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Leaving Luxor behind, headed across toward Hurghada & the Red Sea. Sand storms buffeting us the whole way & the driver had a heck of a time holding the car on the road, the sand almost acting like slick ice.
5 hours later, arrived at Mangrove Bay outside Marsa Alam. The area from Hurghada south is major dive & snorkel locations on the Red Sea but Mangrove has the advantage of having a secluded bay to themselves which was great given the massive winds we had. Unusual weather for this area, high winds but cool, almost cold at night. The winds, combined with the lower temperature of the water made snorkeling very interesting.
Mangrove Bay not exactly 5 star, so all I can say about that. But the Ducks Dive shop there, 5 star all the way. I threw myself in the water & promptly threw myself right back out. My new wetsuit wasn't a match for the 15-20 mph winds & 73 degree water. Got an short wetsuit to put over mine, nope, still cold. Ended up using my skin suit as a base layer, then my suit, then the shorty. Only then could I stay in for more than a few minutes at a time. And the minute I cleared the water, I had to wrap up in something or shiver my way back the long walk to the resort.
The entry was out on a jetty, a long walk in the wind & a longer walk later in the week when we still had the wind but the heat arrived.
View at low tide from the side of the bay out into the Red Sea. You can see the break line from the reef
About halfway down the jetty to the entrance to the bay. I considered paying the donkey cart guy who brought the scuba tanks out to carry me back & forth. He could have made enough to retire that week. You can see the right side of the secluded bay, looking out at the reef line into the Red Sea
Coral in beautiful condition. The reef wall has a big drop off so we get big critters in the bay like rays & sharks as well. The orange fish are a mixture of Anthias & Basslets
Another lagoon triggerfish with an elegant unicornfish
The Red Sea is home to a number of fish found only there. This is a red sea grouper, only found in these waters.
Masked Butterflyfish. Always found in pairs & they dive for the deep the minute they sense anyone near them.
Outside of the Great Barrier Reef (and their giant clams) & Komodo, the Red Sea seems to be home to the largest number of clams.
Indian Ocean Tang. Much more colorful than it's Pacific Ocean brothers
Another view of the reef with the surface waves.
Caught this pacific coronet at just the right time with the sun almost shining through him.
Spent a week checking out the bay, trying not to freeze in the water or burn in the sun. Then back to Hurghada & a flight over to the Sinai Peninsula & back to Sharm El Sheik on the Gulf of Aqaba
5 hours later, arrived at Mangrove Bay outside Marsa Alam. The area from Hurghada south is major dive & snorkel locations on the Red Sea but Mangrove has the advantage of having a secluded bay to themselves which was great given the massive winds we had. Unusual weather for this area, high winds but cool, almost cold at night. The winds, combined with the lower temperature of the water made snorkeling very interesting.
Mangrove Bay not exactly 5 star, so all I can say about that. But the Ducks Dive shop there, 5 star all the way. I threw myself in the water & promptly threw myself right back out. My new wetsuit wasn't a match for the 15-20 mph winds & 73 degree water. Got an short wetsuit to put over mine, nope, still cold. Ended up using my skin suit as a base layer, then my suit, then the shorty. Only then could I stay in for more than a few minutes at a time. And the minute I cleared the water, I had to wrap up in something or shiver my way back the long walk to the resort.
The entry was out on a jetty, a long walk in the wind & a longer walk later in the week when we still had the wind but the heat arrived.
View at low tide from the side of the bay out into the Red Sea. You can see the break line from the reef
About halfway down the jetty to the entrance to the bay. I considered paying the donkey cart guy who brought the scuba tanks out to carry me back & forth. He could have made enough to retire that week. You can see the right side of the secluded bay, looking out at the reef line into the Red Sea
Coral in beautiful condition. The reef wall has a big drop off so we get big critters in the bay like rays & sharks as well. The orange fish are a mixture of Anthias & Basslets
Another lagoon triggerfish with an elegant unicornfish
The Red Sea is home to a number of fish found only there. This is a red sea grouper, only found in these waters.
Masked Butterflyfish. Always found in pairs & they dive for the deep the minute they sense anyone near them.
Outside of the Great Barrier Reef (and their giant clams) & Komodo, the Red Sea seems to be home to the largest number of clams.
Indian Ocean Tang. Much more colorful than it's Pacific Ocean brothers
Another view of the reef with the surface waves.
Caught this pacific coronet at just the right time with the sun almost shining through him.
Spent a week checking out the bay, trying not to freeze in the water or burn in the sun. Then back to Hurghada & a flight over to the Sinai Peninsula & back to Sharm El Sheik on the Gulf of Aqaba
