A DIFFERENT SIDE OF DAHAB


By Robert McClure

I suppose for many, the prospect of my taking a gap year might have provoked cries of "get a job you lazy sod" and "don't be so irresponsible". However, as I'm a fifty three year old Chartered Mechanical Engineer with thirty odd years of work behind me, I was instead treated to an astonished silence! Although I can't remember when my wife Rita and I first thought about taking a career break, sitting here writing this article and reflecting on some of the experiences, I have to say that there are absolutely no regrets.

Faced with the opportunity of travelling to anywhere in the world I know that our initial choice of Egypt met with some wry smiles, after all what's wrong with all those exotic places like French Polynesia, Micronesia or Australasia? Well, one of the things we wanted to do was to get involved with voluntary organisations that combine the pleasurable activity of diving with something vaguely useful and as this was our first "dip of the toe in the water", Dahab looked like a safe bet.

After a first night at Sharks Bay, due to a late flight, we got on our way through the mountains by taxi and if I was being honest, I would have to say that the Dahab I initially discovered was not something for which I was totally prepared. I admit that I knew we would be living in the Bedouin district of Assala outside the main holiday area and I can't say that I wasn't expecting basic living conditions, but I hadn't realised up until that point that the Bedouin village would have so many, well, buildings! I suppose I had some romantic idea of blanket strewn wooden framed dwellings with palm fronds everywhere, which turned out to be the first of many misconceptions about Egypt.

After my wake up call it was a relief to arrive at the project centre and to be greeted by friendly faces chilling out on rugs and enjoying the morning sunshine. My spirits soared.

The M.A.T.E. (Man And The Environment) project centre is run by a venerable Australian by the name of Ian Penberthy who has been in Egypt for about eleven or so years, speaks fluent Arabic and loves both the Bedouin culture and camels in equal parts. It didn't take long to realise that we would rub along nicely and were soon sitting outside the local chicken shop, known by us as Le Poulet, eating lunch and talking about what the next two or three months would be like.

Dahab is really quite small but we did spend the rest of that day exploring both the town and the immediate countryside with Ian to get acquainted with our new surroundings. First impressions were of a harsh country of immense beauty with friendly people that seemed to be at ease with people from different cultures and after four and a half months in Egypt this year, I don't think I've fundamentally altered that view.

For the most part we lived in basic but adequate accommodation, which comprised of a living area, a small kitchen (which used to be a hen house), an outside Turkish-style toilet and an open air shower of distinctly questionable efficiency! We had a small weekly living allowance and we made sure that we stuck as close to the budget as we could by cooking most meals and not getting seduced by the lure of cold beers every night. Needless to say the good intentions with regard to beer didn't last forever but the change in diet and lifestyle soon saw the pounds falling off and it wasn't long before I found my once perfectly fitting dive suit flushing with horrible monotony.

Days became weeks and weeks turned into months and before I knew it we had friends among the army of non-local residents, the Bedouin and the other Egyptians in the area. We felt part of the place and had developed an insight to how it was all stitched together. Sharing life with Ian helped of course as he seemed to be known not only for his enthusiasm to get involved with everything but also for his highly identifiable Jeep. It didn't have many of the normal fittings, such as doors etc. and the bits that it did have didn't always work but it did fit perfectly into the environment. It came complete with a distinctive wooden roof used to hold our dive gear and which served as an ideal place to stand on to survey dive sites. It was probably the ideal chariot for the driving style of the area, both on and off road. Although not quite as suicidal as trying to drive in Cairo, it still calls for a different mental attitude, one which assumes nothing and is prepared for driving the wrong way up a dual carriageway when it suits. You must also never forget that driving with your lights on at night is guaranteed to irritate other motorists as batteries must be conserved at all cost and accidents are in the hands of Allah!

To this day I still have trouble thinking of diving in warm clear waters as work but that is what a large proportion of our time was spent doing. Ian was committed to helping the National Parks of Egypt do something that might help preserve one of their greatest assets, namely the reef and we, along with one or two others, were there to help him.

