Golden Dolphin III

MY Golden Dolphin III is a sleek, white Egypt liveaboard built in 2008 measuring 37m purpose built for Red Sea dive tours. Up to 20 guests can be accommodated comfortably on board yet it is always possible to find a quite space such is the boat's roominess and intelligent layout.

Examples of the space on board include the large dive deck, shaded relaxation areas on the main and upper deck and the exposed sun deck, and an outdoor bar. There is a dedicated air-conditioned restaurant on the main deck and, for those who prefer to relax indoors, there is a large air-conditioned lounge complete with TV, DVD, free internet and music system. There is also a library of marine and general books in a variety of languages, mostly English and German.

There are a number of features which reveal Golden Dolphin III to be a real scuba divers' liveaboard: the large dive deck boasts a camera table and charging station, hot showers and toilet, plus free nitrox is available. Space, comfort and good service are all elements of a Red Sea diving trip emphasised by the Golden Dolphin's Egypt liveaboards.

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Dive experience: Requirements: North & Wrecks/St. Johns Reefs liveaboard safaris - Open Water diver license and 30 logged dives; for Brothers, Daedalus Reef & Elphinstone/Red Sea South safaris - Advanced Open Water diver license and at least 50 logged dives.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner (except on day of departure and arrival), snacks, water, soft drinks and hot drinks, return transfers from local airport to boat, marina fees, dives (as detailed in the liveaboard trips above), nitrox fills for certified enriched air divers, experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (10 divers per DM), tanks, weights and weightbelts, 15 litre tank for return customers, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (US$ 139 per week) (must be ordered one week in advance), diving computer (US$ 36 per week), dive insurance, safari package (includes: Egypt entrance visa, meet and assist, fuel surcharge, dive permissions, port and park fees, and taxes) - 7 nights US$ 284, 10+ nights US$ 310, SS Turkia trip surcharge US$ 52.
Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash only).

Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks, nitrox fills above 32%, torch (US$ 36 per week), 15 litre tank (US$ 36 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: MY Golden Dolphin III departs primarily from Hurghada and Marsa Ghalib; return transfers are included from nearby hotels and from Hurghada and Marsa Alam Airports to the departure point. Check-in time is 18:00. Final check-out is the morning of the last day at 10:00 hrs (last night may be spent on board in the harbour or at a hotel depending on the itinerary). A day room can be arranged for arrival or departure day at an additional charge.
The first and last night of each diving tour are spent in the harbour. The last dive of the trip will be at around 12 noon on the second last day of the trip. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving. For more details, including airlines, see our travel information section for the Red Sea.

Non-diver rate: 25% off the 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 25% to the published price in low season and 50% in high season (1 Apr-13 Jul and 19 Sep-30 Nov).

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 8 guests and receive 10% discount per person.

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

Add-on package: If you have time, we strongly recommend that you consider some of the wonderful antiquities tours in Egypt which can add a whole new dimension to your holiday.
Cairo museum's royal mummies, the pyramids of Giza, the Great Sphinx, a glorious cruise down the Nile staying in a luxury cabin, The Valley of the Kings, all of these and more can be seen in packages starting at 6 nights' duration. Other activities such as 4x4 safaris and camel tours are also available as are custom-made packages to suit your needs.

St. John's Reefs (8 Days / 7 Nights - 21 Dives)

Trip highlights: 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: St. John's reef system: Big Habili, Small Habili, Umm Erug, Umm Hararim; Fury Shoals: Shaab Claudio, El Malahi, Abu Galawa Soraya; Shaab Sharm

Day 1
Upon landing in Hurghada you will be met at the arrival terminal and given assistance with your visa on arrival. A 3 hour air-conditioned van ride will take you to Port Ghalib marina where the Golden Dolphin 2 is moored. During the journey you will be served a lunch box and drinks. Otherwise you can fly to Marsa Alam Airport which is only 10 minutes away from Port Ghalib. The tour leader and crew will welcome you on board brief you about the boat and the cruise and assign your cabin. Guests will arrive throughout the day. Dinner will be served before bedding down for a good night’s sleep before the fun days ahead.

