Deli

Located where the Red Sea joins with the Gulf of Aden, the East African nation of Djibouti is very much an off-the-beaten-track destination. The Gulf of Tadjoura and Ghoubet Bay are known to be among the best places in the world for diving and snorkelling with whale sharks, and you can do too, with the Deli liveaboard, operated by Djibouti's oldest dive operator. Relax and experience the natural wonder of Djibouti with the local legends.

Powered by a 280 HP MAN auxiliary engine, the Deli is an iconic 26m long Turkish-style gulet with plenty of character. It has a wooden hull with twin masts and mahogany and teak furnishings. With a maximum capacity of just 12 guests, it is the ideal economy vessel. There are 6 cabins onboard, each with its own private bathroom.

Meals are served in the open air towards the rear of the main deck. They are a mixture of rice or pasta dishes, with salad, fresh fish or sashimi, vegetable, and meat with sauce. Also at the stern of the yacht is a social area. Here you will find beds for lounging after a dive or sleeping under the stars. There is a small indoor saloon which is used when it rains.

Divers prepare for dives on the deck of the Deli mothership and 2 40 HP 7m motorised dinghies take them to all the dive and snorkel spots. The yacht is equipped with 12 litre aluminium tanks and a Bauer Mariner compressor. The saloon has charging points for underwater cameras. Unusually, the use of scuba equipment is included in the cruise price.

During these liveaboard safaris, guests have the option to make day or overnight excursions to see some of Djibouti's natural highlights. You can enjoy the incredible landscapes of the salt lake of Assal, Lake Abbe, and the Day Forest.

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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, it is recommended to have an advanced qualification and a minimum of 20 logged dives (to permit diving to 30m).

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, return transfers from local airport or hotels, dives (as detailed in the trips above), scuba equipment rental, 1 experienced English-speaking divemaster, tanks (12 litre only), belt and weights, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Dive computer (US$ 22 per week). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash only).

Optional extras: Soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, torch (US$ 22 per week), diving insurance. 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: Djibouti liveaboard safaris with Deli 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 early morning since the boat leaves the harbour at 8 am.
The last dive of the trip will be at 2 pm on the final day before the boat returns to port by 5-5:30 pm and guests disembark. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.

Diving Environment: Djibouti is located close to the Horn of Africa, in the Gulf of Aden and at the entrance to the Red Sea. The best known region is the Seven Brothers archipelago and there are relatively untouched soft and hard coral reefs, amazing drop offs and ship wrecks. You will have the opportunity to see large schools of fish, dolphins and manta rays. But the region is best known for its abundant whale sharks. Although they can be seen throughout the year, whale shark encounters are especially common from the beginning of November to the end of January.
Over 200 species of coral are found in Djibouti, at the mouth of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, making it an extremely diverse ecosystem. Currents coming in from the Indian Ocean attract large marine animals such as the whale sharks, pilot whales, beaked whales, grey and nurse sharks, manta rays and dolphins. It’s also very common to see large schools of stingrays, barracudas and groupers.
All dives are done from the 2 motorised tenders. The visibility during whale shark season is about 15m (50 ft), but improves to 30m (100 ft) by April until early July. The water temperature from November to January is 26-28°C (80-82°F), and rises to 30°C (86°F) by April. A 3 or 5 mm wetsuit is recommended during whale shark season, 3 mm at other times. Khamsin winds blow from mid-July until early September, closing all dive operations.

Non-diver rate: 10% discount off published price.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to pay a supplement of 50% of the published price for their own cabin, or share a cabin.

Dive clubs and group discounts: None. See whole boat charter policy below.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): 5% discount from the total cruise price.

Gulf of Tadjoura (7 Days / 6 Nights - 20 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Maskali Island, Moucha Wreck, Gulf of Tadjoura: White Sands, Stoney Cove, The Dome, Ras Korali, Ras Eiro, Shark Island, Red Sands; Ghoubet Bay: Star Bay, Red Virgin, The Crack, The Wall. Optional excursions to Lake Assal, Lake Abbe, and the Day Forest.

Day 1
A staff member will meet at Djibouti International Airport or your local hotel and transfer you to the harbour for boarding the Deli liveaboard in time for its departure at 8 am. The crew will greet you on board with a welcome drink, 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 afternoon, headed towards Maskali and Moucha Island, to begin diving early the next day.

Days 2-6
This dive safari takes you to the Bay of Ghoubet and the Gulf of Tadjoura, a truly off-the-beaten-track destination that few people have visited. With over 300 km of coastline, there are many spots with an abundance of marine life to dive and explore. There are whale sharks, ship wrecks and pristine hard coral reefs. 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 outside at the stern of the boat where the dining area situated. There is also a smaller dining area inside the saloon in case of rain. The meals 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 a combination of rice, pasta, salad, fresh fish or sashimi, vegetable and meat sauce. Options change every day.

Day 7
On the last day of the cruise, the morning will be spent diving until around 2 pm, then the yacht will make its way back to port by early evening. Disembarkation is at 5-5:30 pm, then the crew will transfer you back to the airport or hotel.

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Gulf of Tadjoura (7 Days / 6 Nights - 12 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Gulf of Tadjoura: White Sands, Stoney Cove, The Dome, Ras Korali, Ras Eiro, Shark Island, Red Sands; Ghoubet Bay: Star Bay, Red Virgin, The Crack, The Wall; Moucha Wreck. Optional excursion to Lake Assal.

Day 1
A staff member will meet at Djibouti International Airport or your local hotel and transfer you to the harbour for boarding the Deli liveaboard in time for its departure at 8 am. The crew will greet you on board with a welcome drink, 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 afternoon, headed towards Maskali and Moucha Island, to begin diving early the next day.

Days 2-6
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, 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 outside at the stern of the boat where the dining area situated. There is also a smaller dining area inside the saloon in case of rain. The meals 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 a combination of rice, pasta, salad, fresh fish or sashimi, vegetable and meat sauce. Options change every day.

Day 7
On the last day of the cruise, the morning will be spent diving until around 2 pm, then the yacht will make its way back to port by early evening. Disembarkation is at 5-5:30 pm, then the crew will transfer you back to the airport or hotel.

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[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].

Deli has 6 guest cabins on the lower deck: There are 5 twin and double bed cabins and 1 quad bed cabin (often used for families). Each cabin has a private bathroom.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 6 / 6 - cold water