Fish parade in the month of the Pisces!

We are happy to report that our third week was a success too! The Sun is already well in the month of the Pisces and we keep threading the waters of the Sudanese Red Sea (as well) week after week in order to see and be able to show you more and more fish. Among last week’s offer were hammerheads, and not just a few, grey reef sharks, jackfish and the inevitable schools of barracuda. And for dessert, we were able to marvel in a full moon as well.

Tour date: February 23 – March 2, 2013
Itinerary: Sudan-North
Air temperature: 28-30C
Water temperature: 25C
Visibility: 20-30m

We have started out with stronger winds, we were fighting the elements but despite it all, we were able to visit all the sites in our North itinerary. The usual 4-hour boat ride between Shaab Suedi and Shambaia lasted 5 ½ hours this time. Thankfully the winds had quite died down by the second night and the rest of the week was calmer, sometimes a bit cloudy but warm.

Day 1: Shaab Suedi, Gota Shambaia, Gota Shambaia
Day 2: Angarosh, Angarosh, Merlo, Gota Shambaia
Day 3: Quita el Banna, Quita el Banna, Blue Belt, Shaab Rumi Preconitinent (night dive)
Day 4: Shaab Rumi South Plateau (2 dives), Precontinent (night dive in the lagoon)
Day 5: Shaab Rumi, Sanganeb South, Sanganeb South, Umbria
Day 6: Umbria

This week again we were focusing on the large fish, we were scouring the big blue around us where we could expect sharks to appear. We counted 20 hammerheads at Angarosh. At Quita El Bana 10 nice specimens circled 3-4m above us and Shaab Rumi was true to itself again with grey reef sharks showing up and 2-3 hammerheads swimming near us.

The schools of barracuda and jackfish at Shaab Rumi left everyone in an awe. The waters were clear at Cousteau’s Precontinent and at Umbria as well. Taking advantage of this, we wandered in the entire wreck.

A new week is coming, new hopes are rising and next week we are coming back with another report.

If you have missed last week’s happenings, click here to catch up:
Angarosh – the Mother of Sharks
A Perfect Start in Sudan

A perfect start in Sudan!

All beginnings are difficult – they say – but luckily, in our case this phrase is not true…The first week of our 2013 season began on February 9. It was a bit cloudy all week but warm and except for a couple of days, no wind at all. The biggest surprise of the week was the giant school of hammerheads showing up at Shaab Rumi but this was not the first surprise of the week!

Tour date: February 9 – 16, 2013
Itinerary: Sudan North
Air temperature: 28-30C
Water temperature: 25C
Visibility: 20m

Just when you think you are an old salt, you must face that fact that the sea never shows the same face twice, it never really goes by the book. Of course, you can expect the usual and you can estimate what the next dive site will bring but the statistics are modified by almost every dive.

Which is exactly what happened last week on our first Sudan tour this year. Our briefing was relatively brief but we were secretly hoping for some extraordinary sightings and since the Sudanese waters rarely disappoint, the things we saw this past week were the top!

We were able to visit all the sites of the planned itinerary:

Day 1: Shaab Sued, Gotta Shambaia, Gotta Shambaia
Day 2: Angarosh, Angarosh, Merlo, Gotta Shambaia
Day 3: Quita el Bana, Blue Belt, Shaab Rumi – Precontinent, Shaab Rumi Lagoon
Day 4: Shaab Rumi South Plateau (3 dives), Precontinent
Day 5: Shaab Rumi, Sanganeb, Sanganeb, Umbria
Day 6: Umbria, Umbria

We were pleasantly surprised at all shark sites! We counted 20 hammerheads at Angarosh, 1-2 large specimens at Quita el Bana but at Shaab Rumi everybody got a huge jolt! We were swimming among 50 hammerheads and at times, we saw the sharks already at 15m. Aside from these sightings, we ran into huge schools of jackfish and barracuda at Shaab Rumi and at Sanganeb as well. While the other boats were still back at Port Sudan this week or sailed out later in the week, we barely saw anybody during the week. We only had company for 2 dives at Shaab Rumi and that was it.

We wish more of such sightings and great surprises for our guests in the coming weeks and months. 🙂 To be continued next week…

10 things you may not know about us

1. That’s right! Our divers’ safety in the water is ensured by our Nautilus Lifeline diver search and locate system.

2. Another crazy thing – we have a unique shisha room waiting for our guests where complimentary shisha and coffee is served.

3. Our uniquely designed pretty claret coloured boats have charming honeymoon suites – not to miss!

4. In the spring of 2014 we are awaiting our guests already with TWO boats in Port Sudan- woohoo!

5. Our guests may fly to Port Sudan via Cairo or Dubai.

6. There are free WIFI services onboard (with 3G coverage, of course).

7. Our daily offer is also quite hefty – we offer at least 4 dives every day (except for the first and last days).

8. This is sensational too! – our most northern dive site is at Angarosh and the most southern site is near Eritrea! Have you looked it up on the map yet?

9. And another specialty of our – our guides communicate in Italian, Russian, English and German, besides Arabic and Hungarian, of course.

10. An exciting event approaching – our latest offer, our 2-week tour to the Deep South which will include the absolute best dive sites from Port Sudan all the way to the Eritrean border.

+1 No scams, no gimmicks – we do not charge extra for the dive sites!

Are there any real reasons why not come to see us in Sudan? We don’t think so. So, how about it?

Expedition for the pleasure seeker, the curious and for old salts!

Let us look a bit further South in Sudan… they say it is worth your while! So, we have decided to cruise around for a couple of weeks. The 5* Andromeda’s first Deep South safari in Sudan will be in June this year.

We will map out the whole Deep South area for you beforehand, so when you arrive, we will be able to show you only the best sites in the region! We will find the best sites to set anchor, the best places with the most amazing marine life and the most favourable visibility. We will check out current directions and strengths and design the perfect dives and itinerary for you.

This is a truly unique experience full of the unknown, the never-seen, the out-of-reach – until now. The goal of this 2-week expedition safari is to show you as many as we can of the best sites in the Deep South of the Sudanese Red Sea.

If you are adventurous and just cannot get enough of diving in one of the leading divers’ destinations in the world, then join us! Destination – Deep South Sudan!

The date of the 2-week Deep South Sudan safari is June 3 – 17, 2013.
For further details, write us!

Photo by Daniel Selmeczi