Firebird

Firebird is a 32m long wood hull motor yacht that specialiises in economy Red Sea liveboard diving cruises around the Sinai Peninsula and the northern wrecks near Hurghada. With a maximum capacity of just 16 guests, it is an ideal choice for clubs and groups.

Guests are accommodated in 8 lower deck cabins, each of which has its own private en-suite bathroom and personal control air-conditioning. 7 of the cabins have twin bunk beds and the other cabin has a double queen size bed. Firebird operates special kids cruises too that are ideal for diving families. 2 of the cabins can be converted to accommodate an extra bed.

The dining service is of a high standard. The onboard chef is hotel-trained and serves up culinary specialities from Egypt and Europe. The boat crew is also highly experienced and endeavour to create a family atmosphere. Guest areas onboard include an indoor saloon where the meals are served, and also an upholstered lounge area with TV, DVD, internet and Bluetooth box. There are also 3 sun decks, one shaded, and 2 open-plan where guests can make the most of the glorious Egyptian sunshine.

The dive deck has a nitrox membrane system that delivers free fills for enriched air-certified divers, ENOS lost diver tracking safety system, and is rebreather-friendly. There is a charging station where divers can recharge their underwater camera and torch batteries, exra large 15 litre tanks are available for those that guzzle a lot of gas, and 2 Zodiacs for easy access to all the sites. The dive guides are attentive and always on hand to advise and help scuba divers with any questions and needs.

Firebird was constructed in 2003 and extensively renovated in 2017. The liveaboard owners have many years of experience with operating safari boats and the knowledge acquired has been consisitently used on Firebird to ensure guests enjoy the maximum in comfort and relaxation at an affordable price.

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Notes: Family safaris: child 12-16 years old: 25% discount (sharing parents' cabin or kids' cabin, parents: standard price. Port and park fees US$ 200 per week. Minimum age: 12 years old. Try dives are not available.

Dive experience: To dive in the marine parks (Brothers, Daedalus Reef, Zabargad and Rocky islands), you must hold a diving license and have a minimum of 50 logged dives, elsewhere: a minumum of 30 logged dives.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, soft drinks, drinking water, hot drinks (e.g. coffee, tea), return transfers from local airport for Hurghada departures, dives (as detailed in the trips above), nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers, ENOS diver location safety system, 2 experienced English-speaking divemasters (3 guides on kids' safaris), tanks, weightbelt, weights, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (per week - BCD/regulators/dive computer US$ 51 per piece, wetsuit US$ 51), SMB, diving insurance, port and park fees: Safaga & Hurghada/Fury Shoals & Elphinstone US$ 200, St. John's US$ 221, Red Sea Northern Wrecks & Brothers US$ 221, Red Sea South US$ 253. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (credit card or cash - EUR, USD, EGP).

Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks (beer and wine), 15 litre tank (US$ 38 per week), torch (US$ 6 per week), roundtrip transfers from local airport for Port Ghalib departures (see below), hotel day room/pool use. 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: Firebird uses Hurghada marina or Port Ghalib for its liveaboard diving cruises. A staff representative will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall of Hurghada or Marsa Alam airport. For more details, including airlines, see our Red Sea travel information section. Boarding starts at 3 pm on the first day (boat departs port the next morning). Please bring 2 copies of your passport.
Hurghada departures – collective transfers from Hurghada Airport to the marina (approx. 20 mins) are provided free of charge.
Port Ghalib departures - collective transfers from Marsa Alam Airport to the port (approx. 10 mins) are provided at a cost of US$ 11 per person per way. Collective transfers from Hurghada Airport to the port (approx. 3 hours) are provided at a cost of US$ 26 per person per way.
The last dive of the trip will be finished by noon on the penultimate day of the tour. Disembarkation is at 10 am on the final day (last night is spent in the marina). Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.

Non-diver rate: 10% discount.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to pay the regular price and agree to share a cabin, or pay a supplement of 50% of the published price for the own private twin bed cabin in the bow (other cabins - 80%).

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 6 guests and 1 additional person can join the cruise free of charge.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Ask us for details.

Add-on package: Why not create the tour of a lifetime and take in some of the wonderful antiquities tours in Egypt as an add-on to your Red Sea liveaboard diving safari! Visit Cairo National Museum to see the pharoahs and royal mummies, the pyramids of Giza, and the Great Sphinx. Board a cruise down the River Nile to see the Valley of the Kings and kits amazing temples and monuments. Other activities such as 4x4 safaris, birding tours and camel ride are also available.

