vixtor
Contributor
I was in Hurghada between 6 and 13 october for my second time. The trip was together with a larger group of divers, but some of us (7 divers) planned from Bucharest to split for the last 2 days for a wreck trip.
Regarding the dives in the first 3 days, with the large group, there was only one very nice surprise - a dive at Fanous during which a dolphin followed us for the whole dive, playing with us and swiming with us. I have seen dolphins before, but never until now a dolphin stayed with me for 45 minutes, visibly enjoying our presence as now. It was a breath taking moment.
Before the trip we have discussed with two dive shops - Colona and Deep Blue Divers (from Sunrise Beach Resort). We decided after some e-mails to choose Deep Blue Divers over Colona because they were able to provide 15L steel tanks, even if their price was bigger. Our request was for a 2 days (1 night) trip:
- Thistlegorm (two dives)
- Rosalie Moller
- Ulysses
- Carnatic
The boat was big for us (a 12 rooms/24 beds boat, with shower/wc in each room). Very clean - the crew was basically cleaning behind our steps. Compared to the hotel (Grand Hotel), it was way better. If on shore, in Grand Hotel, having water pressure in the shower was an issue, on the boat it was a pleasure to take a shower. Food and drinks were plenty, we were never told that something was depleted. The cooking was great, with lots of fresh fish from the sea. I would have happily traded the Grand Hotel room for a week on this boat if I knew from begining.
I had the bad luck of getting some kind of sore throat or cold one day before this mini-safari, so I dived with a congested nose, but luckily I had really no issue (the ears were working better than normal). A stupid decision when judged at cold, but I would have not missed those wrecks even if I would have had to break my ear drum for it. I pumped medicines in myself, planned for a bigger SAC and enjoyed some gorgeous dives.
Thistlegorm - I knew it already. It waited us with big waves and strong currents. The first dive I don't even remember well, fighting with cold and sea sick simultaneously. But all got better after it - the sea sick went away to never return, and the nose cleared when blown at surface. The second dive was a nice tour inside the wreck, going from room to room from stern to bow almost without seeing the sunlight. My buddy - first time there - was impressed by all the jeeps and trucks, but me, knowing them already, I was looking for small details. I liked a small electrical panel with fuses the most
The DM proposed us to change the plan a little and to do a third dive at Ulysses in the first day (instead of the second day), which we accepted. Ulysses is not spectacular as a wreck itself, but the sightseeing is gorgeous. The coral reef on which it stands is huge and probably not very visited, because huge fragile corals were everywhere, unbroken by "diver" fins (as it happens in more accesible places). We saw a huge crocodile fish, and a cave with 4 lion fish and a mooray, and a turtle at the end.
We anchored in a lagoon on the Little Goubal, where we went ashore to see the sunset. We saw crabs and hermit crabs on the fine coral sand.
After a nice sleep in the lagoon, the boat left at 5AM to Rosalie. The famous Rosalie, with bad weather, strong currents and waves was waiting us with a flat, calm sea and almost no wind. I dreamed about diving the Rosalie since I first heard about it in May. It was a beautiful dive, in the darkness of the deep. Some images remained in my memory clear like pictures. I have seen a small eagle ray on the desk of the wheelhouse, a huge glass fish school with a huge potato grouper in the middle, through which I swam, inside some skeleton of a structure.. and a porthole, with the glass intact, opened and swinging slowly in the current. I remember the anchor chain that descends to the deep sea bed around it, as it was the night it sunk. I would have loved to see the huge funnel with the M mark on it still standing proudly upright, but sadly, as I have already read, it is now broken and lying between the cabins. Looking at the crow's nest of the fore mast raising above us was also beautiful. But Rosalie couldn't have let us go without taking a price for the unexpected calm visit it allowed us to enjoy. The DM touched a lion fish without seeing it, and got stung in a finger :depressed: .
From here we have moved to Carnatic, where we made at DM's proposal a 2-in-1 dive (visiting also the nearby Giannis D on the same dive). At Carnatic it was nice to see the huge masts crushed on the reef and imagining how they stood upright when it floated.
But the big unplanned surprise was Giannis D. When I first wen to Thistlegorm in the spring, we stopped on the way back near the Shadwan island to snorkel above a wreck. I never knew its name, but when I saw the command castle of Giannis I remembered it. I was at the spot that I saw in May, over which I have snorkeled without being able to dive (no tanks left). Another dream come true. It was so nice to swim up through the now vertical wheelhouse, through the funnel and inside the cabin following some stairs to a room with lots of gauges and knobs (the engine maybe?). A nice end for the trip.
I have dived a Scubapro Everflex 3mm on all these days, and in the 26-27 degrees water never felt the need for anything else. My DSS BP/W was great. Carrying the steel backplate from home was a great idea, as I used only 5kg of lead with 12L aluminium tanks and 3kg with 15L steel tanks. The LCD30 was easily vented, even though a smaller size would have been better.
Unfortunately I did not had time again to meet Samaka - we used the evenings of the first 3 days to meet with the deep blue divers staff and agree on the last details, and in the only other available night I went with my buddy to town, as he decided to buy an engagement ring and propose to his girlfriend during the mini-safari.
The trip was so full of events, that it felt too short. Too bad I could not take a 2 weeks holiday from work, it would have been better. But I hope to return again in the spring for a south-bound full 1 week safari, probably with the same guys, which provided such a pleasant trip.
