Tag: sudan
Weekly best of Sudan 02 – 09. 03. 2013
Our Sudan video diary records the best underwater moments one week after the other. This way divers diving that week are able to show their family and friends what they had seen under the water.
Sudan, the Jolly, under and above water
Five nations represented themselves last week on our Sudan tour. They have had such a blast that several of them are already planning their next year’s safari with us. There were guests from Belgium, Denmark, Greece, Holland and Germany, all jolly individuals, so our crew was also doing a happy dance this week.
Tour date: March 23 – 30, 2013
Itinerary: Sudan-North
Air temperature: 30-35C
Water temperature: 26-27C
Visibility: 30m
Life was just as lively under the water. At Sanganeb, for example, we ran into a school of hammerheads, head count – 30. Of course this was not the only place for hammerheads. We met up with some at Angarosh, at Qita el Banna and at Shaab Rumi. This week the currents were mild, it was barely windy and the seas were calm.
Although the first 2 days were a bit on the windy side, we were able to sail all the way up North and visited all the dive sites in our itinerary:
Day 1: Shab Suedi, Gota Shambaia, Gota Shambaia
Day 2: Abington, Angarosh, Angarosh, Shambaia
Day 3: Qita el Banna, Blue Belt, Precontinent, Precontinent
Day 4: Shaab Rumi, Shaab Rumi, Sanganeb North, Sanganeb West
Day 5: Sanganeb North, Sanganeb South, Sanganeb South, Umbria
Day 6: Umbria, Umbria
The group chose to spend the last day onboard taking it easy and taking a leisurely walk in the harbour, instead of visiting Suakin. Indeed, the giant cargo ships anchored in the harbour provide for an interesting attraction. Andromeda, with her respectable 40-meter length, was dwarfed by these giants and looked more like a small toy boat on the water. After walking by the marina and through the town of Port Sudan, most people are amazed by how clean it is, how pleasant its atmosphere is and how liveable it is. The best part of town is the street where the market and the shops are where the vendors are not at all pushy, they are friendly to invite you to check out their goods. Sudanese people, in general, are not at all pushy or forceful. They are curious and pretty low-key, very loveable people.
A new week, new hopes and we will be back next week with the latest from Sudan.
If you missed any of the past weeks’ events, you can catch up by clicking on the links below:
An Eiffel Tower in Sudan
Manta, hammerhead, barracuda!
The sharks winked back!
Angarosh, the “Mother of Sharks”
A perfect start in Sudan!
Fish parade in the month of the Pisces!
An Eiffel Tower in Sudan
We have concluded a classic week in Sudan with grey reef sharks, white-tip sharks and barracudas. There were no strong currents this weeks which kept the hammerheads away but we still had plenty to see!
Tour date: March 16 – 23, 2013
Itinerary: Sudan-North
Air temperature: 30C
Water temperature: 26C
Visibility: 30m
Because of the strong winds, Shaab Suedi was the most northern site on this tour. After the first 2 dives in the morning, we headed straight south. Temperatures hovered around 30C all week but there were a couple of days laced with some clouds and there was no need for AC either.
We dived the Sanganeb reef system heavily this week too, although out of the 124 reefs, there are a few still left behind to discover. Its famous Eiffel Tower-like lighthouse was there to greet us again. Our cameras were working from atop of the structure, taking in the gorgeous view from above – we were in the middle of the sea, surrounded by emerald reefs. There are always a couple of Sudanese soldiers on duty for 3-4 months at a time and they happily welcome every visitor.
Our tour plan:
Day 1: Shaab Suedi Fasma, Shaab Suedi Fasma, Shaab Suedi Fasma
Day 2: Blue Belt, Shaab Rumi South, Shaab Rumi South, Precontinent
Day 3: Shaab Rumi South, Shaab Rumi South, Precontinent, Shaab Rumi Lagoon
Day 4: Shaab Rumi South, Sanganeb North, Sanganeb West, Sanganeb West
Day 5: Sanganeb North, Sanganeb South, Sanganeb South, Umbria
Day 6: Umbria, Umbria
As usual, the dive sites were at our own disposal or on occasion, had to share with one other boat. And the underwater life… It was amazing once again. On most of our dives we met up with grey reef sharks or white-tip sharks. Besides the uncountable tiny fish swarming around us, we were lucky enough to see other larger pelagic species too. We were face to face with lots of large Napoleon fish, marvelled at huge schools of barracudas and jackfish. So, it is not hard to believe that all our day dives were fascinating. Our night dives were equally exciting. We saw Spanish dancers, crabs, scorpion fish, barracudas and rainbow-coloured nudibranches.
A new week, new hopes. We will be back next week again and let you know what we will have seen.
In case you have missed out on our previous reports, you can catch up by following these links:
Manta, hammerhead, barracuda!
The sharks winked back!
Angarosh, the “Mother of Sharks”
A perfect start in Sudan!
Fish parade in the month of the Pisces!