Red Sea Northern Wrecks & Brothers (8 Days / 7 Nights - 18 Dives)

Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, turtles, 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: Big Brother, Little Brother, Abu Nuhas wrecks (Giannis D., Carnatic, Chrisoula K. and Kimon M.), Thistlegorm, Umm Gamar, Small Giftun

Day 1
You will be met at Hurghada Airport at the arrivals hall by a representative of the Firebird liveaboard and transferred in a collective minibus to the marina for boarding. The crew will greet you on board, show you to your cabin and allow you time to unpack and prepare your dive gear in the basket that will be allocated to you. Dinner will be served inside the saloon and this will be a great opportunity to get to know the other guests on this cruise in the Red Sea. After dinner, the tour leader will provide a detailed boat safety and dive briefing for the next week. The yacht will leave port early morning for the first day of diving.

Days 2-7
This route visits the famous wrecks in the northern Red Sea, along with some stunning open sea diving. The most famous wreck, the SS Thistlegorm, will leave you in awe: it was sunk in 1941 after being bombed by the German Luftwaffe! With its historical cargo of World War II machinery and equipment, all neatly stowed in its open holds, the wreck of the Thistlegorm would be a highlight of diving anywhere in the world. 4 wrecks will be the highlights of diving at Abu Nuhas, all offering spectacular dives and plenty of marine life.
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.
4 dives a day are the norm in the Red Sea (but only 3 when in the marine parks), with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon, and either a sunset dive or night dive. There will only be 2 dives on the last day of diving as the boat will then sail back to port for the final evening. You can then take a look around the marina, go shopping, or go for a drink.
The breakfast is international with Arabic items such as falafel, foul beans and white cheese. For the main meals guests can enjoy a mix of European and Egyptian dishes, supplemented by a soup and a dessert in the evening. In between meals there are always fruit and snacks. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and water are always available. There is also an open-air bar with a grill area on the sundeck, where you can enjoy a sundowner and socialise with fellow guests.

Day 8
Disembarkation starts after a final breakfast on the yacht. You can arrange with the crew to be transported back to the airport or to a local hotel.
Note: these cruises sometimes use Port Ghalib instead of Hurghada so please check the ports of departure and return. Transfers are always provided from Hurghada.

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Red Sea North & Wrecks (8 Days / 7 Nights - 20 Dives)

Trip highlights: dolphins, turtles, 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: Abu Nuhas wrecks of Giannis D., Carnatic, Chrisoula K. and Kimon M., Gubal Island, Ulysses, Gubal Barge, Rosalie Moller, Thistlegorm, Beacon Reef, Dunraven, Bluff Point, Siyul, Umm Gamar, Ras Mohamed

Day 1
You will be met in the afternoon at Hurghada Airport arrivals hall by a representative of the Firebird liveaboard and transferred in a collective minibus to the marina for boarding. The crew will greet you on board, show you to your cabin and allow you time to unpack and prepare your dive gear in the basket that will be allocated to you. Dinner will be served inside the saloon and this will be a great opportunity to get to know the other guests on this cruise in the Red Sea. After dinner, the tour leader will provide a detailed boat safety and dive briefing for the next week. The yacht will leave port early morning for the first day of diving.

Days 2-7
This route visits the famous wrecks in the northern Red Sea, along with some stunning reef diving. The most famous wreck, the SS Thistlegorm, will leave you in awe: it was sunk in 1941 after being bombed by the German Luftwaffe! With its historical cargo of World War II machinery and equipment, all neatly stowed in its open holds, the wreck of the Thistlegorm would be a highlight of diving anywhere in the world. 4 wrecks will be the highlights of diving at Abu Nuhas, all offering spectacular dives and plenty of marine life. Ras Mohamed, at the southernmost tip of the Sinai, is one of the best kept national parks in Egypt. Its waters are rich in nutrients, attracting pelagics.
4 dives a day are the norm in the Red Sea, with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon, and either a sunset dive or night dive. There will only be 2 dives on the last day of diving as the boat will then sail back to port for the final evening. You can then take a look around the marina, go shopping, or go for a drink.
The breakfast is international with Arabic items such as falaffel, foul beans and white cheese. For the main meals guests can enjoy a mix of European and Egyptian dishes, supplemented by a soup and a dessert in the evening. In between meals there are always fruit and snacks. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and water are always available. There is also an open-air bar with a grill area on the sundeck, where you can enjoy a sundowner and socialise with fellow guests.