The largest part of our work was carrying out base-line surveys at all the majors dive sites for coral health and diversity plus the presence and volume of both specific fish types and invertebrate. The purpose of all these surveys was to provide the National Parks and any other interested bodies with objective evidence, which they could use for analysis if they so chose. In addition to these surveys we undertook a small amount of coral mapping and plenty of trash diving in an effort to keep on top of the unbelievable amount of rubbish that finds its way into the water.

In my mind there's no doubt that being in the water almost every day provided the biggest contribution to improving my diving skills. I found that before long I had completely forgotten about such mundane things as buoyancy and instead starting bitching about the lack of places on my jacket to attach stuff! In fact I soon learnt a lot more about all of my dive kit, which bits I liked, which bits I would like to change and it was the most unexpected things that seemed to turn out being the most significant. For example, after getting caught in a fishing net I now know the best place to wear my knife and why it needs to be bloody sharp. I also now appreciate why positively buoyant fins are right for me and why they worked so well while hovering over coral when either picking up rubbish or taking transect readings. The list is not endless, but for me, priceless, as identifying and buying kit in the future will be far more objective without having to rely on others "brand loyalty" advice.

The major dive sites that I referred to earlier include everything from The Blue Hole down to Moray Gardens at Wadi Ganai in the South and although I admit that these places were fun to dive, I enjoyed others more.

Ras Abu Gallum is only reached from Dahab by camel along the coastal track or by a long Jeep trip around the mountains, so although it gets its fair share of day trippers having a quick snorkel, it doesn't get to see many divers. So, when Ian told us that we were going to spend three days coral mapping and trash diving as guests of the National Parks it sounded just the ticket.

It was pretty obvious to everyone that Ian's loveable old Jeep wouldn't make the journey without the threat of serious scarring, so it was a camel trip for us. We took Number 1 and Number 2 (Ian's camels) and hired one more from our Bedouin friends up the road from the project centre. Once the camels were loaded with all our dive kit, including weights and cylinders, we headed off up the coast after a stop at the local shops to buy food and essential supplies of crisps. It took about four and a half hours to reach our destination and you can be assured that my backside needed the respite when we finally arrived. Fortunately the Park's manager very kindly gave us permission to use their office for the duration of our stay so we had the benefit of electrickery, courtesy of solar panels and batteries and somewhere off the desert floor to sleep, which meant a slightly warmer night.

The first dive of that first afternoon was a trash dive and although we each carried two large feed sacks with us underwater I didn't expect to fill even one of them. How wrong can you be? Not only did I completely fill both sacks, I had to "walk" the sacks up the sea bed as they were so heavy with everything from plastic bottles and cardboard boxes to shoes and carpets. It was on this reef that I very nearly had a "too close" encounter with the biggest Moray I've seen outside the Caribbean. I thought Ian was pointing at a small plastic bag nestling in some coral and I remember thinking to myself that it was strange asking me to pick it up as he was right beside it. I decided that he was probably testing my ability to recover trash from coral without touching anything and duly swum over to where he was hovering, reached out with my little pinkies and stared into a mouth big enough to swallow my fist and arm! My fingers shrunk all on their own, my arm involuntarily snapped back and there then followed a rapid retreat and much merriment from Ian.

It's very easy to forget the time when trash diving because the only natural end to the job is when your sacks are full, so when it was time to surface we didn't have long to make a fire and get some dinner going.

On the second day we were taken by National Parks Land Rover to their office north of Ras Mamlah, which in itself was another surprise as this impressive building seems to rise out of nowhere. Here we started planning for an exercise to map a section of the reef where it seems very few people have been allowed to dive before and that's always an attraction for me. We were dropped off at the dive entrance and agreed an approximate surfacing and pick-up point, the dive time was planned to be an hour, so nothing too strenuous. It was a nice dive with small to medium coral heads sitting on a sandy bottom that gently sloped away to about twenty five metres where it then disappeared down into the blue. I followed the other two who were busy recording what they saw on slates and got on with photographing not only the topography but also some outstanding Gorgonian Fans and Table Corals, some of which showed clear signs of the earthquake which was centred here some years ago. Finally we arrived at our exit point and in the event, we had a few minutes to wait until our transport reached us, so Ian and Rita started to compare their maps (fortunately there was no one to verify my photographs). I've always known my wife to be a remarkable person, after all she's put up with me for over thirty years, but neither Ian nor I were quite able to work out how she had managed to draw a very accurate mirror image of the reef! She thought it was all very normal and even put up a strong case for Ian being in the wrong but in the end got bored with trying to educate two idiots.

