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SUDAN
SCUBA DIVE THE RED SEA
ITINERARIES

Sudan Travel Info

Dive Sites

Charters are organised from the UK so individuals, couples and small groups can book knowing that they can share a week with other like-minded divers with no language problems. Experienced divers and photographers are left to pursue their own goals, whereas the less experienced can be accompanied or receive additional training.

A safari into Sudanese waters is an expedition to some of the Red Sea’s most remote sites. A mix of stunning reefs, pelagic action and exceptional wreck dives. Visibility can be absolutely breathtaking.

The full trip price includes Marine Park fees and ALL local taxes in Sudan, and last night in a Hotel.
Guests will need to purchase Sudan Entry Visa before departure. Places will be in demand so we suggest booking early.

Sudan itinerary out from Port Ghaleb Egypt

Day 1: Port Ghaleb – Embarkation – Sailing at Night to Fury Shoal or St.John reef.
Day 2 : Check dive at Fury Shoal or St.John reef. Diving the whole day.
Sailing after night dive to Abu Fendira reef.
Day 3 : Early morning dive at Abu Fendira reef. Sailing to Port Sudan.
Day 4 : Arriving early morning to Port Sudan for Visa Registration & local
taxes payment (approx 2 hours), sailing to Umbria wreck for two dives,
sailing to Wingate reef for third & night dive.
Day 5 : Diving the whole day at Sanganeb reef (North & South plateau).
Day 6 : Early morning dive at North plateau of Sanganeb reef, then sailing to Shaab
Rumi for second dive at “Cousteau Conshelf” and night dive.
Day 7 : Diving the whole day Shaab Rumi. Sailing early morning to Shab Suadi.
Day 8 : Early morning & morning dives at the Blue Belt (Toyota Wreck), third dive
at the northern plateau of Shab Suadi, sailing at night to Angarosh reef.
Day 9 : Diving the whole day at Angarosh reef.
P.S : Sailing to Mesherifa for afternoon dive & overnight (only in October for the Manta season)
Day 10 : Sailing to Abington reef, diving the whole day, night dive and overnight.
Day11 : Sailing to Merlo reef, diving the whole day, night dive and overnight.
Day12 : Sailing early morning to Angarosh reef for 2 dives then Sailing to St.John reef.
Day13 : Depending on weather conditions and arrival time (one or two dives) at
St.John reef , sailing to White Rock for afternoon & last dive, sailing to Port Ghaleb.
Day14 : Port Ghaleb – Disembarkation & last night hotel.

Departing from Port Sudan we head north stopping at Sha’ab Suedi for the popular Blue Belt wreck before continuing beyond the weekly range of most of the other dive boats to dive Qita el Banna, Angarosh, Abington and Merlo in the northern reaches of the itinerary. During Manta season we also include a half day excursion to Mesharifa to snorkel with the feeding mantas. As we turn back to the south we stop at Sha’ab Rumi for the breath taking southern plateau and Cousteau’s Precontinent experiment. The final leg of the safari puts us at Sanganeb Atoll and Wingate reef for the world famous Umbria wreck. A usual day onboard will be 3 day dives and a night or dusk dive.

Day 1:- Depart Heathrow on Egypt Air's scheduled service to Cairo.
Day 2:- Arrive Cairo and transfer to Le Meridian Pyramids hotel. Possible excursion to the Pyramids & Cairo museum (offered locally). In the evening transfer to Cairo Airport for Sudan Airways scheduled service to Port Sudan
Day 3-8:- 6 days/7 nights diving onboard Freedom
Day 9:- The liveaboard returns to Port Sudan where you have the day to investigate the town and its market before your return flight to Cairo. On arrival transfer to the Sheraton Heliopolis or the Movenpick Hotel for an overnight stay.
Day 10:-Return flight with Egypt Air to London Heathrow.

This 2 week itinerary gives us the perfect opportunity to dive all the key sites found in the 1 week Classic safari to the north of Port Sudan more intensely as well as diving some of the less known or unknown sites in the region. Given favourable conditions it is possible to push further north then on the 1 week classic safari and dive some of the truly remote reefs found in the no mans land between Egypt and Sudan. Given the remoteness and the intensity of the diving a no diving half day ‘degas’ is built into the middle of the safari. A usual day onboard will be 3 day dives and a night or dusk dive.

Day 1:- Depart Heathrow on Egypt Air's scheduled service to Cairo.
Day 2:- Arrive Cairo and transfer to Le Meridian Pyramids hotel. Possible excursion to the Pyramids & Cairo museum (offered locally). In the evening transfer to Cairo Airport for Sudan Airways scheduled service to Port Sudan
Day 3-15:- 13 days/14 nights diving onboard Freedom
Day 16:- The liveaboard returns to Port Sudan where you have the day to investigate the town and its market before your return flight to Cairo. On arrival transfer to the Sheraton Heliopolis or the Movenpick Hotel for an overnight stay.
Day 17:-Return flight with Egypt Air to London Heathrow.

