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Red Sea

UD Rating – 4 Star

M/Y Golden Dolphin I

The first own boat the Fleet of Golden Dolphin Safari World.

The M/Y Golden Dolphin was the first boat the fleet Golden Dolphin Safari World started with, it was built in 2003 and designed for divers. Discover the southern Red Sea's delights on this wonderful liveaboard.

M/Y Golden Dolphin is a 34 metre boat and was the first liveaboard built for Golden Dolphin Safari World. She offers 7 night itineraries around the Red Sea departing from Hurghada or Port Ghaleb with a choice of 5 routes to choose from visiting various sites including the Brother Islands, Abu Nuhas, Ras Mohamed, Abu Galawa, Rocky Island and the Island of Zabargad. The experienced captain, 8 friendly crew and 2 guides will lead you through the trip whilst helping with any questions or queries you may have regarding the boat or the itinerary.

M/Y Golden Dolphin comfortably accommodates 20 guests in 8 twin cabins located on the lower deck and 2 double cabins located on the upper deck. All cabins come with en-suite bathrooms, mini bar, storage, fresh bedding a mirror and an air conditioning unit with individual climate controls for your convenience. The food aboard is a variety of international, Italian and local cuisine with the occasional BBQ suiting the needs of most customers. Any dietary requirements must be stated at the time of booking so the chef can adhere to any guests needs.

She has an air conditioned salon furnished with tables, chairs, a well-stocked bar and a TV/DVD providing the perfect place for you to relax in. The adjoining dining area is air conditioned, has 2 large tables and comfortable seating for guests to gather and enjoy 3 meals throughout the day. The exposed sun deck located on the top deck is furnished with sun mattresses with the large shaded sun deck below providing tables, chairs and ample space for all guests. The large dive deck has hot water showers, charging station and a camera table with the dive platform a few steps down with 2 steel ladders into the water.

Single Cabin Lower Deck

The single bow lower deck cabin provides a cozy bed, storage, and private bathroom, perfect for solo travelers.

  • Ensuite Bathroom
  • Air conditioning

Double Cabin (Upper Deck)

The double bed cabin on the upper deck offers a spacious bed, ample storage, and a private bathroom with scenic views. Ideal for couples.

  • Double bed
  • Ensuite bathroom
  • Air conditioning

Twin Bed Cabin Lower Deck

The twin bed cabin on the lower deck features two single beds, convenient storage, and a private bathroom. Ideal for sharing.

  • Twin beds
  • Ensuite bathroom
  • Air conditioning

Route Options

M/Y Golden Dolphin offers a mixture of reef and wall diving around the southern Red Sea for 7 night charters on the Rocky, Zabargad and St John’s itinerary. She departs from Hurghada or Port Ghalib and visits St John’s Reef, Rocky Island and the Island of Zabargad. The Red Sea has a high temperature and salt content due to its isolated location between Asia and Africa with a narrow passage to the Indian Ocean.

Top Dive Sites

St John’s Reef system is located in the southern Red Sea and offers exciting drop offs and pelagic action. The wall of ones of the reefs is covered in giant gorgonians and another overgrown with a number of colorful soft corals. You will see a lot of fish cruising in the blue waters with the occasional sightings of hammerheads, grey sharks, white tip reef sharks and silvertips.

Rocky Island is a fringing reef that circles the island and drops steeply into the blue waters, it is covered in beautiful soft corals, gorgonians, fans, sponges and black coral trees. Due to its isolated location sightings of reef sharks, grey sharks and silvertip sharks are a certainty with the occasional sightings of manta rays, sailfish and dolphins.

The Island of Zabargad is an amazing dive spot as you get to dive along the walls, hover over drops offs and dive in the shallows admiring the coral garden and the fish. For wreck divers there is a nameless 70 metre long wreck at the north side of the island that lies upside down 24 metres down with the stern section still intact.

Embark on an exceptional diving adventure through the Red Sea, exploring iconic sites such as SS Thistlegorm, Ras Mohammed, Gotta Abu Nugar South, Abu Nuhas, and the Straits of Tiran. Dive into the historic wreck of SS Thistlegorm, laden with WWII artifacts, and the vibrant coral-covered wrecks of Abu Nuhas. Experience the stunning reefs of Ras Mohammed, teeming with diverse marine life, and the tranquil coral heads of Gotta Abu Nugar South. Conclude with the dramatic coral formations and rich marine biodiversity of the Straits of Tiran, where each dive site offers a unique underwater spectacle.

SS Thistlegorm
The Thistlegorm, on the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula and 40 km from Sharm El Sheikh, is the best known and most popular Wreck dive in the Red Sea. The 125m long British army freighter sank after just 18 months of her launch in April 1940. Her last voyage commenced on the 2nd of June 1941 as she sailed to Alexandria and was loaded with wartime supplies during World War II. A long list of inventory includes armored tracked vehicles, aircraft, armored vehicles, Jeeps and Bedford trucks. In spite of being privately owned and operated, the HMS Thistlegorm was nevertheless fitted with a 4" anti-aircraft gun and a heavy caliber machine gun when she was drafted for war duty. But it was never to be. In the early hours of 6th October 1941 the Thistlegorm was split in 2 and sank almost instantly after being hit by 2 bombs from a German long range bomber. The hit only blew a hole in the port side of hold number 5 but then cargo tank ammunition ignited, causing the bulk of the damage.