Day 8
Disembarkation starts after a final breakfast on the yacht. You can arrange with the crew to be transported back to the airport or to a local hotel.

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Safaga, Elphinstone & Hurghada (Family Special) (8 Days / 7 Nights - 20 Dives)

Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, turtles, 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: Marsa Shoona, Abu Dabbab, Shaab Marsa Alam, Shelamiyat, Dahara, Shaab Sharm, Carless Reef, Giftun; Safaga: Umm Hal Hal: Middle Reef, Panorama Reef; Elphinstone

Day 1
You will be met at Marsa Alam Airport at the arrivals hall by a representative of the Firebird liveaboard and transferred in a collective minibus to Port Ghalib for boarding at 3 pm. The crew will greet you on board, show you to your cabin and allow you time to unpack and prepare your dive gear in the basket that will be allocated to you. Dinner will be served inside the saloon and this will be a great opportunity to get to know the other guests on this cruise in the Red Sea. After dinner, the tour leader will provide a detailed boat safety and dive briefing for the next week. The yacht will leave port early morning for the first day of diving.

Days 2-7
This diving safari has been specifically designed to allow families with kids who are certified divers to enjoy a liveaboard cruise together. The route is adjusted and the dive sites selected to guarantee the most fun for teenagers.. The yacht will mostly follow the standard cruise route but will favour some easier dives at the expense of some of the deeper dives. There will be an extra guide on board who will take care of the children needs and also fill their non-diving time with fun activities.
Sites such as Carless Reed near Hurghada have some stunning reef diving, and Safaga has some great dives too, offering a combination of shallow reef dives like Panorama Reef, and drop-offs, blue-spotted stingrays, schools of angel and butterfly fish. Elphinstone has steep current-swept walls and exposed points, making it perfect for encounters with big marine life like oceanic whitetip sharks.
Children will be limited to 3 dives per day, but adults can make 4 dives on these safaris, with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon, and a sunset or night dive. There will only be 2 dives on the last day of diving as the boat will then sail back to port for the final evening. You can then take a look around the marina, go shopping, or go for a drink.
The breakfast and main meals are a mix of European and Egyptian dishes. However, the normal daily routine is adjusted to suit teenagers too. The day starts a little later, and the food includes lots of dishes that children enjoy. Parents can also inform us about their kids’ particular eating habits in advance. In between meals there are always fruit and snacks. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and water are always available. There is also an open-air bar with a grill area on the sundeck, where you can enjoy a sundowner and socialise with fellow guests.

Day 8
Disembarkation starts at around 10 am, after a final breakfast on the yacht. You can arrange with the crew to be transported back to the airport or to a local hotel.

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Daedalus Reef & St. John's (8 Days / 7 Nights - 19 Dives)

Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, dugongs/manatees, turtles, 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: Abu Dabbab, Elphinstone, Daedalus Reef, Fury Shoals: Shaab Claudio, Sataya; Shaab Sharm, St. John's: Gota Soraya, Habili Ali, Habili Soraya, Umm Aruk

Day 1
You will be met at Marsa Alam Airport at the arrivals hall by a representative of the Firebird liveaboard and transferred in a collective minibus to Port Ghalib for boarding. The crew will greet you on board, show you to your cabin and allow you time to unpack and prepare your dive gear in the basket that will be allocated to you. Dinner will be served inside the saloon and this will be a great opportunity to get to know the other guests on this cruise in the Red Sea. After dinner, the tour leader will provide a detailed boat safety and dive briefing for the next week. The yacht will leave port early morning for the first day of diving.

