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February 28, 2007
Marsa Alam 'Dives for Earth' Day
Participate in the Ultimate of Earth Day Activities: Project AWARE's Dive for Earth Day. In the week of 22 April, staff at Emperor Divers' Marsa Alam dive centre and Coral Beach Diving Hotel will be taking part in the ultimate of Earth Day activities – the Project AWARE's Dive for Earth Day!
In a bid to protect and clean up our underwater environment, the team will be organising shoreline and underwater cleanups, coral reef and fish surveys, AWARE Kids activities, educational seminars/presentation.
If you're diving Marsa Alam at the same time, then join in, have fun AND improve your underwater world.
Sharm El Sheikh appoints new ex-military manager
A warm welcome goes to Duncan McAllister who has taken over as manager of Sharm El Sheikh dive centre. Duncan learnt to dive with the Army in 1983, and became a SADS (Sub-Aqua Diving Supervisor) with the military in 1985. He was the Diving Officer for several military units and became a BSAC Club Instructor in 1986.
Having left the Forces in 1992, Duncan went to Calcutta, India, for a year where he ran a British-owned company for the Chairman of Sheffield United.
When he returned to the UK, he went into the property business in London as an Operations Director for Jackson-Stops & Staff estate agents.
But diving called and in 2004, he and his partner, Jennie, who is also a dive instructor, moved to Sharm lock, stock and barrel!
Duncan is now a PADI Staff Instructor with 15 Specialities and previously worked in Sharm with Red Sea Diving College as an instructor and therefore knows the area and dive sites well. And finally, the Emperor Team wishes Tim Connor, Duncan's predecessor, all the best with in his new job with Coltri Sub.
New Fleet Manager to make your liveaboard holiday even smoother
From the moment your plane touches down in the Red Sea to the moment it takes off again (just the worst bit), Luciano Lillus will be making sure that all Emperor Fleet liveaboard guests experience the best personal customer service and a holiday to remember.
As Fleet Service Manager, Luciano is based in Hurghada and speaks Dutch, German, French, Italian and English – fluently! And if the face looks familiar, that's because you might remember him from his days working as an instructor for Emperor Divers, Hurghada – and they say he hasn't aged a bit! What's the secret then, Luciano?
February 23, 2007
Guests have a great time on Emperor Infinity
By guests, Gerald & Frank Friedrich and Albert Bayer, Germany
"This trip can only be recommended. Great care from A-Z. We were picked up at Hurghada airport and transferred directly to the boat and the next day our trip started.
During the trip, Anneke and Nick (our guides) looked after us very well, as did the crew who were supporting us during our whole stay onboard and were also very funny. An all-round, perfectly organised trip.
Unforgettable are the detailed briefings where one was able to imagine the dive beforehand. Also the boat, Infinity, offers a rich measure of comfort, a very roomy dive deck where one finds sufficient space even with 20 people. In this trip, everything was simply perfect. And the most important thing - the diving: After the briefing at 7 o'clock in the morning, we were ready to enjoy our first amazing dive. Hungrily we threw ourselves on the breakfast buffet then three more dives followed, interrupted with lying around and chatting about previous dives. There was always tasty and sufficient food. Whoever was interested could do an on-board Nitrox-course for just 99 €. Sure we had to study a little, but if we needed any help, Nick (our instructor) was always supportive and ready to help. The sites were all "superlatives", for example some wrecks like the Thistlegorm, Carnatic and the Giannis D, not to forget the drift dives along the fantastic drop-offs and the prestigious coral gardens. Already at the first dive we joined a school of 12 dolphins, what more do you want?
With pain in our heart we had to end our trip, but not all was finished yet. We were invited to a barbecue where Emperor Fleet guest care manager, Wali, and dive guide, Ute, took very good care of us. With a lot of fun and laughter we spent our last evening. The three of us will carry the beautiful memories of our great liveaboard with Emperor for a long time. We are looking forward to further trips, which we will book definitely with Emperor Infinity again, as it is a great boat.
Many greetings from Gerald and Frank Friedrich, as well as our senior Albert Bayer (he was the oldest on the boat, soon 70 years old and still very active)."
For more information on the wonderful Infinity, click here
February 12, 2007
New wreck close to Hurghada
Recently, one of Hurghada’s inshore dive sites received an ‘extension’ to the attraction it offers. The well known site of ‘El Mina’, the Egyptian Naval Mine Sweeper which sank in the harbour adjacent to the ferry port, now has a new neighbour.
The fishing boat ‘Mohammed Hasabella’ sank whilst on the ‘El Mina’ moorings and now sits perfectly upright on the seabed in 34m at the bow and 29m at the stern. The main deck starts at 29m in the bow area rising to 24m at the rear of the wreck, whilst the shallowest part is at 20m. She can be found by swimming to the stern of ‘El Mina’, taking a bearing of due South, and swimming for around 45m where her bows will rise from the seabed in front of you.
At the time of writing, the boat is virtually intact, including most of the windows, doors, hatches and, unfortunately, some of the nets, so a little care needs to be taken when swimming around the decks. There are also still some ropes and old tyres scattered around that should be avoided for safety. The companion ways on the main deck area are easily big enough to swim along with normal scuba gear or even twin set and stage cylinder for those wanting to explore the wreck for a little bit longer! Penetration of the inner areas, such as the engine room or holds, would prove extremely tricky as the doors and hatches for these are fairly small.
Unsurprisingly, there is hardly any coral growth on the wreck yet, but in direct contrast to this, swimming round by the rudder and propeller reveals some very well established Klunzinger’s soft coral in pinks and purples, with enough growth to show that this boat has not been used for a long while!
For more information, send an email here