David Hartman will be giving a presentation on Egypt-Red Sea dive travel Saturday August 28, 2010 at 6:00 pm at Sterling Silver SCUBA in Sterling, VA.  Mr Hartman’s presentation will cover information on touring ancient Egypt and the Red Sea as a dive destination as well as details on Sterling Silver SCUBA group trip to Egypt on June 25-July 10, 2011. Please call Kevin Davenport at Sterling Silver SCUBA to reserve a spot in the seminar (703) 731-0257. Guests are welcome.

Sterling Silver Divers Egypt-Red Sea Group Trip page:

http://www.silverdivers.com/trips/2011/7/1/egypt-and-the-sinai-july-2011.html

Disney is selling tours to Egypt! Disney Co. announced this week that the corporation’s Adventures by Disney division will be operating 9 and 7 night excursions to Egypt in 2011. Big news in the travel industry and great credibility for us tour operators who sell tours to Egypt for Americans. The 10  day itineraries for Adventures by Disney include a full land tour of Ancient Egypt with a couple days of restort time in Sharm el Sheikh. The price tag of the trips are steep and the itineraries are not specifically designed for divers.

Kudos to Disney for adding Egypt to their growing list of adventurs tours for the company’s travel division.  I appreciate Disney’s efforts to sell tours to Egypt but I believe Disney may be a bit out of their comfort zone.  Egypt is a difficult country to navigate and it is always best to work with a inbound operator with offices based in Cairo who are up to speed on the latest security guidelines and restrictions.  I admire Disney for bringing valadation for tours designed for Americans traveling to Egypt but believe the company will struggle in their efforts to sell their Egypt tours especially at the hefly price tags for such a short tour. Time will telll but I doubt you will see Disney selling tours to Egypt for 2012.

There are eight known species of the Bannerfish (Genus Heniochus), which is a member of the Butterflyfish family Chaetodontidae, meaning “bristle teeth” in reference to their prising snout and dentition. All eight species are similarly shaped with laterally compressed sides, a pointed rostrum and a lengthened fourth dorsal ray.

The Chaetodontidae are very colourful fishes that are popular with divers and aquarists. The family consists of ten genera with about 120 species. They mostly inhabit coral reefs but some have become adapted to temperate and deep waters. The geographical distribution is mainly focused on the Red Sea and Arabian Sea coral reefs, 4 are found in the east Pacific and 12 in the Atlantic. The genus Chaetodon is the largest in the family, with 114 species in 13 sub-genera. Heniochus as mentioned above comprises 8 species, with the remaining genera being single species (monotypic), or with only a few species each.

Of the eight species of Heniochus, two are common to the Red Sea: the Red Sea Bannerfish (Heniochus intermedius), and the Schooling Bannerfish (Heniochus diphreutes). The other species are the Long-Fin Bannerfish (Heniochus acumminatus), Pennant Butterflyfish (Heniochus chrysostomus), Masked Bannerfish (Heniochus monoceros), Phantom Bannerfish (Heniochus pleurotaenia), Humphead Bannerfish (Heniochus varius) and Singular Bannerfish (Heniochus singularius). The Red Sea Bannerfish can grow up to 8 inches and is found also in the western Gulf of Aden. It lives at depths between 10 and 165 feet, feeding on zooplankton during the day. These fish swim in pairs but are also found in groups of up to 24.   Juveniles are found primarily at the base of reefs, living in larger groups.

In the Red Sea, these fish feed most actively at sunset and during the night, so divers may be less likely to see many Bannerfish in the daytime, as they may be hiding among corals.  The Red Sea Bannerfish appears to be a generalist feeder. It has been reported as a benthic feeder eating mostly sedentary polychaetes and some corals and other invertebrates off Eritrea, but as a planktonic feeder on larvaceans in the Gulf of Aqaba. It has a short gut, indicating that it doesn’t eat algae and corals as much as some other butterfly fish species, but it is likely that it consumes some.

These fish are very territorial, with the territory often having a table coral at its centre. In the late afternoon, pairs of fish move to the borders of the territory to challenge neighbouring fish of the same species, whilst others within the same genus pass across the territory unchallenged. Schooling Bannerfish grow up to 7 inches and are characterised by an elongated 4th dorsal spine. They have two black bands, the second starting behind the dorsal filament, yellow pectoral, dorsal and caudal fins, with a grey spotted snout and nape. They live along the reef front or external reef, in large schools swimming in mid water.

It resembles another Heniochus species, Heniochus acuminatus, but is smaller, with shorter snout, snout and nape spots lighter, and usually lives in large schools. These fish are found not only in the Red Sea through to the Arabian Gulf, but are widespread also in the Indian Ocean. They inhabit depths from 3 to 700 feet, living in aggregations in the water column above the reef tops, feeding on zooplankton. Juveniles are found living closer to the bottom near reef patches, whilst adults spend the entire day in open water, protected by the schooling behavior. Schooling Bannerfish are typical Plankton feeders, with juveniles also acting as cleaners, feeding on parasites collected on other fish skin.

