Liveaboard Blue Storm – Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone (BDE)
One of the best routes in the Red Sea: Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone. You have a great chance of encountering sharks here.
Travel period
Features
Starting from
Liveaboard Egypt: route Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone (BDE)
The Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone itinerary, better known as Simply the Best, definitely lives up to its name. During this spectacular liveaboard trip you will dive on three of the most beautiful and impressive dive sites of the Red Sea. Here you combine breathtaking walls, colorful reefs and wrecks with a great chance of encounters with various shark species.
You will experience this itinerary aboard the comfortable and modern Blue Storm, a liveaboard with room for up to 24 divers. Thanks to the excellent facilities and professional guidance you will enjoy a relaxed and well-organized diving trip.
On this itinerary you will visit the famous Brothers Islands, known for their sheer walls, wrecks and rich pelagic life. Here you have a chance of seeing oceanic whitetip sharks, hammerheads and sometimes even thresher sharks. In addition, there are a number of wrecks around Brothers, which provide a nice variety of dives. Elphinstone Reef is also on the program, with its impressive plateaus, soft corals and possible encounters with sharks and manta rays. Finally, you will dive at the remote Daedalus Reef, a true paradise for lovers of large marine life, with schools of fish, barracudas, tuna and regularly hammerhead sharks.
This route is ideal for experienced divers looking for adventure, variety and… sharks!
Best travel time for the Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone route:
The best period for the NDE route is from September to November for ooceanic white tip sharks and pleasant water temperatures. For hammerhead sharks on Daedalus are May to July optimal. Overall, the diving season runs from March to November.
Average temperatures
Wetsuit advice for the Red Sea
In the summer months, a 3mm is often sufficient. After that, a 5mm is fine, especially if you do several dives a day.
What will you experience on this trip?
View the sailing schedule here
Day 1 | Flight to Marsa Alam & aboard the Blue Storm
Today starts your liveaboard journey aboard the Blue Storm! In the morning you will fly to Marsa Alam, which is about a 5-hour flight. Once at the airport, a transfer will be waiting for you to take you to Port Ghalib harbor, a ride of about 45 minutes.
Upon arrival at the boat you can unpack your suitcase, prepare your diving gear and meet the other divers. In the evening dinner will be ready for you, a briefing will be given and the boat will leave for the first dive sites.
We provide here an example of the sailing schedule of the BDE route. This sailing schedule may vary due to weather conditions, among other things, or because it is very busy at one dive site, for example. Then the captain throws around the schedule so you get the most out of your liveaboard.
Day 2 & 3 | Little Brother & Big Brother
You begin the liveaboard itinerary at the Brother Islands. The Brother Islands are the tops of two undersea mountains that rise from the depths of the abyss and lie about 60 miles offshore. These islands offer breathtaking wall dives, where the walls are covered with soft corals and forests of gorgonians, creating a kaleidoscope of ever-changing colors. They attract a wide range of marine species and large pelagic species. Large tunas, jacks and snappers cruise in the blue, accompanied by occasional hammerhead sharks, silky and oceanic whitetip sharks and manta rays. Even the rare thresher shark is found here. Grey reef shark sightings are almost guaranteed on the north and south plateaus of Small Brother.
In front of the wreck diver are the Aida II, an Egyptian supply ship, and the Numidia, a cargo ship, on the walls of the Big Brother. Both are covered with a rich growth of soft and hard corals. Marine life includes a family of Napoleon-wrasse and gray reef sharks.
Day 4 & 5 | Daedalus
After two days of wonderful diving on the Brother Islands, it is time to sail on to Daedelus.
Daedalus Reef is a large oval reef with a lighthouse and is the furthest offshore reef in the Egyptian Red Sea. The deep walls and drop-offs offer some of the most spectacular diving around. Daedalus has mountainous, pristine, hard coral formations.
Daedelus is known for its abundant shark action. Oceanic whitetip sharks, schooling hammerheads, gray reef sharks and silvertip sharks all swim around the southern tip of Daedelus.
There can be quite a bit of current at this dive site, but that is directly why there are so many sharks.
Day 6 & 7 | Elphinstone
Last, but not least is Elphinstone. Elphinstone is about 30 km from Port Ghalib; The Elphinstone reef is 300 meters long with steep walls richly covered with colorful pink and red soft corals and elegant red gorgonians descending to about 40 meters. Other parts of the reef have nearly vertical cliffs, protrusions, small caves and drop-offs up to 100 meters. Elphinstone is known to experience strong currents that attract many different species, including barracuda, angelfish, groupers, Napoleons, moray eels, reef sharks and large schools of dogtooth tuna and jacks. Occasional sightings include dolphins, turtles, oceanic whitetip sharks and hammerhead sharks.
Day 8 | Back in port and aar home
Around 10:00, on Thursday morning, you will leave the boat. Depending on what time your flight returns we can arrange a day hotel. It is also possible to extend your diving vacation with a stay in a (diving) resort or to take a beautiful cultural tour of Egypt. For example, visit the pyramids at Luxor or sail down the Nile on a traditional felucca (sailing ship).
Highlights of this trip
What can you expect from this liveaboard trip?
