Scuba Travel have departures throughout the year of the Red Sea Relaxed itinerary, so there is always a date to suit!

Embarkation
Whirlwind departs from Sharm

Trip Duration
All of our Red Sea Relaxed photoFINish trips run for 7 nights with 7 nights spent on board your liveaboard.

The open dive deck policy on this trip means that the exact number of dives will vary depending on each diver!

All liveaboard itineraries are subject to various unpredictable changes including weather conditions and changes in local Government approval. Whilst our boat operators make every effort, we cannot guarantee diving at specific sites. In adverse weather conditions, the guides and captain of the boat will have the final decision about which dive sites to visit to ensure that the safety of guests, staff and boats is not compromised in any way.

Arrival
Once you have been picked up from the airport you will be taken to the port to board your liveaboard. If you are making your own way to the harbour we ask that you not board before 18:00. There will be a full welcome briefing on arrival and you can set your kit up. If you have prepaid any rental equipment this will be given to you on arrival. There is then your first dinner and you can settle in for the evening. The boat will not leave harbour on this first night.

After the boat permissions are sorted, the boat will depart the next morning and the check dive will be made.

A normal Red Sea Relaxed PhotoFINish itinerary will dive at the following areas but the exact dive sites and order will vary week by week depending on what people enjoy, where the best sightings have been and reflect diver experience levels.

Shaab el Urg
Want dolphin photos? Then Shaab el Urg is your kind of site! The resident pod of bottlenose dolphins are frequently seen here and are famous for their friendly attitude. Time will usually be spent here not only as part of the check dive, but also at the end of the trip to give you a second chance to shoot these fast moving beauties.

Gubal Island - Ulysses, Bluff Point and the Barge
Gubal Island is home to no less than 3 distinct dive sites, and you can even dive each of these a number of ways. However, photographers tend to zone in on the ever popular Barge.

Jump off the back of the boat and you find the sloping reef, home to all manner of morays, stone fish and small schooling fish. Look for the famous George, a vast and wizened old giant moray. The Barge wreck has broken up over the years, but remains a focal point for divers and fish life alike. Crocodile fish rest on the beam and cardinals cluster under the remains of the bow. Can you photograph the eggs in their mouth?

A morning session is planned here before heading to Ras Mohammed and then a night dive at Tiran.

Tiran - Jackson, Gordon and Thomas
Few coral gardens can compete with the glorious coral gardens of Jackson. This is clown fish city! Keep your eyes peeled for the rare red anemone. Large sea fans cling to the walls, with their long nosed hawk fish inhabitants. Gordon is distinctive for the tar barrels that are slowly becoming part of the reef and a vast school of banner fish live on the drop off.

A full day is planned here. The night dive is usually at Ras Katy or Temple.

Thistlegorm
The Thistlegorm needs little introduction to UK divers and photographers have all manner of photo opss. Sunk during the 2nd World War, she was laden with munitions and with several dives (including a night dive) to explore the holds, decks and environs, you will discover just why this ranks as one of Egypt's top dives. You can easily spend several dives exploring the inside and outside of this wreck and still not see all her treasures. Top shots include the bikes in the hold, tender wagons on the decks and of course stern guns.

A full afternoon, night and morning dive are usually planned here, depending on sea conditions

Abu Nuhas
Photographers keep coming back to the atmospheric wrecks at Abu Nuhas, each with their own distinictive character. The Giannis D and Carnatic are the youngest and oldest wrecks respectively. The Giannis D has a brilliant (and easy!) engine room penetration, and offers a real chance to work on your lighting skills. You can swim easily through the corridors and into the rooms as they have been cleared without entanglement risk. Head to the Carnatic for the oldest wreck - the iron ribs are iconic and the wreck is smothered in marine life.

A full afternoon and morning session is planned here.

Transit sites
To make the most efficient use of your dive time, there will a handful of dives offered at sites whilst en route to your next open deck location. On this itinerary, this may include Ras Mohamed, Shark and Yolanda and Small Crack. Whilst there may not be extra time at these sites, they have been carefully chosen and each offer awesome photo ops. Coral city! Grab the wide angle and off you go.

Disembarkation
Once the diving is done and your kit all washed and packed, it will be time to disembark. On the final day (your flight day) you will have an early breakfast on board before your transfer arrives. You will have day use at a local hotel with a buffet lunch and limited soft drinks included. You will be advised locally of your final pick up time for your airport transfer.