​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.

​

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. ​

Mark Le Gros first dived with elite back in 2008 when he was on holiday in Sharm El Sheikh. He had learned to dive in Sharm with another dive center, and had returned to visit them to carry on diving on a few occasions until one time, he decided to walk into our dive center. When he realised that we were the same nationality as him (that's debatable with all the different permutations) or at least we had the same passport, and he sensed our friendly atmosphere, he decided to give us a go. Since then, he hasn't dived with anyone else in Sharm.

Mark dived with us here in Sharm for many years after that initial meeting, sometimes coming to Sharm three times per year to dive with us. With so many regular dive trips, his diving skills improved no end, and he also took his rescue diver with us and even his Dive Master. 

Mark had his heart set on becoming an Instructor, and work just like us in a warm climate. At that time, we didn't offer the Instructor Development course, so Mark trotted off to The Far east and did his PADI Instructor and Instructor Exam over in Thailand. He worked as a diving Instructor there for a while, but yearned to be an Instructor in The Red Sea as that was where he felt he wanted to be.

Back in 2015, due to the growth of elite diving, we had a vacancy for another Dive Instructor, so we asked Mark if he fancied it. At the time he was back working as a warehouse manager in West Midlands UK, so when given the opportunity, he took it with open arms and moved over to Sharm to start working with elite towards the end of October 2015. That made the compliment of Dive Mater/Instructors up to ten.

Unfortunately for everyone, the UK Government stopped direct flights from UK into Sharm El Sheikh five days after the downing of a Russian flight over Sinai.

Tourism stopped overnight with other European countries already banning flight into Sharm. Mark hadn't been working with us for a week and due to the no work situation made his mind up like others, to go back home and pick up where he left off. Mark even said with his dry sense of humor "I've been on longer holidays here"

It wasn't so long and other European countries started flying back to Sharm, and with them came many of our regular British divers who were missing diving in Sharm. Flying from UK, it just takes one change in Cairo, Istanbul or even Milan, and it's no hardship getting to Sharm. Things started to get busier, so we invited Mark back to work with us. He told us that he would need a month to take care of things back home and work his notice. Within a week he was diving with us from our boat in Sharm and enjoying the chocolate cake that we get treated to from the boat crew now and again.

Mark has always been a keen underwater photographer, even back in his early days, he used to take some impressive images. Through the years while upgrading his camera and no doubt taking inspiration from our other top photographers such as Karen Bruce, Nigel Wade and Jamie Hall, Mark has developed into an accomplished Underwater photographer.

He often posts the odd photos on his facebook and Instagram account. If you'd like to follow Mark on Instagram, follow him on @leggo51 

​With his 20/20 vision! Mark has developed a keen eye for Macro photography, which is taking photos close up of very small things. Here are some of his amazing photos and descriptions of the critters he's photographed. ​

Red Sea Pipefish (Corythoichthys sp.)
Often found on pinnacles with glass fish, and sheltered outcrops with sandy area's. At a depth ranging from 2m to 30m.
They come from the same family as Seahorses in which the male incubates the eggs, and gives birth to around 150 young.
They feed on tiny crustaceans which are sucked in by the tubular mouth.

 Yes, you guessed it. It's Manta Season here in Sharm El Sheikh again.

It's usually April time that was start spotting these magnificent creatures on a more regular basis and this year has been and exceptionally good time for Manta spotting.

So far this year we have had 12 different sightings in four weeks. We are not sure if sometime we see the same Manta as it's not always easy to get close enough for a good photo, so we can identify the markings. 

Their markings, especially on their underside are like a persons finger print. It's unique to each different Manta, but the marking on their back among other things, tells us if they are a reef Manta or a Giant Manta (also know as The Oceanic Manta).

This is a Giant Manta above. What distinguishes them apart from the reef Manta is the black and white markings on the front of it's back.

​The Giant Manta's marks form a T where the reef Manta's markings form more of a Y. You can clearly see in picture 1 and 3 that there is a shape of a T on the back of this manta, so this tells us it is an Giant or Oceanic Manta.

You can see the difference on the Manta to the left. It's markings forms more of a 'Y' so this is a reef manta.

Next it's the Whale shark season, however there has already been some spotted on their annual migration up into The Gulf of Aqaba. Let's hope we see a lot more as these also are such magnificent creatures like The Manta. 

February 2019 saw our first full Instructor course take place at elite diving in Sharm.
It resulted in a 100% pass rate with four new PADI Instructors and two new PADI Staff Instructors from elite diving who teamed up with Pro Dive UK to deliver the Instructor Development Course.

Above you see Abdalla with Beth in the photo on the left and Derek with Kerrie in the photo on the right. The two guys receiving their Instructor Certificates after the PADI Instructor Exam last February from their IDC team. Both these new instructors are now living in exotic places and plying their new skills as PADI Dive Instructors. Abdalla is now working in Aruba, (Dutch Caribbean) and helping out with a Dive Center there on weekends while he works as a civil engineer in the week building an Airport (he took the contract up just so he could work in a place where he could also teach diving, and Derek is on an Island in Samoa, in The South Pacific working at a dive center there. Both their dreams have come true. It can happen to you.

Our next PADI Instructor Development Course, will commence towards the end of August 2019.

​To enroll, please contact info@elite-diving.com

Due to a few late cancellations, we still have some availability for our Shark Safari at the end of June and beginning of July

Over the last few Summers, the Shark safari's have been very successful, with sometimes FIVE species of shark being spotted on the same dive.

For more information on how to join one of these amazing trips, please contact 
​info@elite-diving.com