As more of this wonderful country becomes accessible to tourism it becomes necessary to venture further off the beaten track to get that true frontier experience. This is what this itinerary is about. 60 miles to the south of Port Sudan lay the Suakin (Sawakin) Group of islands. Due to the difficulty in getting there (and back) this group of reefs and islands remains largely undived. Like St John’s in the southern Red Sea of Egypt, most of the islands and reefs are deep-water pinnacles which mean they are perfect locations for possible sightings of large pelagic animals.Hindi Gidir, Jibna, Shaab Anbar, Leary, Protector are just some of the reefs that promise some spectacular diving in this region of the Sudanese Red Sea. With Sanganeb and the Umbria so close to Port Sudan we usually drop in for a couple of dives either on the way out or back. Given the distances between dive sites and the night moorings it may not always be possible to do 3 day dives and a night/dusk dive. Some days will only be 2 day dives and a night/dusk dive.

A 2 week itinerary in this region will enables you to delve right into the heart of the Suakin Archipelago. Untouched diving, hidden reefs and the thrill of the unknown makes this a very special itinerary. Starting from Port Sudan we head south to the Suakin Archipelago and dive the deep water pinnacle reefs of the outer rim. Some of the reefs have no name, appear on no chart and are nothing more than a GPS mark. This is true frontier diving. Given the distances required to travel on some days of the itinerary it may not always be possible to do 3 day dives and a night/dusk dive. Some days will only be 2 day dives and a night/dusk dive. Given the remoteness and the intensity of the diving a no diving half day ‘degas’ is built into the middle of the safari.

Umbria
Wingate reef is just 35 minutes out of Port Sudan and is the resting place of the Umbria, arguably the Red Sea’s most photogenic wreck. Scuttled by the Italian crew in 1940, to avoid capture by the British, she was en route to Calcutta, via Eritrea, with a mixed cargo including over 350,000 bombs. She was also carrying tyres, wine and 3 Fiat Lagunas, all of which she took to the bottom with her. This 150m wreck lies at a max 40m over on her port side, her starboard side just breaking the surface. The funnel & mast have long since collapsed and liferafts are scattered on the seabed around her. An initial investigation can be done by snorkel, as there’s little current. The hull and handrails are heavily encrusted and the holds are open and easily entered. The starboard propeller is intact and clear of the bottom so makes for an excellent photo opportunity at 18m. Spanish Dancers, crabs, lobsters and small octopus have made their homes here and sharks are often seen prowling in open water.

Sanganeb
Sanganeb is found about one and a half hours north of the "Umbria". This reef rises from 800m depth to the surface. There is a manned British built lighthouse towering 70m above the reef and divers and non-divers can enjoy a tour to the top to take photos of the glorious reef below. It is only 288 steps to the top!
The South plateau on Sanganeb is a fabulous dive and soft and hard corals with schooling Jack, Barracuda, Tuna and Snapper are abundant. Grey reef sharks cruise close by you with the occasional White Tip reef shark swimming past. There are sometimes Hammerheads, Silky and Oceanic White Tips here as well as occasional Manta rays.
The North plateau is an outstanding dive although potentially quite dangerous. This is a deep dive with a lower plateau at 45m where schooling Hammerheads are common. It is normal to see Grey Reef Sharks, Silvertips and White tips here. Where the boat anchors inside the lagoon there is often a huge pod of dolphins and it is normal to snorkel amongst them.

Sha'ab Rumi
Of any site in the Red Sea this one really captures the imagination. Some 25 miles North East from Port Sudan the reef here has a plateau at 9metres and a steep drop-off. In 1963, Jacques Cousteau ran his Conshelf II Underwater Living experiments here and 5 men spent a month underwater. Forty years later you can still swim amongst the remains of his village. Just a dark shadow from the boat, once underwater you begin to make out an onion-shaped structure standing on three legs. This is the submarine’s steel hangar, still airtight; divers’ bubbles have created an airpocket inside. Other debris includes shark cages and metal remains of the tool shed, all delicately encrusted with corals..

Sha'ab Su'adi & the Blue Belt Wreck
Thought to have been smuggling from Saudi Arabia, the cargo ship Blue Belt missed a passage through the reef and struck Sha’ab Su’adi in December 1977, 50 miles north of Port Sudan. She lies upturned at right angles to the reef her bow is on the sand at 18m and the stern at 70m plus. Loaded with cars, trucks, tractors and spares she’s known locally as the Toyota wreck. Remains of vehicles are scattered on the seabed around the wreck and make for some interesting rummaging.

Angarosh
Three sides are steep current swept walls while the southern side has a gently sloping reef. Sharks and schooling Barracuda may be seen here but the site is most famous for its Manta Rays.

Abington
Marked by a lighthouse this reef only just breaks the surface. Steep drop-offs on three sides while on the southeastern side coral gardens offer some lovely diving with good light. Reef sharks are common there’s also the chance of an occasional manta.