Days 2-7
Among the best sites of the deep south are St John’s Reef, some of the most colorful and healthy sites in Egypt. The dive sites are characterised by caves, tunnels, drop-offs, canyons, pinnacles and amazing hard corals. Marine life includes reef sharks, barracuda, and if you are in luck, manta rays and dolphins. This tour also visits the Fury Shoals. This reef system offers amazing scuba diving opportunities with some of the most pristine reefs in Egypt.
In the Red Sea deep south you will normally do 4 dives a day: 2 in the morning and a 3rd and 4th in the afternoon/evening. On the penultimate day of the cruise, you will do 2 dives before the liveaboard makes its way back to port.
The dining experience on board kicks off with a hot breakfast of eggs, omelettes, toast, pancakes, sausages, cheese, cereal, tea and coffee). Lunch and dinner are buffet-style and involve an array of fresh vegetables, chicken, beef and fish, rice and noodles. Daily snacks include fresh fruit, juice and cookies. Each trip normally features a barbecue.

Day 8
On the final day of the cruise, you can enjoy a hot farewell breakfast and a chance to say goodbye to your fellow guests and the crew. You will disembark at around 10:00 hrs and be transferred to our hotel or the airport.

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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: Big Brother, Little Brother, Aida II wreck, Numidia wreck, Daedalus Reef and Elphinstone

Day 1
You will either fly into Hurghada or Marsa Alam airport. If departing from Hurghada, you will be met by Golden Dolphin staff and helped with the visa on arrival process. After that you jump into an air-conditioned minivan for the 20 minute drive to the marina where you will board the Golden Dolphin 3. If departing from Port Ghalib, you can either fly direct to Marsa Alam, 10 minutes from Port Ghalib. Alternatively you can fly into Hurghada and take the 3 hour minivan transfer to the departure point in Port Ghalib. A lunchbox and drink will be provided en route. The tour leader and crew will welcome you on board brief you about the boat and the cruise and assign your cabin. Guests will arrive throughout the day. Dinner will be served before bedding down for a good night’s sleep before the fun days ahead.

Days 2-7
Among the best loved dive sites of the Red Sea are the famous Brother Islands, 2 exposed promontories that act as a magnet for sea life. Here you will find walls bedecked in colour; sponges, soft corals and anemones. There is a good chance you will spot a variety of sharks including scalloped hammerheads, numerous grey reef sharks, silvertips and whitetips. There is a wreck called Numidia lying in the shallows which is decorated with gorgonians and hard and soft corals. The reefs of Elphinstone and Daedalus are home to a vast array of tropical reef fish as well as schools of surgeonfish, fusiliers and trevallies. You can spot manta rays here, especially in the summertime and sharks year round may include hammerheads, thresher sharks and oceanic whitetips.
In the Red Sea you will normally do 3 or 4 dives a day: 2 in the morning and a 3rd and 4th in the afternoon. On the penultimate day of the cruise, you will do 2 dives before the liveaboard makes its way back to port.
The dining experience on board kicks off with a hot breakfast of eggs, omelettes, toast, pancakes, sausages, cheese, cereal, tea and coffee). Lunch and dinner are buffet-style and involve an array of fresh vegetables, chicken, beef and fish, rice and noodles. Daily snacks include fresh fruit, juice and cookies. Each trip normally features a barbecue.

Day 8
Check out time is normally after a small breakfast and farewells with the crew, before being transferred either to the airport or your local hotel.
Please note that these trips sometimes use Hurghada marina as the departure or arrival port - check above for details.

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Egypt Red Sea - Route Open (8 Days / 7 Nights - 21 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: Route not yet decided. First booking of 2 customers will determine the route: Ras Mohamed & Tiran; North & Wrecks; Brothers; Brothers, Daedalus Reef & Elphinstone; or St. John's.

Itinerary details dependent upon route selected.

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Red Sea North, Wrecks & Brothers (8 Days / 7 Nights - 19 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, Aida II wreck, Numidia wreck, Thistlegorm, Ras Mohamed: Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef; Straits of Tiran: Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon reefs

Day 1
You will either fly into Hurghada or Marsa Alam airport. If departing from Hurghada, you will be met by Golden Dolphin staff and helped with the visa on arrival process. After that you jump into an air-conditioned minivan for the 20 minute drive to the marina where you will board the Golden Dolphin 2. If departing from Port Ghalib, you can either fly direct to Marsa Alam, 10 minutes from Port Ghalib. Alternatively you can fly into Hurghada and take the 3 hour minivan transfer to the departure point in Port Ghalib. A lunchbox and drink will be provided en route. The tour leader and crew will welcome you on board brief you about the boat and the cruise and assign your cabin. Guests will arrive throughout the day. Dinner will be served before bedding down for a good night’s sleep before the fun days ahead.

