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Diving
Hurghada
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Hurghada, along with
Sharm el Sheikh, is where it
all started. These where the first two destinations of the nearly
20-years old diving history of the Red Sea. Diving in Hurghada needs no
introduction, it's already world famous. From minuscule nudibranchs to
giant whale sharks, this area has it all for a perfect Red Sea diving
holiday: hard and soft coral, turtles and dolphins, mantas and moray
eels, napoleons and tuna, and much more, including the wreck graveyard
at Sha'ab Abu Nuhas.The Hurghada marine area is protected, as many other
areas in Egypt, and diving centers here operate under
environmental-friendly procedures. Starting from year 1995, local
authorities, NGO’s and international bodies such as USAID have
co-operated in the conservation of the underwater life of the region.
Nowadays, regular checks and upgrades ensure the presence of mooring
buoys in all dive sites.
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Hurghada
is also a popular starting point for extended dive trips also called
live boards
or diving safaris. From here you can join a liveaboard to the
exceptional dive sites of the Straits of Gubal with the wreck graveyard
of Abu Nuhas, cruising over to the fabled Thistlegorm, the Red Sea's
most well known wreck.
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HURGHADA
Diving Sites
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With very few exceptions, diving in
Hurghada is performed on daily or half-day boats, since the coastal area
is mostly devoid of fringing reefs. The Hurghada diving area comprises
also the
Protected
Marine
Park
of Giftun
Island
where access is permitted only with an entrance fee (payable directly at
all diving centers). The area in general is blessed with refreshing
breezes from the north both in winter and summer. These breezes often
turn though into strong winds which may limit access to certain dive
sites. Here are only some of the most famous dive sites in Hurghada are:
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Gota
Abu Ramada,
a network of coral gardens from which the most famous is adequately
named “the Aquarium”. A perfect place to learn to dive, with a profusion
of
Red Sea
coral reef population.
Sha’ab Ruhr Umm Gamar,
a sort of encyclopedia of the
Red Sea.
A dense population of reef species and pelagic crowds this relatively
small reef. The site was badly damaged a few of years ago by an outburst
of the Crown of Thorns sea star, but now is again a favorite of advanced
divers.
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-Small
Giftun,
a spectacular site especially for technical divers, in the
Giftun
National
Park. Sheer walls,
caves, canyons, a great playground for the experienced with a profusion
of giant fans and black corals and big game, including whale sharks,
barracudas, oceanic white tip sharks
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Carless Reef
or “moray eel house”. The site, very
popular in Hurghada is accessible both to beginners and experienced
divers. Two coral towers close to a plateau at
16 meters, is where a big
population of friendly giant moray eels make the dive an unforgettable
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HURGHADA DIVING SERVICE
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In
Hurghada only, there are more than 100 dive operators, with services
ranging from
scuba diving beginner certification
courses to
professional courses
and
technical diving,
and providing guided dives to the area's outstanding reefs.Most
resorts in Hurghada have reliable and well-organized diving centers,
officially registered at the Red Sea Diving Association for Diving and
Water sports, which offer all sorts of scuba diving services, from
entry-level courses to professional courses, introductory dives and
diving packages, with one, two or more dives per day, for those who are
certified.
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For
the non-licensed diving enthusiasts, most centers offer free of charge
pool intros, where visitors can experience the thrill of scuba diving on
a one-to-one basis with a diving instructor in the hotel’s swimming
pool. The Hurghada diving centers also offer experience programmers,
where the visitor can try actual dives in the sea straight away, under
the strict supervision of a diving professional.Hurghada,
with its wealth of shallow coral gardens, is an ideal location of the
Red Sea Riviera to learn to dive, and most diving centers offer the full
range of beginners’ courses. Even kids from 8 years on can enroll in
children-dedicated scuba diving with water and scuba diving and have fun
swimming around in a confined
water area.
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for more
details |
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