Merlo
1,2 mile south-west of Angarosh lies a reef called Merlo Reef. This reef is a kind of seamount and the bottom of the sea surrounding this reef is at 450 meter. The walls are slooping down easily. At the northern site of the reef a dive at the plateau is possible. Lovely hard and soft corals can be seen by the diver at coral pillars. At the western and eastern part of the reef holes will offer the smaller reeffish a place to hide. A wreck of a liveaboard dive boat called " the Freedom " can be seen from the surface and went down due to a navigation mistake in 1999.

Ma'Sharriff
North of the small island of Mukawar lies the reef of Ma’Sharriff. This site is renowned for Mantas with a particularly high probability of sightings between March and May.

Flights: Flights are connecting scheduled services from the UK to Port Sudan on Egypt Air, Sudan Airways &/or Alitalia. Routings vary (please refer to your trip itinerary) but will usually involve at least one change of aircraft en route (usually in Cairo, Khartoum &/or Milan). Flight times are in local time. Check in 3 hours before departure at the indicated terminal.
Cairo: Where your flight connection in Cairo allows an overnight stay we will pre-book transfers and accommodation and arrange optional sightseeing excursions to the various cultural sights (please refer to the trip itinerary). Contact Tel Number (2) 703 5904
Flight tickets: will be sent to you by post, unless otherwise arranged, 7-10 days prior to departure. Please call if you have not received your tickets 3 days before
Baggage allowance: is 20Kg for hold baggage and 5Kg for hand baggage. It is recommended that electrical goods (torches) and gauges (regulators) in hand baggage. Dive knives go in the hold. Pony Cylinders can be transported in the hold luggage but must be shown to be open and empty.
Arrival in Port Sudan: Your flight will arrive in Port Sudan where you will be met by our representatives waiting outside the terminal building. Contact Tel Number (311) 23817
Weather: Northern Sudan coast has a hot desert climate with a high variance between day & night temperatures. December-February ranges between 25-30°C. October-November & March-April are around 30-35°C; May-September is between 30-40°C.
Clothes & Customs: Sudan operates Islamic Sharia Law. Alcohol is not permitted and may not be imported.
Non-Muslim women are not expected to wear a veil, but visitors should dress modestly while ashore and respect local customs and sensitivities. Shoes are not worn onboard, shorts, T-shirts and swimwear are the norm. We recommend warmer clothes for the evenings, particularly winter months. Towels are provided in cabins but we recommend you pack a beach towel for after diving. Remember sunscreen, hats and sunglasses, as the weather is nearly always sunny.
Money: Sudanese currency is the Dinar, Travellers cheques and credit cards are not widely accepted. You will need a little cash, US Dollars are recommended for meals/drinks, souvenirs and taxes not included in the trip. On our liveaboards drinks are normally charged on an honesty system payable at the end of the safari and a tip for the crew if appropriate.
Tax: The Sudanese authorities apply a number of taxes to all visiting divers, including departure tax. The total for 1 week safari US$151, for 2 week safari US$200, payable locally.
Insurance: Please make sure you have insurance that covers travel arrangements and diving. We can provide holiday and diving cover from £47.50 per person or get a quote from Insure and Go. We will need a copy of the certificate.
Passports/Visas: Entry visas are required by all nationalities to Egypt and Sudan. Multiple entry visas for Cairo can be purchased in the UK or single entry visas on arrival in Cairo in each direction. Please send A4 photocopies or email scanned copies of the passport information pages, occupation and home address details for each person travelling at the time of booking so that we may arrange permissions to travel prior to the issuing of visas. Visas will be issued on arrival in Port Sudan where a charge of US$60 is payable locally. Visas will not be issued on passports where there is evidence of a previous visit to Israel.
Vaccinations: You should refer to your GP or vaccination centre for the most up to date advise. We recommend Hepatitis A, Typhoid, Tetanus, Meningitis C and Polio. See Department of Health (UK) for info.
Embassy: Tel 020 7839 8080 www.sudan-embassy.co.uk Time Difference: GMT +2hrs
Equipment: You will need a full set of diving equipment. Tank, weights and Belts are the only equipment provided by the boat. You will need a mask, fins and snorkel, BCD, regulator, wetsuit, dive computer or the PADI wheel dive tables. Diving in Sudan usually follows a multilevel profile, square profile tables are therefore not appropriate. Rental torches are expensive and unreliable, we recommend you take your own torch/lamp for night dives. SMBs are provided to all divers. Equipment rental is available onboard, please give prior notice. Water temperature ranges from 24°C in February to 30°C in August so choose your suit accordingly. There are charging facilities available for lights and cameras, standard 220/240 volts. The sockets are continental 2 pin or 3 pin, so UK plugs may require an adapter. We recommend you buy film and batteries before departure. Tanks are steel 12l, 15l are available on request. Both international (A Clamp) & din regulators can usually be accommodated.
Medicals & Certification: Please bring with you your diving certification card and logbook.

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