Days 2-7
Among the best loved dive sites of the Red Sea are the famous Brother Islands, 2 exposed promontories that act as a magnet for sea life. Here you will find walls bedecked in colour; sponges, soft corals and anemones. There is a good chance you will spot a variety of sharks including scalloped hammerheads, numerous grey reef sharks, silvertips and whitetips. There is a wreck called Numidia lying in the shallows which is decorated with gorgonians and hard and soft corals.
One of the best known dive sites of the Red Sea is the WWII wreck the SS Thistlegorm. Lying upright at a maximum depth of 32 metres, you can dive around the cargo. This includes motorcycles, trucks, weapons, a railway carriage and engine and even tanks! The Ras Mohammed marine park’s best reefs include Yolanda Reef and Shark Reef which have excellent hard and soft corals and numerous fish and sharks. The Straits of Tiran are one of the most famous diving areas in the Red Sea. The strong current brings plenty of nutrients and schooling fish to the reef, tempting pelagic fish in from the open water. Large schools of barracuda and jacks are common here, as are larger predators including several species of shark.
In the Red Sea you will normally do 3 or 4 dives a day: 2 in the morning and a 3rd and 4th in the afternoon. On the penultimate day of the cruise, you will do 2 dives before the liveaboard makes its way back to port.
The dining experience on board kicks off with a hot breakfast of eggs, omelettes, toast, pancakes, sausages, cheese, cereal, tea and coffee). Lunch and dinner are buffet-style and involve an array of fresh vegetables, chicken, beef and fish, rice and noodles. Daily snacks include fresh fruit, juice and cookies. Each trip normally features a barbecue.

Day 8
On the final day of the cruise, you can enjoy a hot farewell breakfast and a chance to say goodbye to your fellow guests and the crew. You will disembark and be transferred to our hotel or the airport.

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Red Sea South (15 Days / 14 Nights - 37 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, Aida II wreck, Numidia wreck, Daedalus Reef, Zabargad, Rocky Island, Elphinstone, St. John's reef system: Big Habili, Small Habili, Umm Erug, Umm Hararim; Fury Shoals: Shaab Claudio, El Malahi, Abu Galawa Soraya; Shaab Sharm

Day 1
You will either fly into Hurghada or Marsa Alam airport. If departing from Hurghada, you will be met by Golden Dolphin staff and helped with the visa on arrival process. After that you jump into an air-conditioned minivan for the 20 minute drive to the marina where you will board the Golden Dolphin 2. If departing from Port Ghalib, you can either fly direct to Marsa Alam, 10 minutes from Port Ghalib. Alternatively you can fly into Hurghada and take the 3 hour minivan transfer to the departure point in Port Ghalib. A lunchbox and drink will be provided en route. The tour leader and crew will welcome you on board brief you about the boat and the cruise and assign your cabin. Guests will arrive throughout the day. Dinner will be served before bedding down for a good night’s sleep before the fun days ahead.

Days 2-14
Among the best loved dive sites of the Red Sea are the famous Brother Islands, 2 exposed promontories that act as a magnet for sea life. Here you will find walls bedecked in colour; sponges, soft corals and anemones. There is a good chance you will spot a variety of sharks including scalloped hammerheads, numerous grey reef sharks, silvertips and whitetips. There is a wreck called Numidia lying in the shallows which is decorated with gorgonians and hard and soft corals. The reefs of Elphinstone and Daedalus are home to a vast array of tropical reef fish as well as schools of surgeonfish, fusiliers and trevallies. You can spot manta rays here, especially in the summertime and sharks year round may include hammerheads, thresher sharks and oceanic whitetips.
One of the more current-swept regions of the Red Sea is Rocky Island. Here the nutrient-rich water movement gives rise to healthy gorgonian fans, black coral trees and sponges. Often found sheltering in quieter spots are turtles, grey reef sharks, and silvertips. Manta rays and dolphins are also common visitors. Zabargad islands is a site populated by soldierfish, wrasses and schools of snappers. It features walls, drop-offs and shallow coral gardens. St John's is home to the healthiest and most colourful reefs in the Red Sea.
In the Red Sea you will normally do 3 or 4 dives a day: 2 in the morning and a 3rd and 4th in the afternoon/evening. On the penultimate day of the cruise, you will do 2 dives before the liveaboard makes its way back to port.
The dining experience on board kicks off with a hot breakfast of eggs, omelettes, toast, pancakes, sausages, cheese, cereal, tea and coffee). Lunch and dinner are buffet-style and involve an array of fresh vegetables, chicken, beef and fish, rice and noodles. Daily snacks include fresh fruit, juice and cookies. Each trip normally features a barbecue.

