Sudan experience

[ScubaTasha]

I'm thinking about a liveaboard in Sudan over Easter. I've done a fair bit of liveaboard diving including Maldives, Great Barrier Reef, and Egypt (brothers etc). Does Sudan diving compete with these?
I've hear conflicting reports: one the one side bleached coral, and on the other abundant sea life and remote, exploratory diving. Anyone got experience?

 

[ocdiver1]

I did the Sherazade Oct 2011 and was fairly disappointed with the trip. I've dove all the other places you mention, and I'd say my trip was only on par perhaps with diving other areas of the Red Sea further north...really nothing special, contrary to the some of the things I'd read/heard about diving Sudan that you had also mentioned. The coral was not in good shape (we were told there was a significant bleaching event several years ago) and we didn't encounter particularly large schools of fish or really any pelagics to speak of. With all this said, I did do a northern itinerary that didn't go a great distance away from Port Sudan--perhaps one that went much further south would give me a different opinion. I was also told the time of year I went was off season for the best chance at shark sightings..you're talking about going at a different time than I went. It was also true that we were always the only divers at any site, and I don't recall even running into another dive boat. When you combine it with an expensive flight from Cairo and the price of a Sudanese visa, I don't think it'd be a trip I'd make again...I just didnt find it that different that diving further north in the Red Sea I didn't hate the trip, I just didn't find it to be anything special. If you are looking at the Sherazade, it's a nice boat and and a well-run operation and I would recommend them. If you take the Royal Evolution I think they leave from Marsa Alam so you can save the expensive flight cost into Port Sudan.

 

[Solly]

it all depends on the time of the year you are in, the crew who should know where to find the stuff and of course your personal luck to see or not see something...
saying that, from feedbacks I got from friends who dove sudan what I was advised is that the north itenry is better than the south and you should expect schools of pelagics.

 

[ScubaTasha]

Thanks guys. Was thinking about MY Andromeda or Don Questo. Are the wrecks in Sudan worth going for if the coral isn't great? I was planning to go in the first week of April - is this a good time? I'm worried that I've been spoilt doing a liveaboard in the Great Barrier Reef and no coral or fish will ever really be able to impress me again!

 

[Solly]

Andromeda is a super choice, early April should be in season ... hope you enjoy it

 

[Meanpony]

I just got back from a 2 week trip with Royal Evolution (29 March - 11 April), departing from Port Ghaleb in Egypt. The boat sails to Port Sudan and moves back up north, passing the Umbria wreck, Sanganeb, Shaab Rumi etc. Last dives were in Egypt, St, Johns. It takes about 1 day to sail back to Port Ghaleb.
Great boat, nicely decorated and well maintained. There's room for 20 passengers and we were with 16, so plenty of room to move around. Dive deck is spacious and organised. Lounge and dining room is kept clean throughout the day. Unlimited hot showers in your bathroom, which was very nice because it really was not that hot yet in April.
Crew is very helpful. We had 1 diver diving with a rebreather and 1 diver with a disability; both were looked after continously.
Great food, including wine for dinner. Fresh fruit after every dive and hot snacks in the afternoon. Crew dispenses hot chocolat after each night dive. Towel change every 2 days and you get a chocolat on your pillow.
We did in total 40 dives, including 7 night dives. Morning call at 05.30 and night dive starts at 18.30. It's pretty intense, but that's what we were looking for so no complaints here.
As for the quality of the dives: we saw almost at every dive hammeheads, white tips, grey reefs, rays (no manta's) and turtles. No lack of the usual reef fishes and macro. I'm no fish expert fish but other very experienced divers on board were happy with the offering each day. We also saw dolphins on a few occasions during the day swimming next to the boat, bit none when we were in the water. Coral is in good condition, in fact the further south we got the better they looked. Nitrox is a must because of the deep plateau dives.
We moored next to the Sherazade and Andromeda on 2 dives and once next to an unknown boat. So I cannot say we didn't see any other boats at all. But the frequency is much, much lower that anything in Egypt, even on the Egypt Deep South route. I can only say that the Sherazade looked a bit tired and the Andromeda looked very similar to Royal Evolution.
I would definitely recommend this Sudan trip. During my trip there was 1 German couple for whom this was the 3rd time with Royal Evolution in Sudan.
FYI: Royal Evolution also visits Sudan Deep South, so moving towards the border with Eritrea and back up north. It would be intersting to compare the 2 areas in Sudan.

 

[Christian]

I'm thinking about a liveaboard in Sudan over Easter. I've done a fair bit of liveaboard diving including Maldives, Great Barrier Reef, and Egypt (brothers etc). Does Sudan diving compete with these?
I've hear conflicting reports: one the one side bleached coral, and on the other abundant sea life and remote, exploratory diving. Anyone got experience?

I've been on a few Easter trips, but it was a long time ago (thanks for reminding me to go back). Lots of sharks on Sanganeb and Sha'ab Rumi (which is near Port Sudan) as well as on Angarosh in the North. Big schools of barracuda, trevally and bumphead parrotfish. It might be different now?

My first trip to Sudan was during summer (21 days in June/July 1999) and we didn't have the same numbers of sharks or schooling fish as in the 3 spring trips that I made after that. The sea temperature jumps up in April and the reefs go nuts, like RasMo in July. Coral was very healthy back then though.

Also went south to the reefs around Hindi Gider, Protector and Sh'ab Jibna in one March-trip. In that particular safari they weren't as good as Sanganeb North or Sha'ab Rumi South, but the best diving in the Suakins are even further south.
I've been to Egypt many times (Brothers, Dedalus, Rocky Island, Zabargad, Elphinstone ...) and it is fantastic diving most of the time, but inme Sudan is wilder and much "better". More variety, numbers and sizes of fish. Viz is perhaps generally better in Egypt and the soft coral on Brothers are unmatched in my book. When I compare it to diving elsewhere in the tropics (Thailand, Maldives, Malaysia, Indonesia, Tanzania, Moçambique, Carribean) it's probably the best over all diving I've done.

Good luck