Safaris and Liveaboards

Boat Safaris
Although Dahab is well known as a shore diving destination, there are stretches of coastline that are just not accessible by jeep. Some of these dive sites have hardly been dived and we are still discovering new sites today. There are a few day boats now mooring at the jetty in Dahab, one of which Poseidon charters at least once a week on a regular basis or in the high season up to 2 or 3 times weekly. The day boat can be chartered for larger groups, so if your dive club is interested whilst diving then please ask!

We keep numbers low that to ensure your comfort. We visit the dive sites south of Dahab and into the Nabq National Park. A day safari includes two dives (although more can be arranged), lunch and drinks. If you want something a little different or fancy a day sunbathing and relaxing on a boat we have several different options available to you. The most popular is a trip to Gabr El Bint, please see the dive sites page for more details of the diving you will experience.

Thistlegorm safari
We run a one day boat safari to the wreck of the SS Thistlegorm on a regular basis, as this is by far the most famous and popular wreck in the Red Sea. Many divers visiting Sinai do not want to miss out an opportunity to dive it, many of them returning again and again, as it is certainly a wreck that deserves more than one visit and each time you go you are guaranteed to see something different. To see the whole wreck requires more than one dive in itself.

On your dive you will be able to view the supplies the Thistlegorm carried including anti-tank mines, Lee Enfield MK3 rifles, motor cycles, Norton and Bedford trucks, Bren Gun Carriers, 2 steam engines with tenders, field generators, tyres and rubber boots!!. All these can be seen in the holds or laying close to the wreck on the sand, as is the case of the steam engine which was blown clear of the wreck by the explosion!

Jacques Cousteau rediscovered the wreck in 1955 but after writing an article about it he did not however reveal its whereabouts as he must have had a premonition of what would happen once it became dived on regular basis and inevitably what has occurred once it was again rediscovered again in 1992 was the slow destruction of the wreck through ‘souvenir hunting’. It is now impossible to find a truck or motorbike without parts removed. Despite this it is still by far a fantastic experience.

Abu Nuhas & Rosalie Muller
These 2 areas renowned for their spectacular wrecks can now be reached in a day trip from Dahab due to the boat we offer. Abu Nuhas has 4 wrecks sitting side by side that are within recreational diving limits and range for a 19 th century P&O Steamer to a 1980’s cargo ship. The Rosalie Muller is a WW2 wreck of a cargo ship that sits upright and still has pans on the cooker. Two truly awesome sites, and all available as either recreational or technical trips

Camel Safari
A diving safari that’s unique to Dahab is travelling to untouched dive sites by camel! Much of the coastline here is inaccessible to off road vehicles and the only way to reach the dive sites there is by camel or boat. Travelling by Camel is a very popular way to experience a sense of being in the Sinai. These docile animals are able to carry both you, your dive gear including tanks and food and water! The two most popular and enjoyable camel safaris are to Ras Abu Gallum (link) and to Gabr El Bint (link).

Ras Abu Gallum Camel Safari
For some people the thought of a camel safari fulfils all those fantasies of Lawrence of Arabia, desert nights spent under a blanket of stars. A camel safari is the ideal way to experience diving little dived sites and experiencing just a little piece of Bedouin nomadic life. The journey to Ras Abu Gallum begins early to take full advantage of the cool morning air on the hour ride to the first dive site.

Your camel will carry all your dive kit, personal baggage and food and drink. You will be accompanied not only by an experienced dive guide but a Bedouin safari guide who will cook for you over a real fire, and provide you with not only an authentic insight into his culture but an endless supply of Bedouin tea!

If you are on a 2 day safari you will either sleep under the stars in the summer months taking advantage of the cooling breezes that blow in off the Gulf or sleep in one of the husha huts in the winter months, when due to the desert climate the nights can get a little chilly

We can run camel safaris to Ras Abu Gallum for as few as 2 people up to larger groups if you want a different experience for your dive club whilst in Dahab. All safari prices are charged by the day and include food and drink, 4 guided dives and an upgrade price for those on dive package is available.

Gabr El Bint Camel Safari
This safari, like the one to Ras Abu Gallum, can be done over 1 or 2 days and involves a journey by camel from where the road ends south of Dahab to approx 7.5 kms south to Gabr el Bint, which literally translates as ‘The Tomb of the Girl’. The remains of a young nomadic Bedouin girl can still be seen in a cave deep in the rock, it is believed she took ill many centuries ago, while travelling and was buried at this beautiful spot, at the foot of the mountains.

Ras Mohammed
We offer you the opportunity to visit one of the several, but by far the biggest National Park in Sinai. One of the best times to dive these sites is in July when many of the Red Seas Pelagic life venture nearer to land for feeding and it is not rare to see different types of Shark including Hammerheads and Whale sharks.

There are several popular sites to dive within the Park, but by far the most popular is on Yolanda and Shark Reef. The drop off at Shark Reef is believed to fall away to at least 700m and it is not unusual to see Technical divers taking fall advantage of the depth in such beautiful surroundings. Yolanda Reef is named after the wreck of the Merchant Ship which sank here in 1980 and the cargo that was not salvaged now lies scattered around the reef and you can see toilets, sink basins, rolls of lino and bathtubs everywhere you look,

Local boat diving
The spectacular diving area of Gabr El Bint is located almost 30 kilometres south of Dahab and can only be reached by boat or Camel; it is shadowed by the majestic mountains of Sinai, and features virgin reefs. Gabr el Bint is rich with stunning marine life and offers wall diving, vivid coral gardens and gentle sandy slopes with coral outcrops. The wall drops to over 80 metres and is teeming with life. If you are technical diving the deco stop is packed with wildlife also making the stops a pleasure. Gabr el Bint is one of the best dives in Dahab, and combined with the day on our boat Olive, it is a superb day out.