elphinstone and the brothers - egypt

Hey Nige

I've heared a lot that Elphistone & Brother's are actually quite the top what the red sea has to offer. Obviously it depend's what one is looking for in specific, but when You can see big and small in one spot (maybe get attacked by Oceanic White Tip) + as You told: corals some of the healthiest I've seen in the Red Sea.

Sound's good to me!!!

Great picture!!!

And You are most welcome to join me there in the mid january 2009

Cheers

Scubamoose

I love The Brothers. If you want deep you can go deep and there are 2 wrecks to see. If you want sharks, they are there you just have to find them. If you want corals well your spoilt for choice, giant napoleon wrasse are there too, schooling fish, its got everything for every kind of diver.

I cant wait to get back out there.

stew

Hi Stew!

Just looked at the rest of You'r pics from Oct. - Really neet stuff

I'm not takeing a liveaboard tough, but simple daydives from Marsa Alam and certainly more than a few of them to 'Stone

So Brother's are saddly off limits for this time.

Hope to get a pic from the famous local Dugong as well

Cheers

Scubamoose

Hi Stew!

Just looked at the rest of You'r pics from Oct. - Really neet stuff

I'm not takeing a liveaboard tough, but simple daydives from Marsa Alam and certainly more than a few of them to 'Stone

So Brother's are saddly off limits for this time.

 

Hope to get a pic from the famous local Dugong as well

 

Cheers

Scubamoose

There are loads of good local dives around Marsa. I was buying a property there until a few months ago and decided to buy another one just outside of sharm. I dont know where you are staying, but if you are staying at Marsa Shagra you will have a good time. In my experience the only trouble with a lot of the shore diving along the southern egyptian coast is that the viz isnt anything like it is out at the offshore reefs. Elphinstone rocks for sure, and if you are staying at Shagra it is a 20 minute zodiac ride away. We dived Elphinstone from Shagra a couple of days when we stayed there last year and we were the only divers there. As for the elusive dugong. aaaaaaaaaRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGH I am gonna give up looking for that thing. The dive is so boring if you dont see it. A mate of mine has a dive school at El Quseir and has a resident there that is very frequent, unlike the one in Abu Dhabab (sp)

keep snapping, Stew

There are loads of good local dives around Marsa. I was buying a property there until a few months ago and decided to buy another one just outside of sharm. I dont know where you are staying, but if you are staying at Marsa Shagra you will have a good time. In my experience the only trouble with a lot of the shore diving along the southern egyptian coast is that the viz isnt anything like it is out at the offshore reefs. Elphinstone rocks for sure, and if you are staying at Shagra it is a 20 minute zodiac ride away. We dived Elphinstone from Shagra a couple of days when we stayed there last year and we were the only divers there. As for the elusive dugong. aaaaaaaaaRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGH I am gonna give up looking for that thing. The dive is so boring if you dont see it. A mate of mine has a dive school at El Quseir and has a resident there that is very frequent, unlike the one in Abu Dhabab (sp)

 

keep snapping, Stew

Ouh man... I just got a call from the Baltic Air Lines that they canceled my flight to Marsa Alam in January and alternative times are not very suiteable for me. So my whole trip to Marsa Alam and the great dive sites are in danger of beeing forwarded into far future Bloody &%¤#* airlines...

Gotta come up with a new plan fast or choose another dive location in whole...

This is going a bit off topic's, but Stew, maybe You can tell me what local Dive center would u suggest? And what do You know about Dolphin house - is there any diving allowed or is it only for snorkel (I've heared rumors, that You can only snorkel there?! ) Is it any good if no dolphins show up?

Cheers, Scubamoose

have a look here at some footage my wife took whilst we were there last year

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=84...35490&hl=en

and there are some pics here

http://www.scubastew.com/gallery_96172.html

you can dive at dolphin house reef but like all diving it is hit or miss as to whether the animals make a show.

have a look here at some footage my wife took whilst we were there last year

 

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=84...35490&hl=en

 

and there are some pics here

 

http://www.scubastew.com/gallery_96172.html

 

you can dive at dolphin house reef but like all diving it is hit or miss as to whether the animals make a show.

Thx for the information!

Superb material indeed. Specially the part on video where someones get's a "dentist" check up

What dive operator did You use & would You care to recommend it?

Cheers, Scubamoose

What dive operator did You use & would You care to recommend it?

Cheers, Scubamoose

we stayed at the camp in marsa shagra. nice house reef 20 minutes from elphinstone and they also do beach dives from along the coast. i will send you a link when i get home as i cant remember there website and i am at work.

we stayed at the camp in marsa shagra. nice house reef 20 minutes from elphinstone and they also do beach dives from along the coast. i will send you a link when i get home as i cant remember there website and i am at work.

