After getting my diving license in November 2003 in Germany, I liked to go diving in warmer and more clear waters
than the muddy lakes at home.
Therefore I booked a Wreck-Safari from September 16-23 on the Read Sea at
Tauchertreff Mainz, where I had learned to dive.
With Condor we took off in the middle of the night on 09/16 at Frankfurt/Main for Hurghada. There we got immediately
into the appropriate vacation mood due to the shiny egyptian sun.
From the airport we had a smooth transfer to the sea port, but there we got the news that the M/Y Prince Sherif,
the boat we were book in with Blue Wave Safari ,
had to stay in the port due to some defect.
Slightly uncertain about the future of our tour, the group of 20 people was brought to a hotel for an overnight stay.
But already in the evening, Moni, our organizer and dive guide, told us that she just made the
El Omda Arafa our base for the dives during
the coming week.
After the night in the hotel we got onto the boat in the early morning. The equipment was unpacked even before
leaving the port and so we were ready for the check-dive.
The now following unforgettable days can be described by a very simple pattern:
Sunrise, early-morning-dive, breakfast, morning-dive, lunch, afternoon-dive, afternoon coffee,
sunset, optional night-dive, dinner, sleep.
During the individual dives were extensive rest and relax periodes.
I took part in 18 out of the 20 offered dives during this Safari. Those dives took place at the following locations:
| Date | Divespot | Dive | Special Note | Dive Profile |
| 2004/09/17 | Gota Shaab el Erg | morning-dive | check-dive | dive1 |
| Siyul Kebira | afternoon-dive | dive2 | ||
| Shaab Umm Usk | night-dive | dive3 | ||
| 2004/09/18 | Abu Nuhas - Giannis D | early-morning-dive | wreck-dive | dive4 |
| Abu Nuhas - Carnatic | morning-dive | AOWD wreck | dive5 | |
| Small Passage - Lagune | afternoon-dive | AOWD navigation | dive6 | |
| 2004/09/19 | Ras Mohammed - Anemone-City, Shark-Reef, Yolanda-Reef | early-morning-dive | AOWD deep | dive7 |
| Ras Mohammed - Shark-Reef, Yolanda-Reef | morning-dive | AOWD drift | dive8 | |
| 2004/09/20 | Thistlegorm | early-morning-dive | Wreck Specialty 1 | dive9 |
| Thistlegorm | morning-dive | Wreck Specialty 2 | dive10 | |
| Shag Rock - Sarah | afternoon-dive | wreck-dive | dive11 | |
| Gubal Island - Leichter | night-dive | wreck-dive | dive12 | |
| 2004/09/21 | Gubal Island | early-morning-dive | dive13 | |
| Gubal Kebira | morning-dive | dive14 | ||
| Shaab el Erg | afternoon-dive | dive15 | ||
| Gota Shaab el Erg | night-dive | AOWD night | dive16 | |
| 2004/09/22 | Umm Gammar | early-morning-dive | dive17 | |
| Shaab Rur Umm Gammar | morning-dive | dive18 |
After the final dive of the safari we had to set course for Hurghada sea port,
where we could stay aboard for our final night.
On the next morning our return flight took us back from a sunny and warm Egypt to a wet and cold Germany.
Of course I did many photographs during the tour.
First the images above the water with my Canon EOS 50E and second the unterwater images with a Sea&Sea MX-5.
The films used were 100 ASA color slide films from Kodak and Fuji.
Now I present you a selection of those photographs. I devided them into two groups, the above the water images and
the underwater images.
Any comment in my guestbook is very much appreciated.
And now have a lot of fun looking at the pictures!
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| above water pictures | underwater pictures |
| Canon EOS 50E | Sea&Sea MX-5 |