Sudan

8th - 17th October 2010

Aboard Royal Emperor

£1850.00*

Diving in the Sudan is widely regarded as the best in the Red Sea and indeed rates as one of the top destinations worldwide. It’s not hard to see why:- Big Fish, Wrecks, Vibrant Hard and Soft Corals, Walls, Plateaus, and fish of every colour, size and description are found beneath the warm clear waters. And yet this area compared to other top destinations is still visited by few divers. The variety within a small area is remarkable. On sandy plateaus it is not unusual to see Grey sharks cruising among ”bommies” dripping with soft corals, giant groupers, schooling barracuda, hump head parrot fish and a turtle or two ALL AT ONCE. Schooling Hammerheads, Manta feeding stations, historic and wartime wrecks, picturesque caves and close encounters with reef sharks can all be experienced on a 7 night liveaboard out of Port Sudan.

Itinerary

08/10/10 - London Heathrow via Egypt Air to Cairo one night B&B
09/10/10 - 16/10/10 - Cairo to Sudan via Air Sudan, 7 nights full board aboard Royal Emperor
16/10/10 - Sudan Air to Cairo one night B&B
17/10/10 - Ca rio to London Heathrow via Egypt Air

Sudan Discovery - 7 nights
Departing from Port Sudan we head north stopping at Sha’ab Suedi for the popular Blue Belt wreck before continuing beyond the weekly range of most of the other dive boats to dive Qita el Banna, Angarosh, Abington and Merlo in the northern reaches of the itinerary. During Manta season (September to early November) we also include a half day excursion to Mesharifa to snorkel with the feeding mantas. As we turn back to the south we stop at Sha’ab Rumi for the breath taking southern plateau and Cousteau’s Conshelf experiment. The final leg of the safari puts us at Sanganeb Atoll and Wingate reef for the world famous Umbria wreck. A usual day onboard will be 3 day dives and a night or dusk dive.

Royal Emperor was the first, high specification, steel boat to operate in the Sudan. In 2005 Tornado Marine bought the well loved Red Sea liveaboard Royal Emperor and proceeded to upgrade her layout and equipment bringing her into line with the fleet’s standards.

The well designed saloon/dining room is fully air-conditioned. This is where you’ll find the fully stocked bar, entertainment system with TV, DVD & video and a selection of books, magazines and DVD/video films. The upper sundeck, with sun beds, chairs and a BBQ grill, has been enlarged providing plenty of space both in and out of the sun.

Accommodation includes two twin cabins on the main deck and a further six on the lower deck. All are en suite with individually controlled air-conditioning and loads of storage. The dive deck has also been opened up to offer plenty more kiting up space. New membrane compressors have been fitted to provide unlimited Nitrox. O2 can be pumped to 200bar and 15Litre and pony’s cylinders are available for hire. There is a good sized dive platform but most diving is from the RIBs.

The Umbria
Wingate reef is just 35 minutes out of Port Sudan and is the resting place of the Umbria, arguably the Red Sea's most photogenic wreck. Scuttled by the Italian crew in 1940, to avoid capture by the British, she was en route to Calcutta, via Eritrea, with a mixed cargo including over 350,000 bombs. She was also carrying tyres,wine and 3 Fiat Lagunas, all of which she took to the bottom with her. This 150m long wreck is supported by coral pinnacles at a max depth of 24m over on her port side, her starboard davits just breaking the surface. The funnel & mast have long since collapsed and lifeboats are scattered on the seabed around her. The holds are open and easily entered, experienced wreckers will be overjoyed with the labyrinth of corridors and stairwells whilst coral lovers will be impressed with the superb array of hard and soft corals, nudibranchs, clearer shrimps and differing fish species that have now made the Umbria home

Sanganeb
Sanganeb is found about one and a half hours north of Port Sudan. This Atoll rises from 500+m deep to the surface. There is a manned British built lighthouse towering 50m above the reef and divers and non-divers can enjoy a tour to the top to take photos of the glorious reef below. It is only 257 steps to the top! The Southwest plateau on Sanganeb is a fabulous dive with arguably some of the best soft corals you are likely to see. The plateau is alive with a huge variety of fish life, schooling Jack and Barracuda are common and the resident grey reef sharks tend to buzz those that move quietly, giving you the perfect opportunity to snap that close up shot as curiosity brings them in. Through March to June the reef comes alive with the mating Grouper and Triggerfish with huge numbers populating the reef looking for likely mates with the Triggerfish building crater size nests and protecting them fiercely. Hammerhead, Silky and Oceanic White tips have been spotted hear as well as Manta but it is more common to see the larger pelagic species on the northern tip of the reef. The North plateau is an outstanding dive although potentially quite dangerous. Exposed to the prevailing northerly wind and possible strong currents this dive can be a demanding dive and only accessible on calmer days. This is a deep dive with a lower plateau at 45m where Hammerheads are common and it is possible to see them schooling. There is a resident school of Hump head Parrotfish that patrol the shallow water and it is normal to see Grey Reef Sharks, White tips and schools of Barracuda and Jacks.

Sha'ab Rumi
Sha’ab Rumi is the signature site of Sudan. Made famous by Jacques Cousteau’s Pre continent experiment and the accompanying film Le Monde Sans Soleil (The world without Sun)Shaab Rumi is one of those sites you can just dive and dive again. 25 miles North East from Port Sudan the reef has a ledge plateau running along the western side at 10 – 15m, home to the Pre continent Experiment and a world class southern plateau. In 1963, Jacques Cousteau ran his Conshelf II (Pre continent)Underwater Living experiments here and 8 men spent a month living underwater. Forty years on you can still swim amongst the remains of his village. Just a dark shadow from the boat, once underwater you begin to make out an onion-shaped structure standing on three legs. This is the submarine's steel hangar, still airtight divers bubbles have created an air pocket inside. Other debris include the remains of the tool shed, the Aquarium and a shark cage all now delicately encrusted Jaques Garage with corals. This dive is a shallow dive along the western wall of the reef. Apart from the historically interesting remains of the Pre continent the reef itself is absolutely stunning with every conceivable coral species fighting for a foothold on the narrow ledge. The South Plateau is a world class dive, a sloping plateau running from 20 to 30m surrounded by deep wall drop-offs this plateau is home to large schools of Barracuda and Jacks, Grey and White tip reef sharks, huge grouper and triggerfish and if you can get through the clouds of Antheas Sharks!you may be able to see the wondrous varieties of hard and soft corals. Through the colder months Hammerheads can be found here schooling in the currents off the southern tip. Large Hump head Parrotfish can be seen and in the early morning dives it is possible to hear and sometimes see the dominant males settling the hierarchy dispute by clashing their bony heads together sending shockwave's right through you.