Nuweiba Egypt

[ScubaDiva]

Trip report as promised now that I have figured out how to do things with photos on the web. Have put links to the photos taken on each dive - note the fabulous blue colour of most of the photos due to the lack of knowing how to do manual white balance. I was shown how to do it for the last dive but it didn't seem to owrk out for most of the photos. (14.45 - just been threough and touched them all up a bit in Picassa so they have a bit more colour now - will do more when I get photoshop!)

Stayed in the Coral Hilton - all dives were in or around there. On the first evening before we even got in the water we headed to the jetty. I wa blown away by the amount of Lionfish in the water swarming around. They are attracted to the lights on the jetty. A short shaky video here (Lionfish).

Dived with my new vyper and Pearl i3 BCD. Although I faithfully read the BCD manual from cover to cover and pottered in shallow water to test it out - I still had a senior moment with it on the 1st dive. It has a lever on the left side to inflate/deflate instead of the normal inflator hose. I couldn't figure out why I had settled on the sand and couldn't hear any noise when I tried to inflate it. I signalled to my buddy that there was a problem. I thought "crap and I've just bought this", started thinking how we could do an ascent, then . . .

. . . yes you guessed it I was pushing the lever the wrong way - damn it.

Day 1
Dive 1 - Outside Hilton

24 degrees in the water. Descended to about 20m. We were meant to go to 30m then up but we were so engrossed by the coral and fish that it took us a while to get to even 20m. Then slowly up spending most time at about 10m.

Loads to see. Beautiful male (yellow) and female (red) anthias swarming around our heads. Females outnumber the males by 20:1 apparently. Good odds! The fish just were not afraid of the divers. There is no fishing in this area so why would they be. They looked at us and said "I'm a fish, you're a fish, all is well".

Also saw Catfish, Lizardfish, Bigeyes, groupers, Lionfish (everywhere), angelfish, dascyllus, Morays, and . . . .

. . . a camel. Oh yes - he was getting in on some diving action too!!

Pictures here.

Dive 2 - Abu Lou Lou - House Reef

Again down to near 20m for 5mins before ascending to about 12m and then on up to 7m for most of the dive.

Most of the common fish seen on the 1st dive were seen on all dives. In addition:

Eagle ray spotted - no good photo though, I wasn't quick enough as I was trying to get my buddy's attention so that she could see. Octopus - lovely. Also Bannerfish, clownfish (hiding in their anenomes - looking at me threateningly whenever I went close ), cute cute boxfish.

Pics here.

Day 2
Dive 1 - Outside Hilton

Tried to go to the Pipeline but the vis was rubbish. We all piled into the water, did a little surface swim, dive guide went down to see if she could see. She couldn't even see her fins! There was a wind blowing across the desert and water and it was all churned up. We all piled back out of the water, back into the track, and moved 2oom up the beach to Outside Hilton.

Back in the water the vis wasn't great, but we got a dive in. Down to 19.9m - ave depth 9.8m.The prettiest fish spotted were a Broomtailed wrasse and a juvenile Emperor angelfish (blue swirls - fab).

Pics here.

Dive 2 - dry dive from my sun lounger

Well I wasn't going out again in that vis!

Day 3

Abu Lou Lou House Reef

wasn't feeling very well in the morning so I stayed behind as the others headed off to Ras al Shaitan. Recovered by the afternoon as the tummy trouble didn't progress. Went out on the house reef with 2 of the others on my 1st ever unguided dive. Very nice, but no pics - the camera got taken in the truck by my usual buddy.

saw porcupine boxfish and thornback boxfish - they have now replaced nemofish as my favourites.

Day 4

Dive 1 - House reef

Unguided dive. Photography skills still not improving - thinking of going on a course.

however, due to the eagle eyes of my buddy (who also happens to be a v. good competition winning photographer) I did see some anenome shrimp and a nudibranch. Also cornetfish, stonefish, soapfish, Masked puffer, and a Comb murex.

Pics here.

[O2 Steve]

Good pics and report M, sounds like you had a top time!

[ScubaDiva]

(11-11-2008 01:56 PM)O2 Steve Wrote:  Good pics and report M, sounds like you had a top time!

Twas brilliant!

[Polly]

Love Juvenile Emperors - very cool fish indeed. Glad you had fun