Post courtesy of Emperor Divers News blog

At first sight it may appear pretty nondescript, how you might describe your everyday pet goldfish! But take a closer look at this 7cm fish. It has the most amazing violet streak below the eye, which illuminates the surrounding water. On mass the orange/gold colour of their body lights up the entire reef making you think you are surrounded by thousands of stars.

Also known as the lyretail coralfish, the lyretail anthia or the scalefin anthia, anthias are members of the family Serranidae (basses, basslets, groupers) and make up the subfamily Anthiinae. They occur in all tropical oceans and seas of the world from the western Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean as far east as Japan and Southeast Australia. The first species recognized in this group was described in the Mediterranean and northeast Atlantic and was given the name Anthias anthias by Carolus Linnaeus in 1758. Pretty remarkable stuff, huh!  Small, peaceful and beautiful they form complex social structures based on the number of males and females and also their position on the reef itself. They are mainly zooplankton feeders and shoal by the thousands. The male, 15 cm in length and a fuschia colour with a very distuinguishing banner, retains a harem of 5-10 females. When the male dies (no surprise there) one of the females will undergo sex reversal and take the place of the missing male!

       

Trip Highlights: 11 days/9 Nights Cairo, Luxor, Land based day diving in Sharm El Sheikh and Dahab

Hi Mr. Afifi:  Just a quick note to say how much I along with Joe Fogel, Tom McConnell and Dan Schopp enjoyed our first visit to Egypt.  Egypt is an amazing place with a rich history and wonderful people. We worked closely with Darlene and David at Learning Through Travel out of New York on this FAM trip.  They did an excellent job on the trip itinerary, but your team had to do the actual tours and logistics once we arrived in Egypt.  From the moment we arrived we were treated with exceptional service and that continued throughout the trip.  Your team is to be commended and the Learning Through Travel experience will be recommended without reservation to travel prospects.  Well done!  Rami was incredible.  An excellent communicator and problem solver.  We made changes during our trip with a balloon air ride in Luxor, spending one a night in Sharm El Sheik to dive the Ras Mohamed, adding Dan Shopp to our visit to Petra, Jordan and riding camels to the top of Mt Sinai.  All handled without a hitch.  Nice.  Rami, was a take charge person that made things happen and a joy to be with (kind of like traveling with a friend).  Awesome! Tarek was absolutely an amazing driver!  Hotel selection was very impressive.  Manal did a great tour of Cairo and was good at navigating the various venues and helped us with shopping.  We felt we were in good hands during our visit.  Ahmed and George did great tours of Luxor, the temples and the Valley of the Kings.  Rami and Tarek resumed contact with us in Sharm, Dahab and Mt. Sinai.  The diving was great in Ras Mohamed and the wall dives in Dahab we absolutely amazing.  The dive masters Mohamed Said and Mora (hope I got the spelling right) did great jobs in Sharm and Dahab.  The trip to Jordan went well as well.  Basim and the tour coordinator did a great job in Petra.  The camel ride to the top (plus a bit of a hike at the top) at Mt Sinai plus the visit to St. Catherine’s was very special!  In summary, it was an outstanding trip.  We are sharing our trip with others in the Atlanta market.  Should something develop, we’ll be in touch with Darlene.  Once again thank you for wonderful experience!  You have an excellent group of professionals in Egypt! Shukran! 

Bryan Kovacs, Trip Leader: Atlanta Dive Group

13 days/11 nights Trip: Cairo, Luxor, Sharm and Dahab land based day boat and shore diving

“The trip was excellent. One of my best ever and the diving lived up to the world class expectations.  Learning Through Travel has a fantastic setup with their staff and team leaders.  If I planned the trip myself, our group would be stuck in Egypt and out of money.  LTT makes the travel through Egypt absolutely seamless.  We are already planning a return trip to Egypt in the next two years.

    -George Campbell, Travel Director 

      Deep Six Underwater, New Paltz, New York

April is a month to celebrate at Emperor Divers Sharm as summer finally arrives. Each year from April to September we are sometimes lucky enough to have the company of manta rays on our dives (or Manta birostris, as Emperor instructor Pete Walsh would say!) All this month there have been numerous manta ray sightings by Emperor guests up and down the coastline. No longer is ‘Ras Mohammed’ or ‘Tiran’ the most popular choice, the ‘local’ dive sites are the place to be!

Manta rays, easily distinguished by their large mandibles, are the biggest winged creatures that inhabit the oceans. The largest known specimen measured more than 25 feet across with a weight of about 5000 pounds. But here in Sharm a smaller, yet still impressive 10-13 feet is more common. Mantas feed mainly on plankton filtered from the water passing through their gills as they swim. Incidentally their top speed is only 7 miles per hour and for those of you that have had the chance to dive with them before, you’ll know it seems like they are going much faster.

Scuba diving with a manta ray is an amazing experience, often ended with a cheer of delight from the dive group upon reaching the surface. They are quite curious animals and they are often known to approach scuba divers, either enjoying the interaction and playing with our bubbles or simply wanting to see what is happening. These magnificent creatures are also frequently seen feeding near or at the surface so those snorkelling also might be lucky enough to catch a glimpse.