Regarding the dives in the first 3 days, with the large group, there was only one very nice surprise - a dive at Fanous during which a dolphin followed us for the whole dive, playing with us and swiming with us. I have seen dolphins before, but never until now a dolphin stayed with me for 45 minutes, visibly enjoying our presence as now. It was a breath taking moment.
Before the trip we have discussed with two dive shops - Colona and Deep Blue Divers (from Sunrise Beach Resort). We decided after some e-mails to choose Deep Blue Divers over Colona because they were able to provide 15L steel tanks, even if their price was bigger. Our request was for a 2 days (1 night) trip:
- Thistlegorm (two dives)
- Rosalie Moller
- Ulysses
- Carnatic
The boat was big for us (a 12 rooms/24 beds boat, with shower/wc in each room). Very clean - the crew was basically cleaning behind our steps. Compared to the hotel (Grand Hotel), it was way better. If on shore, in Grand Hotel, having water pressure in the shower was an issue, on the boat it was a pleasure to take a shower. Food and drinks were plenty, we were never told that something was depleted. The cooking was great, with lots of fresh fish from the sea. I would have happily traded the Grand Hotel room for a week on this boat if I knew from begining.
I had the bad luck of getting some kind of sore throat or cold one day before this mini-safari, so I dived with a congested nose, but luckily I had really no issue (the ears were working better than normal). A stupid decision when judged at cold, but I would have not missed those wrecks even if I would have had to break my ear drum for it. I pumped medicines in myself, planned for a bigger SAC and enjoyed some gorgeous dives.
Thistlegorm - I knew it already. It waited us with big waves and strong currents. The first dive I don't even remember well, fighting with cold and sea sick simultaneously. But all got better after it - the sea sick went away to never return, and the nose cleared when blown at surface. The second dive was a nice tour inside the wreck, going from room to room from stern to bow almost without seeing the sunlight. My buddy - first time there - was impressed by all the jeeps and trucks, but me, knowing them already, I was looking for small details. I liked a small electrical panel with fuses the most
The DM proposed us to change the plan a little and to do a third dive at Ulysses in the first day (instead of the second day), which we accepted. Ulysses is not spectacular as a wreck itself, but the sightseeing is gorgeous. The coral reef on which it stands is huge and probably not very visited, because huge fragile corals were everywhere, unbroken by "diver" fins (as it happens in more accesible places). We saw a huge crocodile fish, and a cave with 4 lion fish and a mooray, and a turtle at the end.
We anchored in a lagoon on the Little Goubal, where we went ashore to see the sunset. We saw crabs and hermit crabs on the fine coral sand.
After a nice sleep in the lagoon, the boat left at 5AM to Rosalie. The famous Rosalie, with bad weather, strong currents and waves was waiting us with a flat, calm sea and almost no wind. I dreamed about diving the Rosalie since I first heard about it in May. It was a beautiful dive, in the darkness of the deep. Some images remained in my memory clear like pictures. I have seen a small eagle ray on the desk of the wheelhouse, a huge glass fish school with a huge potato grouper in the middle, through which I swam, inside some skeleton of a structure.. and a porthole, with the glass intact, opened and swinging slowly in the current. I remember the anchor chain that descends to the deep sea bed around it, as it was the night it sunk. I would have loved to see the huge funnel with the M mark on it still standing proudly upright, but sadly, as I have already read, it is now broken and lying between the cabins. Looking at the crow's nest of the fore mast raising above us was also beautiful. But Rosalie couldn't have let us go without taking a price for the unexpected calm visit it allowed us to enjoy. The DM touched a lion fish without seeing it, and got stung in a finger :depressed: .
From here we have moved to Carnatic, where we made at DM's proposal a 2-in-1 dive (visiting also the nearby Giannis D on the same dive). At Carnatic it was nice to see the huge masts crushed on the reef and imagining how they stood upright when it floated.
But the big unplanned surprise was Giannis D. When I first wen to Thistlegorm in the spring, we stopped on the way back near the Shadwan island to snorkel above a wreck. I never knew its name, but when I saw the command castle of Giannis I remembered it. I was at the spot that I saw in May, over which I have snorkeled without being able to dive (no tanks left). Another dream come true. It was so nice to swim up through the now vertical wheelhouse, through the funnel and inside the cabin following some stairs to a room with lots of gauges and knobs (the engine maybe?). A nice end for the trip.
I have dived a Scubapro Everflex 3mm on all these days, and in the 26-27 degrees water never felt the need for anything else. My DSS BP/W was great. Carrying the steel backplate from home was a great idea, as I used only 5kg of lead with 12L aluminium tanks and 3kg with 15L steel tanks. The LCD30 was easily vented, even though a smaller size would have been better.
Unfortunately I did not had time again to meet Samaka - we used the evenings of the first 3 days to meet with the deep blue divers staff and agree on the last details, and in the only other available night I went with my buddy to town, as he decided to buy an engagement ring and propose to his girlfriend during the mini-safari.
The trip was so full of events, that it felt too short. Too bad I could not take a 2 weeks holiday from work, it would have been better. But I hope to return again in the spring for a south-bound full 1 week safari, probably with the same guys, which provided such a pleasant trip.
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