The M/Y Discovery I (ex-Amelia) is a 32m long wooden hull motor yacht that operates unbeatable value liveaboard diving safaris throughout the Egyptian Red Sea. The water boasts world class diving and excellent visibility all year round. What better way to spend a week than waking up at undisturbed sites to dive the world famous wrecks and marine parks of the Red Sea!
Discovery I accommodates 20 guests in 10 twin/double air-conditioned cabins, each with its own en-suite bathroom. It has a spacious saloon, which has a separate dining and lounge area with bar, offers A/C, DVD/TV/video and a music system. The food served onboard is said to be amazing!
There are 2 large sundecks, one with a bar and shaded area with table and chairs, the other with mattresses for sunbathing. There is ample room for all guests to relax and enjoy their time in the sunshine between dives.
There are 2 x 5+m Zodiacs with 40 HP outboard engines that run scuba divers out to the sites, where they can use the free enriched air nitrox supplied by the onboard membrane system to extend their time underwater and marvel at the kaleidoscope of colours that will greet you from the rich variety of fish and corals. The dive platform has freshwater showers to rinse off after each dive, and rinse tanks to soak salt-sensitive equipment once you're back onboard.
Due to its unbelievable value for money, the Red Sea is an ideal destination for all scuba divers, and the appeal of liveaboard diving here is undeniable. You can make 3-4 dives per day and reach spots that fewer other divers get to visit. With its friendly and hard working crew, and professional guiding service, the Discovery I liveaboard is one of the best in terms of value for money.
There are 10 cabins on Discovery I. 4 cabins are on the upper deck, 2 with double beds and 2 with twin beds. 6 cabins are the lower deck, all with twin beds. All cabins have en-suite bathrooms.
All the cabins have:
- Air-conditioning
- En-suite bathroom with hot-water shower and hand basin
- Portholes on lower deck, windows on upper deck
- Towels & bathrobes
- Reading lights
- Bedside cabinet
- Fridge (upper deck cabins only)
- Cabinet, mirror and shelves
- Bedding
- 24-hour, 220v electricity supply
- European-style 2-pin plugs
- Fire alarm, life jackets and fire extinguishers
No. of bathrooms / showers - 12 / 10 - hot water
Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone (8 Days / 7 Nights - 17 Dives)
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, manta rays, schooling fish & big pelagics
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: Hurghada, Big Brother, Little Brother, Aida II wreck, Numidia wreck, Daedalus Reef, Elphinstone, Safaga, Salem Express
Day 1
The Discovery Divers staff will be at the arrival terminal of Hurghada Airport or Marsa Alam Airport to welcome you. An air-conditioned van will take you to Port Ghalib or Hurghada marina where the Amelia liveaboard yacht is moored. The journey from Hurghada to Port Ghalib takes about 4 hours. Otherwise it’s only a few minutes to Port Ghalib from Marsa Alam Airport if you have landed there, and a similar distance to Hurghada marina from Hurghada Airport. Once onboard the Amelia liveaboard you will be served a welcome cocktail and meet the boat crew and the tour leader, who will assign you to your cabin and provide a briefing on boat safety and the upcoming week of activities. Enjoy your dinner in the air-conditioned saloon before going to bed; your diving will start tomorrow.
Days 2-7
The Brother Islands are 2 small exposed promontories in the middle of the sea, with a very high concentration of marine life. The walls feature sponges, anemones and hard and soft corals, giving an astonishing variety of colour to the underwater world. It's very common to see sharks at the dive sites around the islands. Scalloped hammerheads and grey reef sharks, silvertip and whitetip reef sharks. At Big Brother there is a wreck that can be dived when the conditions are right, especially if it's not too windy. It's the Numidia that lies between 5-8m, completely covered with hard and soft corals. and gorgonians.
The reefs at Daedalus and Elphinstone are home to schools of surgeonfish, fusiliers, trevallies and colourful reef fish. Hammerheads, oceanic whitetips and thresher sharks can be seen here, as well as manta rays, usually seen during the summer months. There will also be a dive at the unforgettable wreck of the Salem Express, a 100-metre ferry boat that hosts frogfish, blue-spotted stingrays, schools of angel and butterflyfish. The ship is now covered in hard and soft corals.
3 dives a day are the norm in the Red Sea marine parks. A typical day will start with a morning dive at 7 am, breakfast at 8 am, 2nd dive at 10 am, lunch at noon, 3rd dive at 2 pm, snacks at 4 pm, night dive when permitted at 7 pm. Dinner around 8 pm. There will only 2 dives on the last day as the boat then sails back to port.
Expect 3 delicious meals of local Egyptian fare every day. Main meals are served buffet style in the dining area of the saloon. Breakfast is usually eggs, pancakes, toast, bread, fresh fruit and veggies, cereals and milk or yoghurt, cheese and sausages, hot coffee and tea. Lunch and evening meals consist of fresh vegetables, rice, noodles, chicken, beef and fish. Snacks like cookies, juice and fresh fruit are served every mid-afternoon. There is self-service tea, coffee, soft drinks, drinking water, 24/7. Most dietary needs can be covered including vegetarian and vegan. The yacht also serves beer, and a fine wines selection is available.
Day 8
Check out time is normally at 10 am after a breakfast and farewells with the crew, before being transferred either to the airport or your local hotel. Please note that these trips use Hurghada marina and Port Ghalib for embarkation and disembarkation - check above for exact port details.
[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].