Travel

Just out of Hurghada, the dive site of Fanous East offered a great first taste of what was to come
 

As first-time visitors to the Egyptian Red Sea, we’d have to say there is something undeniably magical here. Maybe it’s the clarity of the water, the Technicolor coral blooms, or the friendly spinner dolphins. Whatever the reason, we now understand why the Red Sea has earned its rightful place in the hearts of scuba divers across the globe.

Diving here is like a rhapsody. As we descend, the reef reveals its living symphony—a sensory overture. Although somewhat silent to the ears, it is overwhelming to the eyes. One minute, we are exploring delicate coral gardens, and the next, we’re finning into the blue to glimpse a thresher shark ghost past.

While the day boats from Hurghada can offer you a taste of the area, to truly experience Red Sea diving, you must visit by liveaboard. Enter Blue Horizon, one of two sleek flagship vessels of Master Liveaboards’ Egyptian fleet. With routes to the famous Brothers Islands, Daedalus Reef, Elphinstone, and the mystical Deep South, we have access to some of the Red Sea’s greatest hits.
 

These vibrant red anemones adorn both steep reef walls and the tops of pinnacles at many of the Red Sea’s dive sites
 

Exploring the wreck of the “Tien Hsing” at the Abu Galawa Kebir dive site
 

Light dazzles across the white sandy sea floor at the cave system of Gota Kebir in the Deep South

Welcome Aboard the Blue Horizon

At 135 feet (41 meters) and catering to 26 guests, Blue Horizon is more floating dive lodge than it is boat. Refitted in 2024, the vessel features spacious twin and double air-conditioned cabins all with en-suite bathrooms. Communal areas include a large indoor salon, shaded sundeck, sky deck, and even a welcome hot tub. Believe it or not, it can get cold here!

Nitrox is available, and also highly recommended, as some of the dives can be a little deep. The crew is a mix of professional, cheeky charm and supernatural powers to anticipate when you need help with something that even you didn’t realize you needed help with! Buffet-style meals fit for a pharaoh are served three times daily and include a fabulous mix of meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes—alongside mouthwatering Egyptian classics.
 

Master Liveaboards’ flagship vessel Blue Horizon at Daedalus Reef
 

Blue Horizon’s appropriately blue-themed Premium Double Cabin
 

Diving on the Blue Horizon is done by both Zodiac and directly from the dive platform, offering divers a number of ways to dive the area, depending on the sea conditions
 

The Brothers Islands: Dive Wild

Following a check dive at the gorgeous Fanous East, we sailed overnight from Hurghada to the famous Brothers Islands. Located roughly 87 miles (140 kilometers) south of Hurghada and accessible only by liveaboard, the Brothers are part of a protected marine reserve. Rising dramatically from the deep waters of the Red Sea, these islands—Big Brother and Little Brother—are among the Red Sea’s most popular diving areas. Standing sentinel by Big Brother Island is a striking 19th-century lighthouse. Built by the British in 1883, it was a welcome landmark after our overnight sail, and a reminder of the area’s history and its isolation.

What the Brothers lack in size, they more than make up for in exhilarating dives. Beneath the surface, both islands are surrounded by steep walls and plateaus covered in kaleidoscopic corals and sponges. These nutrient-rich waters attract clouds of cheery Anthias and provide an ethereal underwater scene for photographers.
 

On the walls of Little Brother, you will find a labyrinth of soft corals teeming with color and life
 

If you’ve never dropped into the blue and waited for hammerheads to emerge from the deep, Little Brother is your chance. It can be a little exploratory, but thrilling, even if (like for us) they only appeared briefly in the distant blue. We were, however, rewarded with a shy thresher shark that ghosted up from the depths. Although just a fleeting glimpse, it was beautiful all the same. Thresher shark sightings are more common in the early morning hours, especially on the eastern side of the island.

Depending on your dive experience, and if the conditions are right, on the western side of Big Brother, you may have the opportunity to dive two impressive wrecks. Despite the lighthouse’s warnings, the Numidia, a large cargo ship sank here in 1901, and the smaller wreck of the Aida, a lighthouse authority supply vessel, was also sent to its grave during a storm in 1957. Both can be dived in optimal conditions.

Due to the exposed nature of the Brothers, diving here can be demanding. Strong and changing currents, drop-offs, and deep dives are the norm and are therefore best suited to divers with solid diving experience. It is important to be nimble and open-minded to improvise your dive plan, and to be confident in the blue if sharks are your mission.
 

Whats for lunch? “Green sea salad with a side of sand” for this green sea turtle, it seems!

Daedalus Reef: Remote and Raw

More than 186 miles (300 kilometres) south of Hurghada, the isolated marine park of Daedalus Reef seems to materialize out of nowhere. Marked by its unmistakable zebra-striped lighthouse, it is truly unforgettable. The sheer size of this reef means that you can do several dives here—depending on the conditions, of course.

