Join the M/Y Lucy for luxury liveaboard diving in Djibouti like never before. The Seven Brothers is Djibouti's premier dive destination, and the Gulf of Tadjoura is among the best places in the world for scuba diving and snorkelling with whale sharks. Come and enjoy this amazing experience and much more on this modern 37 metre long safari boat, designed for a high level guest comfort.
Purpose-built for these longer-range diving safaris, the Lucy liveaboard is powered by twin 700 HP Cummins engines. With two 80 KW generators and a powerful watermaker, she operates with complete self-sufficiency, allowing the route to be dictated by the best diving opportunities rather than logistics. The engineering is complemented by a genuine focus on guest comfort; the air-conditioned accommodation comprises 10 en-suite cabins for 20 guests, providing a cool, quiet retreat after a day in the Djibouti sun.
The social spaces onboard the Lucy liveaboard are designed for genuine downtime. The lounge features a 65-inch cinema system for reviewing footage or watching a film, while the upper deck bar is a natural gathering point. Here, you can grab a cold draft beer and trade stories of the day’s encounters - perhaps oceanic whitetip sharks or the passing dolphins - with fellow divers. Above, the sun deck is fitted with bean bags and loungers, a simple but effective space to stretch out between dives or nap in the breeze.
Dive operations are run with an emphasis on safety. Lucy's expansive dive deck gives you room to set up gear without crowding, with individual charging points for cameras in the dedicated dry area. Dives are conducted from 2 fast, 115 HP Yamaha-engined fiberglass tenders (7 and 8 metres), which get you to the sites efficiently, and the yacht has a safety rail to assist divers in the water. For those qualified, enriched air nitrox is available.
What inspires confidence, however, is the preparedness. The crew on the Lucy are seasoned in these waters, attentive to guest requests without being intrusive. Safety equipment is comprehensive, including a defibrillator and satellite phone - essential considerations for remote diving. The liveaboard team understands that a successful trip hinges on the small details, from the quality of the 3-course meals served in the contemporary dining room to the smooth transitions between dive sites.
A week onboard the Lucy liveaboard is about more than just the underwater encounters. It is the experience of waking up in a new anchorage each day, of watching a desert coastline slide by, and of ending the trip with the option to witness the otherworldly salt pans of Lake Assal. For the certified diver seeking a genuine expedition, with the backing of an experienced crew and a well-found vessel, this is an opportunity to dive a true marine crossroads.
Lucy has 10 twin bed guest cabins - 8 on the lower deck and 2 on the main deck. Each cabin has its own private bathroom.
All the cabins have:
- Individual climate-control air-conditioning
- Private bathroom with shower and hand basin
- Portholes on lower deck, windows on main deck
- Toiletries, towels and bathrobe
- Reading lights
- Minibar
- Wardrobe, mirror and shelves
- Bedding
- 24-hour, 220v electricity supply
- UK-style 3-pin plugs
- USB charging points
- Life jackets and fire extinguishers
- Storage space for luggage
No. of bathrooms / showers - 10 / 10 - hot water
Gulf of Tadjoura (8 Days / 7 Nights - 16 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Gulf of Tadjoura: Ras Eiro, Ras Foul, Turtle Bay, The Dome, Ras Korali, Red Virgin; Ghoubet Bay: Star Bay, The Crack, The Wall. Optional excursion to Lake Assal and city tour.
Day 1
A staff member will meet at Djibouti International Airport and transfer you to the harbour for boarding the Lucy liveaboard. The crew will greet you, show you to your cabin, and provide a detailed boat briefing that will help familiarize you with your new home for next week. Dinner will be served in the saloon and this will be a great opportunity to get to know the other guests on this cruise. The boat will leave port in the early in the morning, headed towards Moucha Island, to begin diving early the next day.
Core Days
This dive safari takes you to the Bay of Ghoubet and the Gulf of Tadjoura, in search of whale sharks. The whale shark season runs from November until the end of January/February, when these gentle giants arrive in large numbers to feed in the plankton-rich waters. The safari includes both scuba diving and snorkeling opportunities to interact with the awesome sharks. It is a truly off-the-beaten-track destination that few people have visited, with over 300 km of coastline and many spots with an abundance of marine life to dive and explore. There are ship wrecks and pristine hard coral reefs, and dolphins, manta rays and even whales, are also sometimes seen in this stretch of sea. The tempting warm waters and lack of currents make for easy diving conditions that are suitable for both beginners and experienced divers.