Days 2-7
Daedalus Reef is a popular choice for experienced Red Sea divers, especially photographers and lovers of sharks. Photographers will appreciate the colourful fans and corals on the reefs and drop-offs. Larger creatures include turtles, Napoleon wrasse and manta rays. Shark lovers will appreciate the bucketlist encounters with threshers, oceanic whitetips, hammerheads, and whitetip reef sharks.
In the deep south of Egypt you will have the chance to dive St. John’s Reefs and the Fury Shoals, the healthiest and most colourful in the Red Sea, with their fantastic drop offs, pinnacles, canyons, caves and tunnels, and amazing hard-corals. There is a lot of marine life too, such as barracuda, different types of reef shark, sometimes even turtles, Napoleon wrasse, dolphins, dugongs and mantas. Elphinstone has steep current-swept walls and exposed points, making it perfect for encounters with big marine life like oceanic whitetip sharks.
3 dives a day are the norm in the marine parks of the Red Sea (4 dives per day elsewhere), with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon. There will only be 2 dives on the last day of diving as the boat will then sail back to port for the final evening. You can then take a look around the marina, go shopping, or go for a drink.
The breakfast is international with Arabic items such as falafel, foul beans and white cheese. For the main meals guests can enjoy a mix of European and Egyptian dishes, supplemented by a soup and a dessert in the evening. In between meals there are always fruit and snacks. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and water are always available. There is also an open-air bar with a grill area on the sundeck, where you can enjoy a sundowner and socialise with fellow guests.

Day 8
Disembarkation starts after a final breakfast on the yacht. You can arrange with the crew to be transported back to the airport or to a local hotel.

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Red Sea North, Wrecks & Tiran Straits (8 Days / 7 Nights - 20 Dives)

Trip highlights: turtles, 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: Shaab el Erg, Seyul Kebir, Abu Nuhas wrecks of Giannis D., Carnatic, Chrisoula K. and Kimon M., Thistlegorm, Umm Gamar, Straits of Tiran: Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas, Gordon reefs

Day 1
You will be met at Hurghada Airport at the arrivals hall by a representative of the Firebird liveaboard and transferred in a collective minibus to the marina for boarding. The crew will greet you on board, show you to your cabin and allow you time to unpack and prepare your dive gear in the basket that will be allocated to you. Dinner will be served inside the saloon and this will be a great opportunity to get to know the other guests on this cruise in the Red Sea. After dinner, the tour leader will provide a detailed boat safety and dive briefing for the next week. The yacht will leave port early morning for the first day of diving.

Days 2-7
This route visits the famous wrecks in the northern Red Sea, along with some stunning reef diving. The most famous wreck, the SS Thistlegorm, will leave you in awe: it was sunk in 1941 after being bombed by the German Luftwaffe! With its historical cargo of World War II machinery and equipment, all neatly stowed in its open holds, the wreck of the Thistlegorm would be a highlight of diving anywhere in the world. 4 wrecks will be the highlights of diving at Abu Nuhas, all offering spectacular dives and plenty of marine life. The Straits of Tiran are the narrow sea passages between the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas which separate the Gulf of Aqaba from the Red Sea. These reefs, named after British cartographers are world famous for their extraordinary diversity of corals and strong south westerly currents that make them home to many large pelagic fish.
4 dives a day are the norm in the Red Sea, with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon, and either a sunset dive or night dive. There will only be 2 dives on the last day of diving as the boat will then sail back to port for the final evening. You can then take a look around the marina, go shopping, or go for a drink.
The breakfast is international with Arabic items such as falaffel, foul beans and white cheese. For the main meals guests can enjoy a mix of European and Egyptian dishes, supplemented by a soup and a dessert in the evening. In between meals there are always fruit and snacks. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and water are always available. There is also an open-air bar with a grill area on the sundeck, where you can enjoy a sundowner and socialise with fellow guests.

Day 8
Disembarkation starts after a final breakfast on the yacht. You can arrange with the crew to be transported back to the airport or to a local hotel.

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Red Sea North, Wrecks & Dahab (Family Special) (8 Days / 7 Nights - Dives)

Trip highlights: dolphins, turtles, 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: Abu Nuhas wrecks of Giannis D., Carnatic, Chrisoula K. and Kimon M., Gubal Island, Ulysses, Gubal Barge, Rosalie Moller, Thistlegorm, Beacon Reef, Dunraven, Bluff Point, Siyul, Umm Gamar, Ras Mohamed

Day 1
You will be met in the afternoon at Hurghada Airport arrivals hall by a representative of the Firebird liveaboard and transferred in a collective minibus to the marina for boarding. The crew will greet you on board, show you to your cabin and allow you time to unpack and prepare your dive gear in the basket that will be allocated to you. Dinner will be served inside the saloon and this will be a great opportunity to get to know the other guests on this cruise in the Red Sea. After dinner, the tour leader will provide a detailed boat safety and dive briefing for the next week. The yacht will leave port early morning for the first day of diving.