Day 15
On the final day of the cruise, you can enjoy a hot farewell breakfast and a chance to say goodbye to your fellow guests and the crew. You will disembark at around 10:00 hrs and be transferred to our hotel or the airport. Please note that these trips sometimes use Port Ghalib as the departure or arrival port - check above for details.

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Red Sea North, Wrecks & Tiran Straits (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: Thistlegorm, Abu Nuhas wrecks (Giannis D, Carnatic, Kimon M, Chrisoula K), Dunraven, Ras Mohamed: Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef; Straits of Tiran: Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas and Gordon reefs

Day 1
After landing at Hurghada airport you will be met by Golden Dolphin staff and helped with the visa on arrival process. After that you jump into an air-conditioned minivan for the 20 minute drive to the marina where you will board the Golden Dolphin 2. You will be welcomed on board and assigned your cabin after the boat briefing. Other guests will arrive throughout the afternoon and evening. You can enjoy a nice first dinner on board and settle into your cabin for a good night’s sleep.

Days 2-7
1 of the best known dive sites of the Red Sea is the WWII wreck the SS Thistlegorm. Lying upright at a maximum depth of 32 metres, you can dive around the cargo. This includes motorcycles, trucks, weapons, a railway carriage and engine and even tanks! The Abu Nuhas reef is home to 4 wrecks making it a popular spot. They have been overtaken by marine life and are home to large numbers of fish including thousands of glassfish in sheltered spots.
The Ras Mohammed marine park’s best reefs include Yolanda Reef and Shark Reef which have excellent hard and soft corals and numerous fish and sharks. The Straits of Tiran are one of the most famous diving areas in the Red Sea. The strong current brings plenty of nutrients and schooling fish to the reef, tempting pelagic fish in from the open water. Large schools of barracuda and jacks are common here, as are larger predators including several species of shark.
In the Red Sea you will normally do 3 or 4 dives a day: 2 in the morning and a 3rd and 4th in the afternoon. On the penultimate day of the cruise, you will do 2 dives before the liveaboard makes its way back to port.
The dining experience on board kicks off with a hot breakfast of eggs, omelettes, toast, pancakes, sausages, cheese, cereal, tea and coffee). Lunch and dinner are buffet-style and involve an array of fresh vegetables, chicken, beef and fish, rice and noodles. Daily snacks include fresh fruit, juice and cookies. Each trip normally features a barbecue.

Day 8
On the final day of the cruise, you can enjoy a hot farewell breakfast and a chance to say goodbye to your fellow guests and the crew. You will disembark and be transferred to our hotel or the airport.

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Red Sea South & St. John's Reefs (8 Days / 7 Nights - 18 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: Zabargad, Rocky Island, St. John's reef system: Big Habili, Small Habili, Umm Erug, Umm Hararim

Day 1
The most direct route is to fly to Marsa Alam airport which is only 10 minutes away from Port Ghalib. Alternatively you can fly into Hurghada airport where you will be met by Golden Dolphin staff and helped with the visa on arrival process. After that you jump into an air-conditioned minivan for the 3 hour ride to the Golden Dolphin 2 in Port Ghalib marina. En route you will be provided a lunch box and drink. Upon embarkation you will be greeted by the crew and given a boat briefing before settling into your cabin as other guests continue to arrive during the afternoon and evening. You will dine on board that evening before settling down for the night.