Some of the more unforgettable moments at Abu Gallum include being treated to dinner in the Parks office by the local Bedouin chief and marvelling that the wonderful meal just unveiled was Parrot Fish, which was one of those fish that we were hoping to protect! Still it was very tasty. Getting your air refills in Dahab is not really a problem but out there in the wilderness it's a bit trickier. You have to rely either on taking everything with you or on whatever kit is available locally and on this occasion it was a portable compressor operated for us by the local Bedouin. The lack of a working pressure gauge meant that the cylinders were filled by wrist watch and the lack of an extendable air intake meant very tasty air. The former wasn't too much of a hardship as we checked content with our own instruments and topped up again if necessary but it took us a bit of time to find some plastic water piping, which was long enough for us to get fresh air from above the office and not straight out of the exhaust.

One of the other more memorable trips was to the National Park at Gabr el Bint, which is south of Dahab and only accessible by camel and boat. The plan was to conduct surveys in order to reassess the general health of the reef and any further damage from Crown of Thorn starfish thus adding to the data already held on this subject. As we were conducting these surveys on behalf of the National Parks we were given special dispensation to camp out overnight on the beach, which was great as we had a programme that was going to take us three days. We made our way out to Gabr el Bint complete with all our kit on board the Ganet Sinai and Manchat, one of our Bedouin friends, met us there with a couple of camels. As the boat wasn't allowed to stay overnight we needed some form of emergency transport in case of accidents or other problems and Manchat's camels were going to be our lifeline.

Unloading the boat took over three hours as we had to swim everything ashore in a waterproof suitcase and plastic bags and that meant everybody was completely knackered before we even got started. However, the up side to this trip was always going to be diving on a great section of reef and the food as we were being sponsored by the Dahab Hilton. Neither disappointed as the diving was fabulous and we didn't have to feast off grubs and stray goat!

The reef at Gabr el Bint, although not perfect, is still one of the nicest dives in the area and you can still see some great examples of most of the major hard and soft corals. Because the reef is so good you will also see fish in abundance and not just the odd small critter doing its best to hide. You can see first class examples of Black Spotted Sweetlips, Mahsena Emperors, Black Snappers and Silver Pompano and of course you will also see the expected Barracuda, Scorpionfish, Unicornfish, Triggerfish etc. etc. There really is something for everyone at this site and I just hope that it doesn't get so popular that it becomes another victim.

Outstanding moments on this trip would most definitely have to include watching Rita learning how to make bread from Manchat in the traditional Bedouin way. Swinging the stuff around like a floppy Frisbee and cooking on an old bit of tin, which was sitting on an open fire was almost too much to bear but I have to say that it tasted just wonderful. The other thing that sticks in my mind about that particular trip was getting my first taste of bad air, which was unfortunately something I didn't manage to pick up on before I got into the water. It was odd because I couldn't work out why I was feeling so tired and out of breath on that one dive. It was only when I surfaced that I found out that I had the best of the bad air, so to speak, as Chris and Cazz had aborted their survey dive after ten minutes, being on the point of throwing up. It was a shame because by the time we had checked all the remaining cylinders, we realised that we didn't have enough to complete the planned programme.

After the trauma of unloading the boat I don't think anyone was looking forward to swimming everything back out again but it had to be done. Of course it was at this point that sod's law struck and the boat managed to break the only remaining mooring in the slack water area. Now, not only did the boat have to hover around in the open water to avoid being driven on to the coral by the ever present wind but we had to swim out towards it with the kit in front of us, he would motor in, cut his engines, take our parcels from the water and then make his way back out to the rough open water. What a palaver and I thought I was tired after getting our stuff off the boat.