Days 2-7
This diving safari has been specifically designed to allow families with kids who are certified divers to enjoy a liveaboard cruise together. The route is adjusted and the dive sites selected to guarantee the most fun for teenagers.. The yacht will mostly follow the standard cruise route but will favour some easier dives at the expense of some of the deeper dives. There will be an extra guide on board who will take care of the children needs and also fill their non-diving time with fun activities.
This route visits the famous wrecks in the northern Red Sea, along with some stunning reef diving. The most famous wreck, the SS Thistlegorm, will leave you in awe: it was sunk in 1941 after being bombed by the German Luftwaffe! With its historical cargo of World War II machinery and equipment, all neatly stowed in its open holds, the wreck of the Thistlegorm would be a highlight of diving anywhere in the world. 4 wrecks will be the highlights of diving at Abu Nuhas, all offering spectacular dives and plenty of marine life. Ras Mohamed, at the southernmost tip of the Sinai, is one of the best kept national parks in Egypt. Its waters are rich in nutrients, attracting pelagics.
Children will be limited to 3 dives per day, but adults can make 4 dives on these safaris, with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon, and either a sunset dive or night dive. There will only be 2 dives on the last day of diving as the boat will then sail back to port for the final evening. You can then take a look around the marina, go shopping, or go for a drink.
The breakfast is international with Arabic items such as falaffel, foul beans and white cheese. For the main meals guests can enjoy a mix of European and Egyptian dishes, supplemented by a soup and a dessert in the evening. In between meals there are always fruit and snacks. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and water are always available. There is also an open-air bar with a grill area on the sundeck, where you can enjoy a sundowner and socialise with fellow guests.

Day 8
Disembarkation starts after a final breakfast on the yacht. You can arrange with the crew to be transported back to the airport or to a local hotel.

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Red Sea North, Wrecks & Dahab (8 Days / 7 Nights - 20 Dives)

Trip highlights: dolphins, turtles, 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: Dahab, Abu Nuhas wrecks of Giannis D., Carnatic, Chrisoula K. and Kimon M., Gubal Island, Ulysses, Gubal Barge, Rosalie Moller, Thistlegorm, Beacon Reef, Dunraven, Bluff Point, Siyul, Umm Gamar, Ras Mohamed

Day 1
You will be met in the afternoon at Hurghada Airport arrivals hall by a representative of the Firebird liveaboard and transferred in a collective minibus to the marina for boarding. The crew will greet you on board, show you to your cabin and allow you time to unpack and prepare your dive gear in the basket that will be allocated to you. Dinner will be served inside the saloon and this will be a great opportunity to get to know the other guests on this cruise in the Red Sea. After dinner, the tour leader will provide a detailed boat safety and dive briefing for the next week. The yacht will leave port early morning for the first day of diving.

Days 2-7
This route visits the famous wrecks in the northern Red Sea, along with some stunning reef diving. The most famous wreck, the SS Thistlegorm, will leave you in awe: it was sunk in 1941 after being bombed by the German Luftwaffe! With its historical cargo of World War II machinery and equipment, all neatly stowed in its open holds, the wreck of the Thistlegorm would be a highlight of diving anywhere in the world. 4 wrecks will be the highlights of diving at Abu Nuhas, all offering spectacular dives and plenty of marine life. Ras Mohamed, at the southernmost tip of the Sinai, is one of the best kept national parks in Egypt. Its waters are rich in nutrients, attracting pelagics. You will also dive the world renowned Blue Hole of Dahab.
4 dives a day are the norm in the Red Sea, with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon, and either a sunset dive or night dive. There will only be 2 dives on the last day of diving as the boat will then sail back to port for the final evening. You can then take a look around the marina, go shopping, or go for a drink.
The breakfast is international with Arabic items such as falafel, foul beans and white cheese. For the main meals guests can enjoy a mix of European and Egyptian dishes, supplemented by a soup and a dessert in the evening. In between meals there are always fruit and snacks. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and water are always available. There is also an open-air bar with a grill area on the sundeck, where you can enjoy a sundowner and socialise with fellow guests.

Day 8
Disembarkation starts after a final breakfast on the yacht. You can arrange with the crew to be transported back to the airport or to a local hotel.

