Red Sea Over Dived or What !!

[300bar]

Just to add my 2cts.

This thread was put to rest in dec.2000 untill it was revived in jan.this year.:shocked2:

In that time lots of things changed for the better in the Red Sea.
I did my first dive in Hurghada in 1988.:cool2: In those day's it was commen for a diveboat to throw their anchor on top of the reef and when they left they just backed up full power. So yes major damage has been done to the reef in those day's.
In the mid 90's I guess divers started to realize what was happening and started complaining to the boat crews and the first moaring bouys where placed.(The big Scubapro ones.) but the lines where stolen by local fisherman,so the anchoring started all over.And the divers started to complain again or even stayed away.
Then HEPCA saw the light/came to be and started the moaring project all over again and ever since then,the corals came back.
I've been to the Red Sea some 25 times and saw the damage but also the return of the beauty.
But most important for the divers is indeed to find a good dive op. who knows it's way around and will take you to the better spots.As Samaka said,"stay away from the most southern side of the reefs and you'll have a great dive.

 

[samaka]

Another god example of recovering coral growth is Carless reef. The area including Carless, Um Gammar and Shabrouhr Um Gammar badly damaged by Crown of Thorn Acanthaster planci, worst damage was done to Carless Reef. This of coourse is a natural event that happens to the reefs regularly.

When I arrived in Hurghada 1999 the dive on the reef was more or less in black and white. Many Dive Magazines has written about this classic Red Sea reef for its spectacular beauty and its semi-tame moray eels so a lot of divers had only one request when they came in to register in the Dive Centre: "We want to go to Carless". Now all of a sudden the dive site went from world class to Crap almost over night. Naturally the Dive Operators was more and more unwilling to go there partly because the dive was no good but also because the location of the site is very exposed to weather and wind. This meant that the reef was left to alone for some years and over the next coming years nobody really notised what went on out there.

During this time I was back to Carless from time to time as I passed the reef with the liveaboard. I have to say I was plesently surprised every time I dove the reef by how fast it recovered. Quickest back was of course the soft corals but also the hard corals looked better and better every time. Now Carless is again a beautiful and popular dive site. The moray eels are still very friendly and easily choreographed for under water photografers. About 10 years from fully destroyed to fairly good recovered... That's good huh?

.......a.......
Red Sea Expert ;o)
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