There are still lots of really great dives in and around Dahab for the casual visitor and I suppose your preference is always going to depend on what you are looking for. It's easy to be awed by the reputation of the famous or dangerous sites but I'm always impressed with The Lighthouse, probably one of the most dived sites of all, but with its ceaseless capacity to provide surprises. Time after time I have dived there with friends and encountered one of those elusive and wonderfully colourful Nudibranch, an Octopus swimming furiously in an attempt to escape prying eyes or a curious Napoleon Wrasse and much much more.

When the wind is not too strong you would be well advised to go to the Eelgarden, a site that is perfect for my "bimble" style of diving. You don't have to turbo-fin great distances, sink into the inky blue or complete any feats of daring do; you can just concentrate on what is right in front of you. You will see some of the nicest corals around in the shallows and a sloping sandy bottom that is home to hundreds of eels that just sit there swaying backwards and forwards and if you are considerate, they will continue to perform for you.

It was at the Eelgarden that Chris and I undertook a night dive that turned into one of those great learning experiences. Higher than anticipated surface current made our entry quite difficult, opposing current under the water, failing torches while on the dive and even higher surface currents on the way out. We learnt lots about personal survival! Although it sounds like the dive from hell, it wasn't as both Chris and I just hovered above the sand, switched off our torches and used the moonlight to navigate. It was a fabulous dive made all the more enjoyable by watching Chris trying to avoid a Torpedo Ray from settling on his head. Can't understand why he twitched so hard.

On the other hand if you want something slightly out of the ordinary but don't want to stray out of town, you could always try a drift from Eelgarden to Lighthouse. You need to be fairly good on air as it can take around seventy five minutes on a good day, but it's a shallow dive that will treat you to some great coral with plenty of fish to keep you amused. The really good bit of course is that you don't see other divers until you get to the end and that gives you the time reflect on what a fabulous activity diving is. Because of the lack of bubble blowing mammals you do get to see some very large Double-bar Bream, the beautiful Broom-tail Wrasse and some sizeable Clown Coris along the way. It was on one of these dives with Rutger and Chris that we spotted a Green Turtle sitting on the bottom at about twenty metres just minding her own business.

Does it get much better than this? Well yes it does actually, because one fine day Chris and I had a bonanza while we were diving on the Assala reef out towards the Reef 2000 hotel and diving centre. It's another reef normally devoid of visiting divers because it's only reachable after a two hundred metre surface swim and a battle through the breaking waves. Once under the water though, you forget the tiredness and get on with the exploration of this site, which is absolutely teeming with fish. We had already seen so many different varieties of fish that it was going down as one of those must-talk-about-dives when we came across a sizeable Octopus half in and half out of the coral. Chris and I were so absorbed by this chap and so many photos were being taken that we very nearly missed the big one. I casually turned around preparing to get on our way when out of the coral appeared a Manta; it lifted its huge wings, took one sweep and disappeared into the shallows. Afterwards Chris said my face was a picture and judging by the size of his eyeballs and the fact that his regulator nearly dropped out of his mouth, I don't doubt it.

Apart from improvements in diving skills and having a damn good time, I am amazed at the amount of knowledge I have picked up from Ian and others this year. I surprised myself during one survey dive with Jose in February, when I started writing out on my slate the Latin names of all the corals we were looking at so I could make the dive more informative for her. There was a moment when I feared I had become a patronising old bore but she very kindly said that it was interesting and that for me is the point. I find that while diving now, I am not just staring at the fish or counting bubbles but trying to identify things and I feel I have a much better appreciation of the environment I am enjoying. One down side I suppose, is that I also now get very irritated when I see bad stuff happening under the water, but perhaps that isn't so bad after all, its just healthy concern?

