Egypt

A week on Emperor’s Superior, a liveaboard out of Hurghada on the “Famous Five” route: the northern wrecks, Ras Mohammed, then the long run offshore to the Brothers and back down past Safaga. Eighteen dives in six days, to 39 m, in 26–28 °C water.

Day one was the warm-up. At Dolphin House on Sha’ab El Erg the dolphins came in close, one with a remora riding on its belly. The afternoon dive was the Barge at Bluff Point.

Days two and three were the wrecks of the Gulf of Suez. First came two dives on the Rosalie Moller, a coal ship sunk by German bombers in October 1941. There were anemonefish on her rails and a batfish waiting on the line. Then came three dives on the Thistlegorm, sunk two days earlier in the same raid with supplies for the Eighth Army: one in the afternoon, one at night and one at dawn. The holds are still stacked with BSA motorbikes, trucks and tyres. After that we crossed to Ras Mohammed for Shark and Yolanda Reef, and finished at the Dunraven.

Days four and five were the Brothers, two small islands far offshore with sheer walls and blue water all round. Big Brother has two wrecks on its flanks, the Aida and the Numidia. Little Brother was the deepest dive of the trip, at 39 m. On Big Brother a manta ray cruised past us along the wall. At sunset the lighthouse on Big Brother sat on the horizon.

Day six started at the Salem Express, the ferry that sank off Safaga in 1991 with heavy loss of life. She lies on her side and is dived as a memorial. Then Gota Abu Ramada, and a last dive on the minesweeper El Mina off Hurghada.

The camera put a magenta cast on the shallow shots, which I’ve corrected. The map shows the boat’s route as drawn on the itinerary, which is approximate.