When diving with manta rays it is very important to remember that they are wild animals and should be observed only. The less action a scuba diver takes to scare a manta ray, such as chasing it to get a better look or to get that perfect picture, the more likely it is that the manta ray will hang around giving an unforgettable experience. Happy manta ray spotting this summer in Sharm!

Post courtesy of Emperor Divers News Blog

She’s one of the most famous wrecks of the Red Sea and you can now dive her when the rest of the divers have left and gone home. The WWII wreck, SS Thistlegorm, is yours for the taking with three dives – and more on your way to the site.

The Thistlegorm Overnight is a special trip from three of Emperor’s award winning dive centres – Sharm el Sheikh, El Gouna and Hurghada. Your itinerary may vary slightly from centre to centre but wherever you choose, Emperor’s first class guides, boats and crew will make it a fantastic experience.

No more early starts for this Thistlegorm trip; enjoy a relative lie-in before being picked up by Emperor and leaving the jetty later than the other day boats travelling to the Thistlegorm! After a world class first dive at either Ras Mohammed National Park or one of the fantastic wrecks of Abu Nuhas, depending on which centre you’re diving with, you’ll arrive in the afternoon for your first dive on the Thistlegorm – just as everyone else is leaving! So you get to enjoy the Thistlegorm at its most relaxed, far from the earlier madding crowds. After a relaxing surface interval, it’s time for the Thistlegorm night dive. This truly is an awe inspiring dive at night and one that you’ll remember for a long time.

After the thrill of a fantastic night dive, its time to relax and chat about your dives over an evening meal with your fellow divers before turning in to your comfortable cabin and looking forward to the next day’s diving. An earlier start awaits and again you get to dive the Thistlegorm, this time exploring its cavernous holds, before all the day boats arrive. That’s three dives with hardly anyone else on this massive wreck! Breakfast awaits you back on board and then it’s back to base, stopping again at Ras Mohammed National Park or Abu Nuhas for some more quality diving. If this isn’t enough for you, then there’s also a chance to do a third dive!

Post courtesy of Emperor Divers News Blog

Gulf of Aqaba North Cruise

This new 7-day safari will take you to sites where few, if any, boats venture. There will be some known dive sites but the aim is to discover new ones!  Magnificent drift, reef and wall diving, caves, plateaus and the blue. Dive into an underwater world that is unique in both its variety and its sheer number of species.   Here’s what you can expect to visit on a typical Gulf of Aqaba North Cruise.   Some dive sites might not accessible due to weather conditions.  

Day 1
Transfer to the boat. Welcome on board, cabin arrangement and boat-briefing.
Day 2
Sail early morning. Check dive/skills review is made at a local dive site. The boat then sails to the Straits of Tiran.
Day 3
Passing by Dahab you can visit the famous sites of the Bells, Blue Hole, Canyon, Eel Garden or the Islands. South of Dahab, within in the Nabq National Park, Gabr el Bint features a steep wall and colorful coral gardens. Two dives are possible here. These dives are among the most attractive in Sinai. Dive Gebel El Aswad, an underwater mountain only accessible by boat.
Day 4
One of the highlights is the Ras Mamlach area, home to the most northern dive sites of the Abu Galum National Park. Amazing fan corals, table corals, soft corals followed by a steep wall. Barracudas and jacks pass by in the blue of the Gulf of Aqaba.
Day 5
Dive sites in the Nuweiba area include Marsa El Muqabila and Ras El Shaitan with its incredible mountain scenery. Closer to Nuweiba is El Magana, this site is famous for sea grass beds with small marine species such as nudibranches and seahorses – a superb location for macro photography. Other dive sites include the M.F.O. Pipeline, Abu Lou Lou and the Sinkers, an old Israeli buoy with chains that are covered in beautiful soft corals. El Mazrique has a landscape of coral hills and valleys and an impressive five meter high brain coral!
Day 6
More ravines, walls, caves, hills and chimneys. Ras Abu Galum is a sheltered bay where you can dive incredible wall dives from both the north and the south.
Day 7
Back to Sharm and dive the world famous Shark and Jolanda Reef in Ras Mohammed National Park.

Follow the link for more information: http://www.emperordivers.com/liveaboards_routes_deepnorth.php

Divemaster Dan Zanoni

Dan has always wanted a job that combined his diving, his degree (marine biology) and involved some form of research. Out of the blue in November he was approached by his old university in Norway with an offer to return and be in charge of their new Sperm Whale Research Team and it was just too much temptation to resist.

And so we say farewell to a very popular member of the team, but I am sure we will be able to get him to do some guest appearance articles for the Newsletter, as these have proved so popular. I wonder what those might be about?

He says to all his friends – if you ever want to go snorkelling with Killer Whales in November in Norway, feel free to make contact, but bring a dry suit and extra thermals, you’ll need it.”

Post courtesy of Emperor Divers News Blog: http://www.emperordivers.com/blog/