

All of a sudden, the number of divers must’ve got too much and it took off to the surface with a couple of remoras attached. It was just so beautiful and graceful despite its huge bulk. We tried to swim after it but it was too fast (it was swimming so effortlessly that it looked like it was swimming slowly!). We swam around the sea grass patches hoping to see it again but no such luck. However we managed to see a few spotted sea snakes (brown with yellow spots), a couple of juvenile soles, juvenile goatfish, and some large rays.

Dive 258: Marsa Shouna, Red Sea (Egypt)

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Dive time: 01:15:00
Max depth: 19.8 metres
Temperature: 28 C
Visibility: 15 metres
Buddy: John North
Surface interval: 15:30:00
Mix: EAN 32

A really cool relaxing dive alongside the reef of Marsa Shouna.

It was pretty shallow with mostly hard corals but of fish life – schools of silvery striped mackerel swimming around with their mouths open to feed. Also saw a couple of huge hawksbills turtles, lots of pipefish, blue spotted rays, goat fish, anthias, remoras (strange looking things), butterfly fish, crocodile fish, toadfish, lion fish and a huge starry puffer.

Dive 257: Elphinstone Reef, Red Sea (Egypt)

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Dive time: 01:08:00
Max depth: 19.2 metres
Temperature: 29 C
Visibility: 20 metres
Buddy: John North
Surface interval: 03:12:00
Mix: EAN 32

A really nice relaxing dive along the western wall of Elphinstone. We dropped in on the northwestern side of the reef and drifted along with the current along the wall. The current was quite strong at the start of the dive but it slackened by the time we got to the souther plateau.

Along the way I saw a blue spotted ray, a large spotted moray eel, pretty blue triggerfish, millions of anthias (it was like swimming through an aquarium!), napoleon wrasse, and schools of black snapper.

We all did our safety stop under the boat (there was no current by now) hoping for an oceanic but no such luck!

Dive 256: Elphinstone Reef, Red Sea (Egypt)

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Dive time: 00:59:00
Max depth: 33.5 metres
Temperature: 28 C
Visibility: 20 metres
Buddy: John North
Surface interval: 02:53:00
Mix: EAN 30

A fairly uneventful dive but still nice to enjoy the reef. Saw a spotted moray, an octopus, some tuna, and beautiful blue triggerfish.

We sat out at the tip of the plateau in about 30 metres to spot sharks but, nothing! Then at the end of the dive we swam way out into the blue and hovered at around 5 metres to find some oceanic white tips but unfortunately didn’t spot anything.

Dive 255: Elphinstone Reef, Red Sea (Egypt)

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Dive time: 01:00:00
Max depth: 23.2 metres
Temperature: 28 C
Visibility: 20 metres
Buddy: John North
Surface interval: 14:41:00
Mix: EAN 25

There was a strong current alongside the reef so we dropped in on the north western point, swam over the northern point and then drifted along with the current south along the eastern side.

A really relaxing dive. No big stuff but saw schools of black snapper, fusiliers, anthias, lion fish, pipe fish, little moray eel and just nice to check out the beautiful reefs.