Drop into the blue off the northern plateau, hover at 80 feet, and wait. If you’re lucky, you may spot scalloped hammerheads in formation; visit in October or November for the highest chance. Manta rays also occasionally make a surprise cameo.

Back on the reef wall, soft corals teem with life. Schools of Anthias boogie in the current, and carpets of anemones and their resident anemonefish blanket large areas of the wall.
 

Anemones with their residents blanket the steep wall at Daedalus Reef
 

A reef manta makes a cameo appearance at Daedalus Reef

Elphinstone Reef: Where Walls Meet Sharks

This isolated, long, finger-shaped reef lies in open ocean seven miles (12 kilometres) offshore between Port Ghalib and Marsa Alam. Due to its exposed nature, diving here requires optimal sea conditions and good planning. Elphinstone Reef is considered the domain of the oceanic whitetip shark. They have been the main act here for many years, often patrolling the southern plateau with interest and curiosity and making brazen passes in the shallows—often at the end of your dive.

As ambush predators, the oceanic whitetip prefers to approach prey nearer to the surface. So we are briefed to stay lower than the shark, calm, and vertical in the water column to appear larger than we really are. We are also told to be prepared for them to invade our personal space.

Sadly, chumming and feeding of these sharks from dive boats was a practice taking place for many years amongst some dive operators. However, following a series of shark and diver incidents, Egyptian authorities implemented strict regulations, effectively banning the practice. Although we were prepared for an interaction with the oceanic whitetip, we were surprised to not encounter them during our two weeks in Egypt. As you would expect, without feeding of the sharks, encounters with oceanic whitetips complete with their entourage of pilot fish in tow are now more wild and less predictable. We were told to revisit in October and November for a higher chance of sighting them.
 

The hard corals at Abu Dabab are giants and make for dramatic underwater scenery
 

When weather conditions are not favourable at Elphinstone, the nearby diving area of Abu Dabab offers sheltered conditions for a number of enchanting dives. The standout feature of Abu Dabab is its naturally formed channels that cut through its colossal canyon reef like underwater alleyways. The hard corals here are giants—some of the largest we’ve seen anywhere—making for dramatic underwater scenery.

The canyons provide shelter for a variety of marine life. You may see moray eels, blue-spotted stingrays nestled in the sand, giant pufferfish, or if you are lucky, a resting green sea turtle. The pretty sandy-bottomed channels creates a serene, magical place to explore and an ethereal atmosphere for photographers.
 

The rocky swim-throughs at Abu Dabab create an ethereal dive
 

Abu Dabab and its numerous dive sites is full of interesting coral structures making for great photography opportunities
 

The Deep South: Caves, Corals, and Spinner Dolphins

After the drama of the Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone, the Deep South offers something a little more meditative and zen. Considered to be the last frontier of the Egyptian Red Sea, down south you will find a huge cluster of reef systems with some very impressive typography. Here, instead of vertical walls and energetic currents, think luminous caves and the feeling of being off-grid. We were welcomed by mellow drift dives, pretty coral formations, and a labyrinth of cavern-style swim-throughs.

At cave systems like Umm Khararim and Gota Kebir, airy passages and cathedral-like chambers make way for the sunlight to dance on the white sandy floor. There are countless opportunities for photography here and the typography of the reef is breathtakingly beautiful. We could have spent all day just watching the light rays dazzle across the sea floor. Add in some interesting nearby wrecks like the World War II wreck of the “Tien Hsing,” the occasional sea turtle, and a play in the lagoon with the 300-strong friendly resident spinner dolphins, and Egypt’s deep south is nothing short of magic.
 

At the famous cave system of Umm Khararim, photography is the main game. This is truly a unique dive in its own right and a reason to visit Egypt’s Deep South
 

The main reason to dive at Abu Galawa Kebir is to photograph the wreck of the Chinese tugboat “Tien Hsing,” which sank in 1943. The stern of the 110-foot (34-meter) wreck lies at a depth of 55 feet (17 meters), with the tip of the bow even becoming exposed during low tide
 

No trip to the Deep South is complete without a swim with the friendly resident spinner dolphins
 

For us, diving in the Egyptian Red Sea has been unexpected, refreshing and unforgettable. With its vibrant color, incredible visibility, dramatic underwater scenery, chances of pelagic encounters, and friendly Egyptian style, our two weeks here unfolded like a true rhapsody—fluid, spontaneous, exciting, and at times in need of improvisation!
 

The multihued reefs and mind-blowing visibility will stay with you long after you leave the Red Sea—and will surely beckon you to return one day
 

About the Authors: Based in Melbourne, Australia, Anita Verde and Peter Marshall have a passion for the planet’s wild places, and through their images and narratives hope to inspire better appreciation and protection of the natural world. When not underwater, you’ll find them on a mountain somewhere. To see more of their work, please visit their website, www.summitstoseasphotography.com.