Itinerary Highlights

  • Going ‘against the flow’ to see the best sites in the southern Red Sea at their quietest times.
  • Elphinstone, Daedalus and St John’s at their quietest with the rarely-dived sites of Rocky and Zabargad also included.
  • This is a 21+ itinerary with all dives made offshore. By staying out of port on the last night there’s potential for up to 22 dives on the trip – the most any of our itineraries offer.
  • A diverse range of marine life such as tuna, barracudas, jacks, groupers, Napoleon, bumphead parrotfish and sharks including hammerheads and occasionally silky and oceanic white tips. Dolphins and turtles in the Fury Shoals, while manta, thresher sharks and whalesharks can always surprise.

New for 2023, Emperor Divers are running an itinerary to give experienced divers the chance to go against the flow and dive the best sites of the Red Sea on what should be their quietest days.

By approaching these iconic sites in the opposite direction to most standard itineraries, we hope to offer you the best opportunity to dive with the fewest number of people around you.

Southern Solitude is a dive-focused trip, heading out of Port Ghalib and immediately arriving in the Elphinstone area. This enables us to make a check dive nearby and then get straight to a site which is normally frequented on the final days of trips. With fewer boats around it should give the chance to enjoy the 300-metre-long reef’s colourful pink and red soft coral sheer walls in relative peace and quiet.

We’ll then go to Daedalus, arriving before most others, to take in its deep walls and drop-offs which offer some of the most spectacular diving to be found, before heading down to the exceptionally remote, and usually quiet, Rocky and Zabargad Islands where even many Red Sea veterans cannot boast to have dived.

Over the next couple of days we will move up through St John’s and Fury Shoals where our guides will find the quietest spots in this vast collection of stunning reef system, which offers some of the most picturesque and rewarding diving in the Red Sea. Fury Shoals also boasts an amazing selection of marine life including super-friendly turtles and a resident pod of spinner dolphins.

This will bring us up to day six when, while others cram into local onshore bays, we’ll do a full day and night diving program on some offshore reefs as we travel north.

This trip is one of our 21+ itineraries, and should offer around 22 dives on proper safari sites by spending six full nights out of port, returning on the morning of day seven just before departure time.

And, while there are few certainties in life, we’re pretty sure that by taking a different approach we can give you the best chance of some Southern Solitude.

*Please be aware the dive sites and areas mentioned in our itineraries are not guaranteed. They are subject to change based on weather conditions and are at the discretion of our cruise director/captain. This is to ensure we provide the best sightings and activities possible during your dive experience while also prioritising your safety.

Dive Sites

Click dive site markers for detailed descriptions.

Dive sites & areas that we may visit are subject to weather conditions.

Elphinstone
Daedalus
Rocky Island
Zabargad
St Johns
Fury Shoals
Abu Dabab
Marsa Alam Airport
Port Ghalib

Also Important

Check Dive & Depart Port Ghalib

Once onboard there will be a safety briefing, crew introduction, complete and check dive paperwork, cabin allocation and boat orientation. Our boats moor in port on arrival day departing early next morning. The first dive is a check dive at Abu Dabab.

Return to Port Ghalib

On the last diving day, there is the potential to do four dives as the boat stays out all night. We return to Port Ghalib at approximately 7.30am with boat departure to be completed by 9.30am. The earliest flight you should take from RMF is 10.30AM and from HRG 1.30PM, to allow for a stress free departure.

Itinerary Experience

Intermediate, 30 dives
We recommend that you have 30 logged dives to join this trip and you should be comfortable diving in drifts and currents as they can vary from gentle to strong. Many dives are below 18m therefore we recommend having advanced experience or taking your PADI Advanced Open Water course on board. Booking a private guide may help divers unsure of their suitability for the trip to maximise their enjoyment. Divers may find some dives challenging and may be asked by the Cruise Director to skip dives that are not suitable for their diving experience. Diving is from zodiacs to give precise entry and exit points.

Learn to Dive Guarantee

Love it or your money back! When having a go at something new it’s essential that you feel confident and comfortable with the idea. The Emperor team is so certain that you’ll love learning to dive with us that, at the end of the first day of tuition if you decide not to proceed, we’ll give you your money back.

Please read our full Terms & Conditions (PDF).