​We had a Crazy week with our American friends from NABS last week! It is November and the Red Sea is still spoiling us.
The water temp is still 27°c, the corals and all year round marine life is spectacular. Night dives filled with Spanish Dancers and Octopus. And we are still getting our big surprises so late in the season. A nice big Hammerhead and huge Whale Shark again in the Local dive sites.
Ras Mohammed giving us yet more dives and snorkeling hours with the Whale sharks and to top it all off a super close encounter with a Dolphin and our regular sightings of Eagle ray's. A big thanks to all that was involved in a very successful Summit.

Dear Divers, colleagues and friends,
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As divers and underwater ambassadors, any change towards a positive impact on the environment is one we can all agree on supporting.
Therefore kindly be informed that as of 27th November 2019, as per a recent decree issued by the Ministry of Environment, new Park daily fees will be applicable to diving operations and divers performing scuba diving and snorkeling activities in dive/snorkeling sites located in the following areas:

• Ras Mohammed National Park – Euro 7.00 per person
• Straits of Tiran – Euro 7.00 per person
• Local sites to Sharm El Sheikh – Euro 7.00 per person
• Blue Hole & Canyon in Dahab – Euro 12.00 per person

Applicable fees will be payable upon check out.
The new fees will be nurturing the funding of the National Park Authority and support its recently enhanced efforts aimed at protecting, maintaining, and monitoring the health of our beloved Red Sea, both on land and underwater.
The Ministry of Environment currently has the intention to charge the 6.00 Euro per person fee also for activities in diving/snorkeling areas located in proximity of Sharm El Sheikh coastline (i.e. “local dive/snorkeling sites”).

Please note that CDWS (Chamber of Diving and Waters-ports) is lobbying the relevant governmental bodies in order to prevent the payment of any fee for activities performed in “local” sites. Further updates in these regards will follow as soon as they will be available.
As responsible divers we greatly welcome this move and strongly believe in the implementation of environmental based restrictions, aimed at reducing the diving/snorkeling tourism impact on our lucky area of the world.

We look forward to diving with you.

A massive "THANK YOU" goes out to all our divers and everybody who voted for us in the DIVE Travel Awards. Your loyalty and continued support makes us feel so humble and honored that you hold us in such high esteem. 

Our Main Objective was to hold onto our number one spot for Red Sea Dive Centers for the second year running, and you got us there, but you've increased our position over all up to Third in the world where last your we were sixth.
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​We can't thank you enough, and this coming just after the opening of Direct flights from UK to Sharm. However, a special thank you goes out to those who have continually made the effort to get to us in Sharm through different routes. This has been a big factor to allow us to stay open as opposed to many Sharm Dive centers, who have closed, or as Dive magazine put it, put their dive center's in Mothballs.

The last few years have seen the best diving in Sharm for years, with many sightings of Manta and Whale sharks on a very regular basis. Long may it continue.

Now the Local Dive Authority have banned Intro dives from boats, there are far less boats around the reefs in Tiran and local sites, which in turn will help to keep the bigger pelagic's coming in to visit us divers. Anyone wishing to try diving or enroll on a Discover SCUBA Diving program, we can still do this from a beach.

Thanks again for your votes and continued support. All the Elite team are looking forward to seeing you diving with us in the near future.

We have to thanks everybody who has voted for us so far. This has pushed us up to 7th place in the Dive Center Resort Awards so far, but there's still time for us to climb higher or even slip back down.

For those of you who still intend to vote and haven't got around to it yet, your vote can make a massive difference to the outcome as we are told that the top ten places are all very close. 

​I know life gets in the way of doing things sometimes, but if you could just place your vote (whoever it is for) (I hope it's us), this could make a big difference at the end of the month when the winners are announced.

We need all the help we can get. Thank you.

​Whitespotted Puffer (Arothron hispidus)

We'd like to thank everyone who has voted for us so far, you've put us at mid-table so far. There is still time left for those who haven't got around to it yet to make your vote count.

At the moment, we are just behind two other Red Sea Dive centers. We are used to being higher, and with the amazing year we've had, and the awesome team we have, we hope you can help to put us closer to the top. I know our team deserve to be there. They work so hard although they enjoy every minute. They've seen so many great marine animals this year and they get as much joy seeing the look on the faces of our guests when something spectacular appears. 

So if you haven't got around to voting yet, and you intend to, please do so now. Don't put it off for later if you'd like us to be further up the list.

Hope to see you out in Sharm for more diving soon.

Thanks

Alun

​Click here or on the picture above to vote

For the fourth successive year, our Summer Shark Safari's were a huge success.

​We had three sailings this year and all three had their highlights and excitment.

Many on the first sailing had dived together on last years Shark Safari and arranged to come back at the same time, so there wasn't much getting to know each other apart from a few who were introduced to the pink group. All apart from one had dive previously with 'elite diving' in Sharm El Sheikh.