Days 2-7
Among the best sites of the deep south are at St John’s Reefs, some of the most colorful and healthy sites in Egypt. The dive sites are characterised by caves, tunnels, drop-offs, canyons, pinnacles and amazing hard corals. Marine life includes reef sharks, barracuda, and if you are in luck, manta rays and dolphins. One of the more current-swept regions of the Red Sea is Rocky Island. Here the nutrient-rich water movement gives rise to healthy gorgonian fans, black coral trees and sponges. Often found sheltering in quieter spots are turtles, grey reef sharks, and silvertips. Manta rays and dolphins are also common visitors. Zabargad islands is a site populated by soldierfish, wrasses and schools of snappers. It features walls, drop-offs and shallow coral gardens.
In the Red Sea you will normally do 3 or 4 dives a day: 2 in the morning and a 3rd and 4th in the afternoon. On the penultimate day of the cruise, you will do 2 dives before the liveaboard makes its way back to port.
The dining experience on board kicks off with a hot breakfast of eggs, omelettes, toast, pancakes, sausages, cheese, cereal, tea and coffee). Lunch and dinner are buffet-style and involve an array of fresh vegetables, chicken, beef and fish, rice and noodles. Daily snacks include fresh fruit, juice and cookies. Each trip normally features a barbecue.

Day 8
On the final day of the cruise, you can enjoy a hot farewell breakfast and a chance to say goodbye to your fellow guests and the crew. You will disembark at around 10:00 hrs and be transferred to our hotel or the airport.

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Daedalus, Fury Shoals & Elphinstone (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: Daedalus Reef, Fury Shoals: Shaab Claudio, El Malahi, Abu Galawa Soraya, Abu Galawa Kebir, Shaab Maksur, Shaab Sataya (Dolphin Reef); Shaab Sharm, Elphinstone, Shaab Sharm

Day 1
As soon as you land in Hurghada the Golden Dolphin III staff will be at the arrival terminal to welcome you and take care of your visa on arrival. An air-conditioned van will take you to Port Ghalib where the dive cruise ship is moored. The journey takes about 3 hours, during which you will receive a lunch box and drinks. Otherwise Port Ghalib is only 10 minutes away from Marsa Alam Airport if you have landed there. Once onboard the liveaboard you will be met by its crew and the tour leader that will show to you the boat, assign you a cabin and explain in detail the important info and the itinerary of your vacation. Enjoy your dinner in the air-conditioned saloon before going to bed: you will start diving the next day.

Days 2-7
Daedalus Reef 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. The Fury Shoals reef system offers amazing scuba diving opportunities with some of the most pristine reefs in Egypt, including small caves, reef blocks, plateaus, canyons, coral gardens and drop-offs, not to mention resident pods of dolphins. Other creatures you could encounter on this tour include dugongs, mantas, turtles and Napoleon wrasse.
3-4 dives a day are the norm in the southern Red Sea, with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon and a night dive (when outside of the marine parks) that ends each amazing day of underwater discovery. There will only 2 dives on the last day before disembarkation as the boat will then sail back to port.
The dining experience on board kicks off with a hot breakfast of eggs, omelettes, toast, pancakes, sausages, cheese, cereal, tea and coffee). Lunch and dinner are buffet-style and involve an array of fresh vegetables, chicken, beef and fish, rice and noodles. Daily snacks include fresh fruit, juice and cookies. Each trip normally features a barbecue.

Day 8
On the final day of the cruise, you can enjoy a hot farewell breakfast and a chance to say goodbye to your fellow guests and the crew. You will disembark at around 10:00 hrs and be transferred to our hotel or the airport.

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Fury Shoals & Elphinstone (8 Days / 7 Nights - 20 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: Fury Shoals: Shaab Claudio, El Malahi, Abu Galawa Soraya, Abu Galawa Kebir, Shaab Maksur, Shaab Sataya (Dolphin Reef); Shaab Sharm, Elphinstone, Shaab Sharm

Day 1
As soon as you land in Hurghada the Golden Dolphin III staff will be at the arrival terminal to welcome you and take care of your visa on arrival. An air-conditioned van will take you to Port Ghalib where the dive cruise ship is moored. The journey takes about 3 hours, during which you will receive a lunch box and drinks. Otherwise Port Ghalib is only 10 minutes away from Marsa Alam Airport if you have landed there. Once onboard the liveaboard you will be met by its crew and the tour leader that will show to you the boat, assign you a cabin and explain in detail the important info and the itinerary of your vacation. Enjoy your dinner in the air-conditioned saloon before going to bed: you will start diving the next day.