Travelling around the world would be a boring old pastime if it wasn't for the fascinating people you meet and our time in Egypt has provided some lasting friendships. Apart from Ian who I have already mentioned, I have to say a few words about a couple we got to know through their participation in our surveys. Chris Hornbogner, a Bavarian and Jose Hoeflaken, a Dutchie run a small and very distinct travel agency called SeaMore Travel that is registered in The Netherlands but run from Dahab; and for me, the way they run their business is a reflection of their characters. They are a charming couple who feel that there are still lots of divers looking for something a bit different to the large tour companies' offerings. They provide the sort of "dive-where-you-want-when-you-want" personal service that I think appeals to the type of diver I routinely meet in the UK. I suppose over the four and a half months spent in Dahab during 2005 we explored most dive sites together (including Gabr el Bint) and joy of joy, discovered that our diving styles and air consumption were pretty much the same, so no incessant worrying about buddies. We even went off to the NABQ National Park together for three days hunting out new dive sites for an eco-diver package they are planning to offer in the near future. Of course we had our two tame Bedouins who guided and fed us, but most fun was finding out whether we could get into and out of sites without serious bodily harm and when you find something new and accessible, what a buzz!

There have been plenty of other great friendships such as Cazz Doe, a hard working Divemaster from the home counties with a wicked sense of humour (she once told me after guiding a party of Germans that she realised why we enjoyed bombing them so much), Amira El Sherif (affectionately known to all as Abu Blubber), a young Egyptian undergraduate working on her final year thesis, Lena Moberg, a freediver from Malmo in Sweden and too many of the locals to mention.

There are plenty of places to eat and drink around Dahab and if you look hard enough you can always find something a bit different to suit most tastes. I know that when on holiday it's easy to just to opt for the hotel restaurant or those on the water front but some of the best deals are to be had off the beaten track. Okay, the best burger can be found at Carm Inn followed closely by Tota and the best steak probably at Nasima but the cheapest beer with good value food can be had at Adams Bar. For those that want to eat something a little more local, you just won't be able to beat the chicken shop at Assala where you can get a full chicken dinner with proper lemonade (made from fresh lemons) and pay something in the region of £1.20. The owner can't speak English but that doesn't seem to matter and you sit outside while you eat watching life in the Bedouin village pass by. It's what Egypt is all about and is highly recommended for those that want just that bit more.

While in Egypt at the beginning of the year Rita and I were lucky enough to celebrate our thirtieth wedding anniversary and I spent some time wondering what I could do to contrast the utter simplicity of our existence at the project centre. Well, as I mentioned earlier, we had some dealings with the Dahab Hilton sponsoring one of our trips, so it seemed like a natural choice and when the subject came up during a meeting with the English manager the stage was set. I remembered Peter saying that they would make it a special stay for us and we weren't disappointed. Apart from the suite of rooms and the superb service and attention (everyone seemed to have been briefed on our arrival) we were treated to a candlelit dinner on our own, right on the beach. Not only did we have first class dedicated service to our beachside table, but we had the restaurant staff and chef sing to us under the moonlight. What a winner, Dahab still has the capacity to surprise and delight whatever your tastes.

We've spent two periods in Egypt this year, three months from January to March and October through November totalling four and a half months. We've spent time in Cairo and Alexandria, travelled around South Sinai and sampled the delights of buses, trains, camels and cars. We've enjoyed the water, the desert and the people and still feel that we need to return again and again because this is a country that has so much to offer the inquisitive.

There is definitely a Dahab for sun-seekers with its luxury hotels and guaranteed sunshine and there is a Dahab for divers that like to be pampered by guides and explore in groups. There is also a another Dahab, one that caters for the adventurous, the independent minded and one that can offer exciting and individual holidays or opportunities to make a contribution to a unique ecological environment.

I could go on and on as there is so much to tell but if you want to do more than just skim the surface of Dahab you could start by looking at the two web sites listed below and then the rest is up to you. As for me, the year off is now up and it's back to work, but as big Arnie always says "I'll be back".

Ian Perberthy at M.A.T.E. (Man and the Environment) can be reached at:
info@mate-dahab.com
and his web site can be viewed here:

Chris Hornbogner and Jose Hoeflaken at SeaMore Travel can be reached at:
info@seamore-travel.com
and their website can be viewed Here

Bob McClure


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