Brother Islands
Big and Small Brother are among the top dive sites in the Red Sea and are known for wreck and wall diving. At Big Brother are the wrecks of the Numidia and the Aida, while Small Brother offers impressive walls and strong currents. In our season, you see here mainly thresher sharks and longimanus (white tip sharks). In addition, barracudas, jacks and reef sharks are common. The dives are very varied, with a chance of seeing large pelagic life on every dive.
Daedalus Reef
Daedalus is the most remote reef in the Egyptian Red Sea. The island is about 400 meters long and recognizable by its lighthouse. You dive here along steep walls and vast formations of hard and soft coral. In November, you often see longimanus and, with luck, silky sharks and thresher sharks. A huge variety of fish species live around the walls. The steep chasms continue up to 500 meters deep.
Elphinstone Reef
Elphinstone Reef is known for its steep walls and plateaus on the north and south sides. The reef has healthy coral, clear blue water and rich marine life. In November and December, you will mostly see longimanus, silky sharks, barracudas and jacks here. On the plateaus, reef fish swim quietly and sometimes sharks rest. Elphinstone is one of Egypt’s most famous dive sites and ideal for spotting your first shark.
The liveaboard: Blue Storm
The boat and its facilities
M/Y Blue Storm
The modern Blue Storm liveaboard has been a valuable addition to Blue Planet’s fleet since 2021. With a length of 40 meters, this comfortable dive boat takes you to the most beautiful dive sites of the Egyptian Red Sea, via several carefully composed itineraries.
On board are 11 spacious cabins with one double or two single beds. Two cabins can be expanded with an extra bed upon request, making room for up to 24 guests. All cabins have private bathrooms and individually controlled air conditioning.
During the trip you will enjoy several comfortable relaxation areas. In the spacious indoor dining area, breakfast, lunch and dinner are served daily on a full board basis. The large dive deck at the back offers plenty of space to quietly prepare for each dive. On the sun deck with beanbags you can relax between dives.
Four different types of cabins are available aboard the Blue Storm, so there is a suitable option for every traveler.
The Double Sea View cabins on the upperdeck offer a comfortable double bed and stunning sea views. Double Sea View cabins can also be found on the main deck, with the same amenities and plenty of natural light.
In addition, the main deck features Twin Sea View cabins with twin beds and sea views. On the lower deck are Twin cabins, also with twin beds and all the comforts you need.
All cabins are equipped with private bathrooms, air conditioning and ample storage space for a relaxing stay on board.
Travel costs
What is included
This liveaboard to Egypt is available from US$ 1.562 per person based on two people in one cabin. It is possible to book a private cabin. Please indicate this in the travel request so we can review the options and additional costs.
The diving trip can be extended as desired. A number of things are included as standard in this travel package.
Prices are subject to price changes, increases or exchange rate fluctuations. Flights are always based on the cheapest possible booking class.
Want to know more about the possibilities? Get in touch with us!
Included in this trip, from US$ 1.562p.p.
- 7 nights in a lower deck cabin
- Accommodation on full board basis
- Coffee, tea, water and soft drinks
- Dive package with 18 dives
- Nitrox for certified divers
- Return transfers
- VZR & Administration fee
Excluding
- Flight to Marsa Alam from US$ 636 p.p.
- Local fees/diesel surcharge €255
- Visa at Egypt airport approx. US$ 35 p.p.
✈︎ The quoted (international) flight prices are indicative prices and based on departures from Europe. However, we can arrange flights from any location worldwide. Booking your own flights is of course also possible.
Optional
Attention! It is important to book the items below in advance. Upon arrival in Egypt, these optional items are often no longer available.
- Diving equipment (€135)
- Diving computer (€35)
- Diving lamp (€35)
- 15L tank (€30)
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Frequently asked questions about this diving holiday
Liveaboard
Yes. All cabins have private bathrooms.
Yes. All cabins have air conditioning.
Yes, this is allowed. However, if you want to do this you need to bring your own sleeping bag. You must also wear a hat that covers your ears. You are not allowed to use the mattresses from the cabins, but you can use the mattresses that are on the sun deck.
Yes. There is WIFI on board. This does have a data limit on it. In addition, keep in mind that connection is not always fast. We recommend buying another sim card with a data package at the airport upon arrival.
You always share a cabin with another person of the same sex. You can, however, get the cabin alone for an additional charge.
A combination of both. It can also happen that you start from the platform and the zodiac comes to pick you up at the end of the dive.
Diving general
You must be at least Advanced Open Water certified and have a minimum of 50 logged dives.
You will make 3 dives a day here.
No, no night dives are allowed in the marine parks.
It is possible to take the Nitrox specialty aboard the liveaboard.
Diving equipment
All tanks are equipped with DIN connection. A limited number of adapters are available for rental. Please indicate this to us or bring your own adapter.
Yes, the additional charge for using a 15L tanks is €30 per week. You must reserve the tank in advance.
If you are certified, you can use Nitrox. Nitrox is free on this liveaboard.
Yes, if you give at least a week’s notice. The cost for a the rental is per week.
- Diving equipment: €135
- Dive computer: €35
- Diving lamp: €35
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