Although there were five different type of Sharks spotted during the week, White Tip Reef sharks, Grey Reef Sharks, Thresher Sharks, Hammer Head Sharks and a Silky Shark, the highlight was the schooling Hammerheads. Up close and personal.

The Scalloped Hammerheads are so graceful in the water. They often are inquisitive and come close to check out what the divers are but there is not threatening behavior what so ever. In fact, their presence is very calming.

I think there was a blue theme going on for the week! Or was it pink?

Nitrogen Narcosis maybe. Confusion between feet and hands!!

There were many great sightings of manta this summer in Sharm and on Safari. This Manta was registered with Manta Trust and as it wasn't on their data base, the photographer get's to choose it's name. In honor of The Farley family who cancelled the trip last minute due to John Farley's illness, the group on board who sorely missed the Farely's, decided to name the manta Farley.

​The first weeks photos are credited to Tony Madelin

The second week's sightings were on par with the first but a lot less pink! There was again a great experience with  Schooling Hammerheads, Thresher Shark and more Manta. Again there was a Silky Shark spotted, along with Grey Reef's and a swim past from an Oceanic White Tip Shark.

On these safari's, we are treated to some spectacular sunrise and sunset scene's, some wreck dives, and was visited by a big green sea turtle as well as much smaller critters also

The second week's photo's are credited to ​Jochen, Nick, Khalil, Ken and Christina.

Week three produced much of the same with more up close and personal shows from Manta. It's been a bumper year for Manta this year, on Safari and also in Sharm. Close encounters with Hammerheads and a visit from dolphins in the water on the safety stop on Elphinstone. As we always say. You've got to be in it to win it!!!!

Photos Credited to Richard Jones

​We will be running shark safari's again Summer 2020, so contact our office to record your interest. info@elite-diving.com

Our Divers once again has nominated us for DIVE Travel Awards and again we have made the final vote. If you want us to do well in the final vote, please vote for Elite Diving now. You can only vote once per e.mail address. Just follow the instructions on the following link. You need only vote for elite in the Dive Center/Resort category. You need not vote for anyone else if you don't want to. 

After our success in these awards last year, there are a few Sharm Dive Centers now canvasing their divers to vote for them. We are confident that our ever loyal divers will out perform these dive centers as usual, but we will need each and every one of you to help.

​Please click on the following link to cast your vote. http://divemagazine.co.uk/travel/8594-dive-travel-awards-2019-the-vote-is-open 

All the team at 'elite diving' in Sharm El Sheikh are very greatful of your continued support. Hope to see you there soon.

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Underwater photography Instructor Mark Le Gros (AKA Mr Lucky Lucky, Le Groan and 20 20) shares more of his photos with us.

​Christmas tree worm (Spirobranchus giganteus)

Lives in (calcareous) tubes embedded in living corals.

Tricky to photograph because as soon you line up your shot they sense your presence and disappear into their hole, really frustrating, but that's half the fun!

#corals #diving #egypt #elitediving1 #instadaily#olympus_tg5 #pipefish #rasmohammed #redsea#sharmelsheikh #sealife #underwaterphotography#unlimitedegypt #blenny #fish #ilovethis #chestnut#paditv #worms #christmas — in Sharm el-Sheikh.

​Chestnut blenny (Cirripectes castaneus) 
They are very shy and rapidly retreat to shelter when approached, making them very tricky to photograph, but with a bit of patience and perseverance.
The colours are variable from very dark brown to very pale. 
We see them frequently on the reef fringes around Sharm, depth from 0.3 to 7m.
They feed mainly on algae. — in Sharm el-Sheikh.

​Savigny's brittle star being watched by a sea pen porcelain crab.
Taken on a night dive on El Fanar, one of the best sites in Sharm el Sheikh for night dives accessible from the shore.
If you get the opportunity to do a night dive you won't be disappointed you get to see a lot of creatures that sleep during the day, AMAZING!!
Taken with my Olympus TG-5

#elitediving1 #crabs #porcelain #sharmelsheikh#diving #nightdive #brittlestar #elfanar #egypt#ilovethis #natgeo #olympus_tg5 #padi #paditv#underwater #amazing #coral — in Sharm el-Sheikh.

There are now eight divers booked on our Truck Lagoon adventure for March 2020.

Truck Lagoon, off the Island of Weno's actual name is Chuuk Lagoon is situated in the warm clear waters of The South Pacific and is part of the Micronesian Islands.

This is a wreck divers paradise. The wrecks are due to the American attack on Chuuk and sinking many of Japan's ships in retaliation to Pearl Harbor.

Truck Lagoon is on many diver's bucket list. If it's on yours and you fancy joining us for March 2020, please contact us on info@elite-diving.com and ask for more details. ​