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Red Sea North, Wrecks, Tiran & Dahab (8 Days / 7 Nights - 21 Dives)

Trip highlights: turtles, 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: Dahab: Bells, Blue Hole, Dahab Canyon; Abu Nuhas wrecks of Giannis D., Carnatic, Chrisoula K. and Kimon M., Gubal Island, Ulysses, Gubal Barge, Rosalie Moller, Thistlegorm, Beacon Reef, Dunraven, Umm Gamar, Straits of Tiran: Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas, Gordon reefs

Day 1
You will be met in the afternoon at Hurghada Airport arrivals hall by a representative of the Firebird liveaboard and transferred in a collective minibus to the marina for boarding. The crew will greet you on board, show you to your cabin and allow you time to unpack and prepare your dive gear in the basket that will be allocated to you. Dinner will be served inside the saloon and this will be a great opportunity to get to know the other guests on this cruise in the Red Sea. After dinner, the tour leader will provide a detailed boat safety and dive briefing for the next week. The yacht will leave port early morning for the first day of diving.

Days 2-7
This route visits the famous wrecks in the northern Red Sea, along with some stunning reef diving. The most famous wreck, the SS Thistlegorm, will leave you in awe: it was sunk in 1941 after being bombed by the German Luftwaffe! With its historical cargo of World War II machinery and equipment, all neatly stowed in its open holds, the wreck of the Thistlegorm would be a highlight of diving anywhere in the world. The Rosalie Moeller, carrying a cargo of coal, suffered the same fate just 2 days later. 4 wrecks will be the highlights of diving at Abu Nuhas, all offering spectacular dives and plenty of marine life.
The Straits of Tiran are the narrow sea passages between the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas which separate the Gulf of Aqaba from the Red Sea. These reefs, named after British cartographers are world famous for their extraordinary diversity of corals and strong south westerly currents that make them home to many large pelagic fish. You will also dive the world renowned Blue Hole of Dahab.
4 dives a day are the norm in the Red Sea, with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon, and either a sunset dive or night dive. There will only be 2 dives on the last day of diving as the boat will then sail back to port for the final evening. You can then take a look around the marina, go shopping, or go for a drink.
The breakfast is international with Arabic items such as falafel, foul beans and white cheese. For the main meals guests can enjoy a mix of European and Egyptian dishes, supplemented by a soup and a dessert in the evening. In between meals there are always fruit and snacks. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and water are always available. There is also an open-air bar with a grill area on the sundeck, where you can enjoy a sundowner and socialise with fellow guests.

Day 8
Disembarkation starts after a final breakfast on the yacht. You can arrange with the crew to be transported back to the airport or to a local hotel.

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Red Sea South & St. John's Reefs (15 Days / 14 Nights - 42 Dives)

Trip highlights: dolphins, dugongs/manatees, great macro life/ marine diversity

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: Big Brother, Little Brother, Daedalus Reef, Rocky Island, Zabargad, St. Johns, Fury Shoals

Day 1
You will be met in the afternoon at Marsa Alam Airport arrivals hall by a representative of the Firebird liveaboard and transferred in a collective minibus to Port Ghalib for boarding. The crew will greet you on board, show you to your cabin and allow you time to unpack and prepare your dive gear in the basket that will be allocated to you. Dinner will be served inside the saloon and this will be a great opportunity to get to know the other guests on this cruise in the Red Sea. After dinner, the tour leader will provide a detailed boat safety and dive briefing for the next week. The yacht will leave port early morning for the first day of diving.

