From Hamata to the Siyal Islands including Fury Shoal and St Johns
Deep South Egyptian Red Sea on Coral Queen July 2002

by Iain Paul

Divers swim over a reef Soft red coral A Moray eel Pencil star Soft pink coral The coral-encrusted wreck of the tug Tienstein A Spanish Dancer nudibranch Skylights on the tanker wreck Table coral A lion fish Soft coral on the sails of the Endymion Deck of the fishing boat Bumphead parrot fish Wreck of the yacht Endymion

The Boat
This was my second trip on the Coral Queen in the Southern Egyptian Red Sea area having been introduced to her and the area by fellow club members 2 years ago. Packages on the Coral Queen, a 24 metre long twin screw cruiser of wooden construction are offered in the UK through Oonas Divers. Accommodation for a maximum of 12 guests is in twin bunk cabins all with en suite toilet & shower and there is a crew of 8. Air conditioning is fitted in the saloon and all cabins, though this is generally only run during late afternoon and evening.

The Flight
Although convenient for most, lunch time flights with Excel Airways meant travelling down the previous day for those of us from the far north (Aberdeen), along with an overnight stay. This was achieved with BA and the Gatwick Travel Inn. Although having no problems on the BA connection, I had serious concerns over the weight allowance indicated on the Excel ticket only 20kg + 5kg hand luggage, combined with post September 11th security. This because I am a keen u/w photographer and also wanted to have spares available in case of kit failures during the intensive fortnight's activities. In practice, having reduced things as much as possible (who needs clothes on a Red Sea Live aboard?), but still a little overweight, there appeared to be a reasonably realistic application of the limit for divers and my concerns proved unfounded. Don't stretch your luck though as even hand baggage was weighed. In keeping with the airlines publicity, flights left on time and actually landed ahead of schedule in Hurghada. Seating was however somewhat cramped with a very noticeable reduction in legroom compared to that on the earlier BA connection. There was also some confusion and amusement when we were advised by the flight crew of the adjustments to set our watches at local time. Everyone knew they were wrong but not by how much - actually an hour when checked against an airport display.

Met in arrivals by the local Thomas Cook representative, and having finally purchased our visas, cleared all procedures and claimed our luggage, we were ushered out through the heat and darkness to (on this occasion) a luxury air-conditioned coach. This would take us the 250km to Hamata along with guests staying on Coral Queen's sister ship Coral Princess. Before setting off on the 5½ hour journey every guest was supplied with a selection of snacks and a large bottle of water (which most opted to leave in the cooler until later). After a convenience / refreshment break part way, we arrived in Hamata and were welcomed and taken on board by our respective dive guides for the week, ours being Trish Henchoz, a South African born in Scotland. Boarding in the early hours of the morning, we paired up, flipped for the top /bottom bunk in the twin cabins and did initial unpacking and setting up of dive kit to enable kit bags to be stowed. There was a brief welcome before we turned in for the rest of the night.

Our first day, we were broken in very gently, with the engines starting about 8am, to a routine of waking up in time for a briefing, diving, eating the appropriate meal and then sleeping until the next dive. On this the first morning a further round of introductions and safety briefings took place during which all the crew were introduced. Initial briefs emphasised the necessary safety aspects and equipment to be considered, particularly the fact that although emergency oxygen is carried on board, being very remote (by boat and road) from the nearest recompression chamber at Marsha Shagra, there would be a considerable time delay in getting there if it was required. A nice touch, having reminded everyone of the importance of remaining properly hydrated at all times, was the free availability of rehydration powder sachets. As a serious expedition to a remote area, this trip is advertised for experienced divers only. An Advanced Diver/OWI , I was accompanied onboard by a mixture of BSAC (experienced Sports to Advanced) including 2 from my own club, SAA and PADI backgrounds.

We then had a 9.30am start to diving at Abu Galawa small on Fury shoal. This combines the wreck of a yacht with the spectacular hard coral formations of the reef on which it foundered, and was used as a check dive for both divers and kit. Although starting with a wreck, unlike further north this is definitely not a trip for those only wanting to dive wrecks. We in fact dived 5 different wreck sites including 2 yachts, a fishing boat, a tug and half a tanker, but apart from the last, these formed only a minor part of the dive with the majority of time being spent on the reefs. On Coral Queen the emphasis is very much on the coral which has so far been largely unaffected by divers. This can be in the form of spectacular formations of hard coral formations, with soft being equally spectacular on other sites corals . On all sites the marine life of all shapes and sizes can only be described as abundant.