Days 2-7
The Fury Shoals reef system offers amazing scuba diving opportunities with some of the most pristine reefs in Egypt, including small caves, reef blocks, plateaus, canyons, coral gardens and drop-offs, not to mention resident pods of dolphins. Other creatures you could encounter on this tour include dugongs, mantas, turtles and Napoleon wrasse.
4 dives a day are the norm in the southern Red Sea, with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon and a night dive (when outside of the marine parks) that ends each amazing day of underwater discovery. There will only 2 dives on the last day before disembarkation as the boat will then sail back to port.
The dining experience on board kicks off with a hot breakfast of eggs, omelettes, toast, pancakes, sausages, cheese, cereal, tea and coffee). Lunch and dinner are buffet-style and involve an array of fresh vegetables, chicken, beef and fish, rice and noodles. Daily snacks include fresh fruit, juice and cookies. Each trip normally features a barbecue.

Day 8
On the final day of the cruise, you can enjoy a hot farewell breakfast and a chance to say goodbye to your fellow guests and the crew. You will disembark and be transferred to our hotel or the airport.

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(8 Days / 7 Nights - Dives)

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: zz

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Red Sea South & St. John's Reefs (8 Days / 7 Nights - 18 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: Daedalus Reef, Zabargad, Rocky Island, St. John's reef system: Big Habili, Small Habili, Umm Erug, Umm Hararim, Elphinstone

Day 1
As soon as you land in Hurghada the Golden Dolphin III staff will be at the arrival terminal to welcome you and take care of your visa on arrival. An air-conditioned van will take you to Port Ghalib where the dive cruise ship is moored. The journey takes about 3 hours, during which you will receive a lunch box and drinks. Otherwise Port Ghalib is only 10 minutes away from Marsa Alam Airport if you have landed there. Once onboard the liveaboard you will be met by its crew and the tour leader that will show to you the boat, assign you a cabin and explain in detail the important info and the itinerary of your vacation. Enjoy your dinner in the air-conditioned saloon before going to bed: you will start diving the next day.

Days 2-7
Among the best sites of the deep south are St John’s Reefs, some of the most colorful and healthy sites in Egypt. The dive sites are characterised by caves, tunnels, drop-offs, canyons, pinnacles and amazing hard corals. Marine life includes reef sharks, barracuda, and if you are in luck, manta rays and dolphins.
Daedalus Reef 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. One of the more current-swept regions of the Red Sea is Rocky Island. Here the nutrient-rich water movement gives rise to healthy gorgonian fans, black coral trees and sponges. Often found sheltering in quieter spots are turtles, grey reef sharks, and silvertips. Manta rays and dolphins are also common visitors. Zabargad islands is a site populated by soldierfish, wrasses and schools of snappers. It features walls, drop-offs and shallow coral gardens.
The dining experience on board kicks off with a hot breakfast of eggs, omelettes, toast, pancakes, sausages, cheese, cereal, tea and coffee). Lunch and dinner are buffet-style and involve an array of fresh vegetables, chicken, beef and fish, rice and noodles. Daily snacks include fresh fruit, juice and cookies. Each trip normally features a barbecue.

Day 8
On the final day of the cruise, you can enjoy a hot farewell breakfast and a chance to say goodbye to your fellow guests and the crew. You will disembark at around 10:00 hrs and be transferred to our hotel or the airport.

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Red Sea South, St. John's & Elba Reef (8 Days / 7 Nights - 18 Dives)

Trip highlights: 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: Rocky Island, Zabargad, Elba Reef, St. John's: Big Habili, Small Habili, Umm Erug, Umm Hararim

Day 1
Upon landing in Hurghada you will be met at the arrival terminal and given assistance with your visa on arrival. A 3 hour air-conditioned van ride will take you to Port Ghalib marina where the Golden Dolphin 3 is moored. During the journey you will be served a lunch box and drinks. Otherwise you can fly to Marsa Alam Airport which is only 10 minutes away from Port Ghalib. The tour leader and crew will welcome you on board brief you about the boat and the cruise and assign your cabin. Guests will arrive throughout the day. Dinner will be served before bedding down for a good night’s sleep before the fun days ahead.