You may also dive on the wreck Aida II, an Egyptian supply vessel, and the Numidia, a cargo ship that lies in the shallows of Big Brother Island. They are covered in soft and hard corals and are unforgettable. Daedalus Reef is the best place in Egypt for bucket-list encounters with hammerhead sharks, oceanic whitetips and thresher sharks, as well as manta rays. Elphinstone is home to schools of surgeonfish, fusiliers, trevallies and colourful reef fish. Sharks can occasionally be seen here too.
Days 2-14
Daedalus Reef is a popular choice for experienced Red Sea divers. Shark lovers will appreciate threshers, oceanic whitetips, hammerheads, and whitetip reef sharks. The famous Brother Islands are 2 undersea mountains that rise from the depths and act as magnets for sea life, offering breath-taking drift dives with a wide variety of pelagics. Their walls are covered in sponges, soft corals, black corals and gorgonian seafans, lending an astonishing variety of colour. Encounters include big tuna, schools of trevallies and snapper cruise by in the blue. Zabargad Island is a popular diving region, distinguished by the variety of dive sites and a 70 metre-long wreck. Rocky Island is a site that can get the adrenaline going. When its currents are in full flow. Thanks to its exposed location and small circumference, it is a very lively reef. Silvertip sharks and grey reef sharks are often present in the blue and if you are in luck there may also be mantas and dolphins.
In the deep south of Egypt you will have the chance to dive St. John’s and the Fury Shoals, the healthiest and most colourful reefs in the Red Sea, with their fantastic drop offs, pinnacles, canyons, caves and tunnels, and amazing hard-corals. There is a lot of marine life too, such as barracuda, different types of reef shark, sometimes even turtles, Napoleon wrasse, dolphins, dugongs and mantas.
4 dives a day are the norm in he Red Sea (but only 3 when in the marine parks), with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon, and a night dive or sunset dive. There will only be 2 dives on the last day of diving as the boat will then sail back to port for the final evening. You can then take a look around the marina, go shopping, or go for a drink.
The breakfast is international with Arabic items such as falaffel, foul beans and white cheese. For the main meals guests can enjoy a mix of European and Egyptian dishes, supplemented by a soup and a dessert in the evening. In between meals there are always fruit and snacks. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and water are always available. There is also an open-air bar with a grill area on the sundeck, where you can enjoy a sundowner and socialise with fellow guests.

Day 15
Disembarkation starts after a final breakfast on the yacht. You can arrange with the crew to be transported back to the airport or to a local hotel.

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Red Sea North, Wrecks & Brothers (8 Days / 7 Nights - 20 Dives)

Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, turtles, 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: Big Brother, Little Brother, Abu Nuhas wrecks (Giannis D., Carnatic, Chrisoula K. and Kimon M.), Thistlegorm, Umm Gamar, Small Giftun, Straits of Tiran: Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas, Gordon reefs

Day 1
You will be met at Hurghada Airport at the arrivals hall by a representative of the Firebird liveaboard and transferred in a collective minibus to the marina for boarding. The crew will greet you on board, show you to your cabin and allow you time to unpack and prepare your dive gear in the basket that will be allocated to you. Dinner will be served inside the saloon and this will be a great opportunity to get to know the other guests on this cruise in the Red Sea. After dinner, the tour leader will provide a detailed boat safety and dive briefing for the next week. The yacht will leave port early morning for the first day of diving.

Days 2-7
This route visits the famous wrecks in the northern Red Sea, along with some stunning open sea diving. The most famous wreck, the SS Thistlegorm, will leave you in awe: it was sunk in 1941 after being bombed by the German Luftwaffe! With its historical cargo of World War II machinery and equipment, all neatly stowed in its open holds, the wreck of the Thistlegorm would be a highlight of diving anywhere in the world. 4 wrecks will be the highlights of diving at Abu Nuhas, all offering spectacular dives and plenty of marine life. The Straits of Tiran are the narrow sea passages between the Sinai and Arabian peninsulas which separate the Gulf of Aqaba from the Red Sea. These reefs, named after British cartographers are world famous for their extraordinary diversity of corals and strong south westerly currents that make them home to many large pelagic fish.
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.
4 dives a day are the norm in the Red Sea (but only 3 when in the marine parks), with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon, and either a sunset dive or night dive. There will only be 2 dives on the last day of diving as the boat will then sail back to port for the final evening. You can then take a look around the marina, go shopping, or go for a drink.
The breakfast is international with Arabic items such as falafel, foul beans and white cheese. For the main meals guests can enjoy a mix of European and Egyptian dishes, supplemented by a soup and a dessert in the evening. In between meals there are always fruit and snacks. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and water are always available. There is also an open-air bar with a grill area on the sundeck, where you can enjoy a sundowner and socialise with fellow guests.

Day 8
Disembarkation starts after a final breakfast on the yacht. You can arrange with the crew to be transported back to the airport or to a local hotel.
Note: these cruises sometimes use Port Ghalib instead of Hurghada so please check the ports of departure and return. Transfers are always provided from Hurghada.

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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].

Firebird has 8 guest cabins on the lower deck - 7 with twin bunk beds and 1 with a double queen-sized bed. All the cabins have private en-suite bathrooms.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 10 / 10 - hot water