Unlike other boats which are based further north, Coral Queen being based at Hamata, is already adjacent to Fury Shoal and even on standard one week tours can spend all its time there and at the more southerly St Johns Reef without incurring long periods of overnight motoring. For the annual 2 week trip the emphasis is on going even further south deep into Egyptian / Sudanese border waters exploring new reefs, habilis and ergs as well as the best of those previously dived. Whilst inevitably requiring to travel long distances, spread over the 2 weeks, this was generally achieved by reef hopping during the daytime surface intervals, minimising disturbance of sleep by the engines, although some days there was some pre dawn motoring. The extra benefit of being so far south is the general lack of other boats and divers.

By the end of the first day we had travelled down from Abu Galawa to Mikawa Island (Sirnaka as the locals refer to it). Over the following days we proceeded further south, via Habili Wasta with its remarkable gorgonians and black corals and then Abu Basala, to the Fendera / Siyal and Ohrob areas. Here we spent 4 days moving between the many reefs, habilis and ergs many of which are uncharted and unnamed but known to the crew through their previous fishing experience. On occasion, sighting the outline of a habili whilst on passage, we stopped and dived it with excellent results. During this time we revisited the wreck of a yacht first dived in 2001 from Coral Queen, which has since been identified over winter as that of the Endymion. Despite only going down in 1997, with most of the sails and running rigging still in place, it is rapidly being claimed by the coral, even the furled sails supporting sizeable soft corals.

One of the features of the warmer waters of the far south of Egypt, which Guido Sherif has long promoted as an attraction, is the presence of bumphead parrot fish. Nobody on board, other than Trish, had previously seen any, but this trip was to prove an exception. On our first dive at Fendera no sooner had we entered the water than we realised that we were within 30 metres of a shoal of about 50. If other fish are to be likened to sheep or cattle, these with their immensely powerful build and solid bump on their forehead must surely be the Bison. We all watched in awe as one particularly solid fish (the bull or matriarch?) kept the rest in order with rapid shepherding movements around the shoal. As this encounter was so unusual, we returned to the site on our way back north a few days later with great hopes but little expectation. We were however to be treated to an even more astonishing sight as the numbers had increased to nearer 100. Even this was to be put in context by a night dive on "The Nursery" a more northerly reef where we had previously seen the fish grazing on the reef top from the boat but not from underwater. On that occasion with minimal lighting we were able to approach very close to the fish whilst they were sheltering in large semi open topped caves in the reef.

Progressing northwards we spent a couple of days on sites in the St Johns reef area, including Little Reef and St Johns Woods an amazing collection of habilis, small coral pinnacles and outcrops. We then moved on via Mikawa Island where we stretched our legs ashore for the first time in about 10 days and did some bird watching. This appears to be a nesting area not only for gulls and other seabirds, but also various hawks and most impressively, Ospreys. To see the colossal disused nests at ground level, complete with fish skeletons, was an eye opener. Even more so was the realisation at one point that not one, but THREE Ospreys were perched on the navigation marker just 50m away from where Coral Queen was moored. With a number of us having night-dived here in the past we were all very surprised to learn of the presence of a wrecked fishing boat only about 50m from the reef wall. The stern lying at about 20m depth and bow in 50m. Having heard about it we were all keen to do this as the morning's deep dive, with added benefit of a long lie-in due to the lack motoring to a new site. Whilst the boat's identity and cause of sinking are not known, we suspect that fire may have played a part. The deck and other woodwork is totally intact in places but almost gone in others.

Return from Mikawa was via Erg Sataya where we started encountering other boats again and did an almost pre-dawn dive to beat their divers into the water. This was more than made worthwhile by an encounter with a school of 10 hammerheads approaching to within about 5-10 metres from us. This was then followed by Wreck Sataya the remains of the stern half of a tanker that lies in 30m of water adjacent to the shore reef, and then to Fury Shoal and Abu Galawa Kebruk with the wreck of the harbour tug Tienstein. Despite having seen the top of the main bow frame showing above the surface, those who had not visited the site before were initially oblivious to its presence as they approached it underwater as it is so completely covered in luxuriant coral growth.