Days 2-7
This itinerary has been specifically tailored for serious scuba divers who want to enjoy a cruise in the Red Sea with no traffic, providing an ideal underwater environment for all types of divers particularly for underwater videographers and photographers. Elba is a pristine and remote reef on the Sudanese border and during the trip you will also be diving the famous and untouched 113m long Italian Levanzo wreck, built in March 1901 and sunk on 14 March 1923, laying on one of the beautiful Elba reefs at 22-75m in depth.
In Egypt's deep south among the best sites are St. John’s Reefs. These are among the most colourful and healthy sites in the Red Sea. Here there are fantastic drop offs, caves and tunnels, pinnacles, canyons and amazing hard corals. The prolific marine life includes barracuda, reef sharks, sometimes even mantas and dolphins. Rocky Island’s year-round currents promote healthy specimens of soft coral, gorgonians, sponges and black coral trees. Marine creatures seek shelter here including grey reef sharks and silvertips, manta rays, dolphins and turtles. Zabargad island is an excellent dive destination with drop-offs, walls and brightly-lit coral gardens inhabited by soldierfish, wrasses, and schools of snappers.
3-4 dives a day are the norm in the southern Red Sea, with a couple of morning dives followed by a 3rd dive in the afternoon and a night dive (when outside of the marine parks) that ends each amazing day of underwater discovery. There will only 2 dives on the last day before disembarkation as the boat will then sail back to port.
The dining experience on board kicks off with a hot breakfast of eggs, omelettes, toast, pancakes, sausages, cheese, cereal, tea and coffee). Lunch and dinner are buffet-style and involve an array of fresh vegetables, chicken, beef and fish, rice and noodles. Daily snacks include fresh fruit, juice and cookies. Each trip normally features a barbecue.

Day 8
On the final day of the cruise, you can enjoy a hot farewell breakfast and a chance to say goodbye to your fellow guests and the crew. You will disembark and be transferred to our hotel or the airport.

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Red Sea South & St. John's Reefs (11 Days / 10 Nights - 28 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: Daedalus Reef, Zabargad, Rocky Island, Elphinstone, St. John's reef system: Big Habili, Small Habili, Umm Erug, Umm Hararim

Day 1
You will either fly into Hurghada or Marsa Alam airport. If departing from Hurghada, you will be met by Golden Dolphin staff and helped with the visa on arrival process. After that you jump into an air-conditioned minivan for the 20 minute drive to the marina where you will board the Golden Dolphin 3. If departing from Port Ghalib, you can either fly direct to Marsa Alam, 10 minutes from Port Ghalib. Alternatively you can fly into Hurghada and take the 3 hour minivan transfer to the departure point in Port Ghalib. A lunchbox and drink will be provided en route. The tour leader and crew will welcome you on board brief you about the boat and the cruise and assign your cabin. Guests will arrive throughout the day. Dinner will be served before bedding down for a good night’s sleep before the fun days ahead.

Days 2-10
Among the best loved dive sites of the Red Sea are the famous Brother Islands, 2 exposed promontories that act as a magnet for sea life. Here you will find walls bedecked in colour; sponges, soft corals and anemones. There is a good chance you will spot a variety of sharks including scalloped hammerheads, numerous grey reef sharks, silvertips and whitetips. There is a wreck called Numidia lying in the shallows which is decorated with gorgonians and hard and soft corals.
One of the more current-swept regions of the Red Sea is Rocky Island. Here the nutrient-rich water movement gives rise to healthy gorgonian fans, black coral trees and sponges. Often found sheltering in quieter spots are turtles, grey reef sharks, and silvertips. Manta rays and dolphins are also common visitors. Zabargad island is a site populated by soldierfish, wrasses and schools of snappers. It features walls, drop-offs and shallow coral gardens.
In the Red Sea you will normally do 3 or 4 dives a day: 2 in the morning and a 3rd and 4th in the afternoon/evening. On the penultimate day of the cruise, you will do 2 dives before the liveaboard makes its way back to port.
The dining experience on board kicks off with a hot breakfast of eggs, omelettes, toast, pancakes, sausages, cheese, cereal, tea and coffee). Lunch and dinner are buffet-style and involve an array of fresh vegetables, chicken, beef and fish, rice and noodles. Daily snacks include fresh fruit, juice and cookies. Each trip normally features a barbecue.

Day 11
On the final day of the cruise, you can enjoy a hot farewell breakfast and a chance to say goodbye to your fellow guests and the crew. You will disembark and then be transferred to your hotel or the airport.