It's Red Sea Diving Safari RSDS I've stayed at all three of their sites; Marsa Sharga is great for photographers as it's 'open pool' on the (excellent) house reef.

R

thats the one ralphy. quite a unique place i would say. i couldnt think as i had something else on my mind.

Thank alot guys!!

I'll look into it

Scubamoose

Hi all,

the oceanics were still about... Well 3... Two at little bro and one on Elphinstone.. Well one i saw... I was swimming around the ladder of the liveaboard when a huge bugger loomed towards me... realising i had no camera (twat!!!) i jumped out and go sorted and jumped back in typically it disappeared much to the amusement of the boats crew...!!!

A fantastic week i must say... Went with Blue o two on the Blue Horizon... Cannot recommend that trip enough...

Hammerheads 4... Threshers 2... oceanics 3... reef sharks 5...

Dive safe

DeanB

Hi all,

 

the oceanics were still about... Well 3... Two at little bro and one on Elphinstone.. Well one i saw... I was swimming around the ladder of the liveaboard when a huge bugger loomed towards me... realising i had no camera (twat!!!) i jumped out and go sorted and jumped back in typically it disappeared much to the amusement of the boats crew...!!!

 

A fantastic week i must say... Went with Blue o two on the Blue Horizon... Cannot recommend that trip enough...

 

Hammerheads 4... Threshers 2... oceanics 3... reef sharks 5...

 

Dive safe

 

DeanB

Nice!!!

I'm still hopeing to get there soon, despite some flight problems...

Since the big guys are present I better hurry up

All the best

Scubamoose

Hi all,

 

the oceanics were still about... Well 3... Two at little bro and one on Elphinstone.. Well one i saw... I was swimming around the ladder of the liveaboard when a huge bugger loomed towards me... realising i had no camera (twat!!!) i jumped out and go sorted and jumped back in typically it disappeared much to the amusement of the boats crew...!!!

 

A fantastic week i must say... Went with Blue o two on the Blue Horizon... Cannot recommend that trip enough...

 

Hammerheads 4... Threshers 2... oceanics 3... reef sharks 5...

 

Dive safe

 

DeanB

thats a great number of sharks for a weeks diving. what distance were the hammers and threshers.

we had hammers at 35 metres northern plateau big brother and at 8 metres just by the jetty big brother. closest distance 5 ft.

hope you managed a few good shots

stew

thats a great number of sharks for a weeks diving. what distance were the hammers and threshers.

 

we had hammers at 35 metres northern plateau big brother and at 8 metres just by the jetty big brother. closest distance 5 ft.

 

hope you managed a few good shots

 

stew

Hi Stew..

Yeah Drey the guide said we were blessed that week... We had mirror flat waters around the brothers for the 2 days we were there...!!!

The Threshers i saw were 20M below me and i was at 35M so i couldnt get close although the Danish divers had one right next to them at 30M... My A1 performed brilliantly at depth securing me the usual grainy footage i know and love... Oh well... I had a hammerhead pretty close about 3M away but that at 40M so grainy again... Im off to Coco's or Malpelo I think... ...

Diver safe

DeanB

Hi Stew..

 

Yeah Drey the guide said we were blessed that week... We had mirror flat waters around the brothers for the 2 days we were there...!!!

 

The Threshers i saw were 20M below me and i was at 35M so i couldnt get close although the Danish divers had one right next to them at 30M... My A1 performed brilliantly at depth securing me the usual grainy footage i know and love... Oh well... I had a hammerhead pretty close about 3M away but that at 40M so grainy again... Im off to Coco's or Malpelo I think... ...

 

Diver safe

 

DeanB

Hi Dean!

Sorry for my incompetence, but what does "grainy" mean in video term's (You did shoot moving, right?!) Is it ISO noise, shooting in low light conditions with natural light only etc?

Cheers,

Scubamoose

... Im off to Coco's or Malpelo I think... ...

 

Diver safe

 

DeanB

I cant speak for malpelo but cocos is awesome. we were there for last christmas. the water was very murky though due to the hundreds of waterfalls emptying thousands of gallons into the sea every minute. if it wasnt for the crap exchange rate, we would return asap. we were on the undersea hunter and would go back on there. very professional, very friendly and food to die for.

i am very jealous

Hi Dean!

Sorry for my incompetence, but what does "grainy" mean in video term's (You did shoot moving, right?!) Is it ISO noise, shooting in low light conditions with natural light only etc?

Cheers,

Scubamoose

In a word....Yep....

Dive safe

DeanB