With the final day upon us, diving was again on Fury shoal. Firstly at Shaab Maksour, unfortunately without sharks, and then "The Playground" (Malahi) a superb reef with interconnected amphitheatres and passages of hard coral which were spectacularly illuminated in the morning light through a now mirror calm surface. Here we were also able to approach close to a group of 5 small white-tips. The final dive saw my second turtle of the trip, and that was it; no more diving- what a shock after 13 days.

Following suggestions from previous guests, we were given the opportunity to try a change in itinerary for the end of the trip. Instead of staying on board until Friday morning, when the boat arrived in Hamata on Thursday afternoon after a rapid rinsing, drying and packing of kit we were immediately transferred to Hurghada where accommodation, dinner and breakfast was laid on at the Marlin Inn, a 4 star hotel. This allowed us to have a full day being tourists and shopping in Hurghada, something that would not otherwise have been possible. (The opening and use of Marsa Alam airport in 2003 will greatly reduce transfer times and alter these arrangements.) Collected late Friday afternoon by the minibus, it was off to the airport and the return flights, which were again cramped but on time.

Costs
Tour cost £1790 (2 weeks 2001) included all flights and transfers. Unlike some other liveaboards, all bottled water, hot and cold drinks are fully inclusive within the tour cost, with the fridge and kettle being constantly stocked ready for guests to help themselves. The only additional expenditure is for any alcohol, which has to be purchase at the Duty Free and transported down to the boat with you. Food is of a good standard and is a mix of European with traditional Egyptian fare. It is laid out as a buffet in the saloon following a dive with everyone helping themselves. The exception being when doing a night dive, dinner would be an hour or so before the dive with dessert held over till after! Although everyone was self sufficient with equipment, hire equipment can be arranged in advance through the dive village at Marsha Shagra with this being collected en route for Hamata. Back-up equipment held on board is limited unless other guests have taken it. (Make sure your kit has been recently serviced and dive tested thereafter before your departure and consider that you may do the equivalent of a full seasons diving during the trip!) All diving is on air, using 12l aluminium cylinders.

Diving Arrangements
Diving is "unlimited" though generally 4 dives are offered most days starting just after dawn to go deep and look for sharks and finishing with either a dusk or night dive. Depending on the site there was a mix of diving to and from the spacious dive deck on Coral Queen herself, from her RIB or a combination of the two. It was well organised and well briefed by Trish Henchoz who was often to be found snorkelling around the reef prior to a dive just to make sure her briefing sketches were up to date with the whereabouts of interesting life. Having quickly identified everyone's ability she was happy for us to do our own thing after being dropped on the site, with little or no limits on timing other than for decompression purposes or on night dives. Often, if not directly accompanying on a dive, us she would appear out of the blue just to check we were OK and then disappear again to visit others. Guests could opt in or out of organised dives or go swimming and snorkelling on a site as they wished. Despite often extended times in the water, surface intervals were generally very good with no rushing, an average being around 3 hours. The crew were extremely helpful throughout, assisting everyone with kitting up and de-kitting even zipping up wetsuits! At the end of a dive, jackets and cylinders were removed from you almost before you were off the ladder, the jackets and regulators being transferred onto full cylinders ready for the next dive even before you were out of your suits!

Temperatures
With this trip being during mid July, minimum water temperatures recorded by the dive computer varied through the trip with 26°C being the absolute minimum on the deep dives when we passed the thermocline. Most dives showed a minimum of 28-30°C and it would have been interesting to see the maximum temperature, which at a guess would possibly have been 32-34°C in some of the lagoons! Despite these temperatures, most folk wore full 3mm wetsuits, for protection (we frequently felt stings on our face), but some used shorties and on occasion others even went in with T shirt & shorts. Though not always the case at any time of year, sea conditions were good throughout, ending up with a complete millpond on the last day!

Package organised by Oonasdivers, Eastbourne, Sussex. Tel 01323 648924 www.oonasdivers.com

Coral Queen web site including panoramic views of the boat www.coralqueen.com

Report by Iain Paul, Advanced Diver / Advanced Instructor iain@iainjpaul.freeserve.co.uk www.ellonsubaquaclub.org.uk

All photos by Iain Paul.

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