All meals are served buffet style in the dedicated dining section of the air-conditioned lounge on the main deck. They consist of breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus there are some snacks and fruit. Drinking water, tea and coffee, soft drinks, and beers are available onboard. The food is typically international and Italian cuisine, plus several incredible Arabic delicacies.
The morning of the final full day will be spent diving until around 2 pm, then the yacht will make its way back to port by early evening. A city tour is available for guests that want to join.
Day 8
Disembarkation is after breakfast. The crew will then transfer you back to the airport.
For guests that have late afternoon or evening flights, a half-day tour of Lake Assal can be arranged.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
Onboard the Lucy liveaboard you wake to the light across the Gulf of Tadjoura, coffee in hand, as the crew prepares the day’s first dive. There is no rush, just a steady, comfortable pace guided by people who have done this many times before.
Meals are taken in the air-conditioned lounge on the liveaboard's main deck, served buffet-style to let you eat at your own pace. Breakfast offers the usual liveaboard staples to fuel a morning dive: fresh bread, eggs, fruit, and good coffee. Lunch and dinner with Lucy are where the kitchen shows its range. Expect a mix of international dishes and Italian classics: perhaps a pasta course followed by grilled fish alongside Arabic specialties that reflect the region. There might be a lamb mandi one evening, fragrant with spices, or a spread of meze before the main course. The style is generous and unfussy, the kind of cooking that satisfies after a day in the water.
Between dives, the upper deck bar becomes a natural gathering spot. It is where you grab a cold beer or a soft drink and talk through the morning’s highlights with the other guests. The Lucy liveaboard crew keeps the drinking water, tea, and coffee coming throughout the day, and there is always fruit and snacks out for anyone who needs something light. The atmosphere on Lucy is social but never forced; you can join the conversation or stretch out on the sun deck with a book.
"
The boat was poorly maintained and old, with paint chipping, smelly bathrooms with no ventilation, leaks and mold. The rooms were never cleaned, very small (compared to the price), and located next to the kitchen which was noisy. The dive guide never showed interest in pointing out things and actually left us once in the water without notice. The food was mostly overcooked and bland. There was no introductions of the crew or the passengers.
Dive The World is always quick answer and a reliable service." -
Ori Ayalon, Israel, 1 January 2024 ...
MORE TRIP DETAILS
Dive experience: A standard Open Water Diver license or equivalent is all that is required to dive in Djibouti since the conditions are easy and usually there is no current. However, on the Lucy liveaboard advanced certification is recommended for Seven Brothers since some dives can have strong current.
Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, soft drinks, hot drinks, return transfers from local airport or hotels, dives (as detailed in the trips above), 2 experienced English-speaking divemasters, tanks, belt and weights, sales tax.
Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment rental (USD 185 per week), torch (USD 46), SMB (USD 29), diving insurance. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash only - EUR and USD).
Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks, enriched air for nitrox-certified divers (USD 58 per week), dive computer (USD 90 per week), 15 litre tank (USD 52 per week). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.
How to get there: Lucy liveaboard trips normally use the harbour in Djibouti City. Once you arrive at Djibouti International Airport (code JIB), a boat representative will greet you outside the arrivals hall. Major airlines that fly to Djibouti include Emirates, Qatar Airways, Air Djibouti, Air France, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Fly Dubai and Kenya Airways.
Transfers are provided form the airport and local hotels and take 20 minutes. Boarding takes place at 5 pm and the boat leaves the harbour at 8 am the following morning.
The last dive of the tour will be at 2 pm on the penultimate day before the boat returns to port at 5-5:30 pm. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving. Guests disembark at 9 am on the final day.
Non-diver rate: USD 58 discount off published price.
Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to share a cabin, or pay a supplement of USD 924 for their own cabin.
Dive clubs and group discounts: None. See whole boat charter policy below.
Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 18 guests and 2 additional persons can join the tour free of charge (total 20 guests).
Click to view product. Special discounted trips highlighted in yellow