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Brothers & Safaga (8 Days / 7 Nights - 19 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: Big Brother, Little Brother, Aida II wreck, Numidia wreck, Elphinstone, Safaga, Hurghada and Salem Express

Day 1
You will either fly into Hurghada or Marsa Alam airport. If departing from Hurghada, you will be met by Golden Dolphin staff and helped with the visa on arrival process. After that you jump into an air-conditioned minivan for the 20 minute drive to the marina where you will board the Golden Dolphin 3. If departing from Port Ghalib, you can either fly direct to Marsa Alam, 10 minutes from Port Ghalib. Alternatively you can fly into Hurghada and take the 3 hour minivan transfer to the departure point in Port Ghalib. A lunchbox and drink will be provided en route. The tour leader and crew will welcome you on board brief you about the boat and the cruise and assign your cabin. Guests will arrive throughout the day. Dinner will be served before bedding down for a good night’s sleep before the fun days ahead.

Days 2-7
The famous Brother Islands are 2 undersea mountains that rise from the depths and offer breath-taking drift diving with a wide variety of pelagics. Their walls are covered in soft corals, black corals and gorgonian seafans, pleasing the eyes of every scuba diver. Big tuna, schools of trevallies and snapper cruise by in the blue followed by scalloped hammerhead sharks, grey reef, silvertip, silky and oceanic whitetip sharks. Mantas are also seen in these waters, especially during the summer months. The safari will also have dives on the wreck Aida II, an Egyptian supply vessel, and the Numidia, a cargo ship that lies on the walls of Big Brother Island. They are covered in soft and hard corals and are really unforgettable. The Salem Express remains one of the largest accessible wrecks in the Egyptian Red Sea and diving it is a must for every experienced scuba diver.
In the Red Sea you will normally do 3 or 4 dives a day: 2 in the morning and a 3rd and 4th in the afternoon. On the penultimate day of the cruise, you will do 2 dives before the liveaboard makes its way back to port.
The dining experience on board kicks off with a hot breakfast of eggs, omelettes, toast, pancakes, sausages, cheese, cereal, tea and coffee). Lunch and dinner are buffet-style and involve an array of fresh vegetables, chicken, beef and fish, rice and noodles. Daily snacks include fresh fruit, juice and cookies. Each trip normally features a barbecue.

Day 8
Check out time is normally after a small breakfast and farewells with the crew, before being transferred either to the airport or your local hotel.
Please note that these trips sometimes use Hurghada marina as the departure or arrival port - check above for details.

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(7 Days / 6 Nights - Dives)

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:

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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].

MY Golden Dolphin III has 10 cabins: 2 Double bed cabins with windows on the upper deck and 8 Twin bed cabins with portholes on the lower deck.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 12 / 12 - hot water

Boat crew of 11 comprises: Nitrox - 41m² Dive deck with 2 hot showers and a toilet - Camera table and charging points for electrical equipment - 30m² Dive platform with rinse tank - 2 x 25 HP diving tenders - Air-conditioned 63m² saloon on main deck and TV, DVD and music players - 42m² Dedicated air-conditioned restaurant with bar on main deck - Free internet wi-fi - Satellite telephone for customer use - Library with movies, magazines, novels and fish ID books - Open air shaded dining area - 2 x Sundecks with sun matresses - Water dispenser

You can expect to be well-fed on board Golden Dolphin III since meals start with a pre-breakfast before your first dive and are followed by a cooked breakfast, lunch and dinner. Meals are served buffet style with waitress assistance. There is a mix of international cuisine and Middle-Eastern specialties, with 4 or 5 different dishes served per sitting. There is always tea, coffee, biscuits and toast available in between meals.

• International cuisine is served along with Italian, BBQs and Egyptian delicacies.
• Main meals are buffet style and comprise pre-breakfast, breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks.
• Meals are served in the air-conditioned restaurant or beneath the shade of the main deck.
• Snacks consist of candy bars, biscuits, bread, toast and fruit, and are available all day free of charge.
• Tea, coffee, soft drinks and drinking water are also complimentary.
• Beer and wine are available for purchase onboard.
• Vegetarian and other special diets can be catered for with prior notice.
• Catering starts with dinner on the first day of check in.

Customer reviews:

"Everything on the trip was fantastic - the equipment was great, the dive guides were awesome and the boat crew were incredible! The crew could not do enough - they were always there to help, they work very hard on these tours!" - Hayley Drake, South Africa, 8 April 2013 ...