Ras Mohammed
The marine park Ras Mohamed offers dreamlike diving spots. For example SHARK REEF and YOLANDA REEF. Both reefs are standing on a plateau, which is between 10 m to 20 m deep. The edges of the plateau fall down to more than 200 m. At the reef you will find nice hard and soft corals, plenty of fish in all kind of sizes. With luck you can see sharks during your early morning dive. At Yolanda Reef you can see the cargo of a Cypriot freighter YOLANDA which ran aground in 1980. Loaded with sanitary equipment, toilet bowls and bathtubs, the YOLANDA was on its way to Aqaba. Storms caused the wreck to slide into the depths of the sea, but large parts of the cargo are still scattered around the reef and beautifully overgrown, making it a popular photo spot.

Gotta Abu Nugar South
Part of the Abu Nugar , this is a sand bottom with scattered coral heads. Very interesting for seeing little fish and branches since there is enough sand that you can ground yourself without worrying about hitting the coral here.

Abu Nuhas
The reef at Abu Nuhas is famous for Wrecks. There are 4 Wrecks, which are today an attraction point for divers all around the world. For example the Greek cargo ship GIANNIS D, which ran aground the reef on 19th April 1984 and sank a short time afterwards. It is now lying in a maximum depth of 27 m and is overgrown with hard- and soft corals. The ship cracked down in the middle. The better part of the two halves is the stern section. Here it is easy to dive inside the Wreck, because there are a lot of entry and exit points. Because the wreck is leaning on a 45° angle you will find yourself swimming up a stairwell which your mind tells you are heading down. This effect is very special. The steamship CARNATIC struck the reef in September 1869. She sank the following day as the weather worsened.

Straits of Tiran
Starting from the North on the Eastern side of the Sinai Peninsula are the Straits of Tiran, also one of the most famous diving areas in the Red Sea. Situated in the middle of the straits are four coral reefs: Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse and Jackson Reef. The Gordon Reef is marked by the wreck of a large commercial freighter. The reef composition is quite varied, with patchy sections, sand beds and full-fledged coral gardens. In the center of the reef slope, a shark amphitheater or bowl dips to 24 m; with luck a variety of shark species can be seen sleeping on the sandy bottom. The site boasts a very good range of corals, with lots of branching varieties. All of the corals are well preserved, in densely grown patches that often show a remarkable mix of different species. Fish life is not the most profuse in the Straits of Tiran, but there are some notable surprises including a huge moray eel with a body as thick as a small divers waist. Trigger fish abound while surgeons and jacks swim in moderately large schools, and angels, parrot fish and small wrasse are all present in good numbers. Large Napoleons wrasse can often be seen along the reef. The Thomas Reef includes some plateau sections and a very deep canyon running along the reef’s southern section. It is the smallest of the four Tiran reefs. The reef’s upper section is a riot of color, encompassing some of the finest soft coral growth in the Sinai region. Huge, densley packed fields of Dendronephthya of every imaginable hue are spread across the reef, along with antler corals, fine Stylophora, some Acropora and many other stony coral forms. Fish live is also rich, with the greatest concentration in the shallows. Lyretail cod and other groupers grow to great size, and many varieties of rabbit fish and wrasse congregate along the reef face, accompanied by box and puffer fish. The only reason to go deeper than 20m at Thomas Reef is to explore the canyon. The Woodhouse Reef is a long, narrow reef running at an angel from northeast to southwest. Woodhouse is generally dived as a drift along the reef’s eastern side. Coral cover is excellent throughout the reef, with dense growth all over; there are a few sandy patches at depths of around 20 m. Many species are present but because of the sheltered position of the reef, away from the main current, a certain amount of sedimentation has affected the corals here. Pelagic fish including big tuna and schools of jacks, fusilieres, snapper, surgeons and unicorns also school here, along with thousands of other reef fish. On the northern edge of the Jackson Reef, the wreck of a grounded freighter stands as a warning to the shipping in the busy straits; most of its hull has been salvaged for scrap, leaving only a skeletal hulk. The steep- sided walls of Jackson Reef are among the finest in the Sinai region; the current- swept reef is densely grown with a real profusion of hard and soft corals, with special accents provided by luxuriant gorgonian fans, sea whips and black corals, and vivid growths of soft coral. Fish life, not surprisingly, is excellent. The strong current brings plenty of nutrients for reef and schooling fish; current and profile combine to tempt pelagic fish in from the open water, and large schools of barracuda and jacks are common here, as are larger predators including several species of shark. The smaller reef species on which these pelagic visitors feed are profuse.

This diving itinerary in the Red Sea promises an unforgettable underwater adventure, exploring renowned dive sites rich with marine life and historical wrecks. You'll visit the iconic SS Thistlegorm, famous for its WWII artifacts, and the vibrant Brother Islands, home to diverse coral and frequent shark sightings. Dive the dramatic walls and abundant marine life of Daedalus Reef, and explore the elongated Elphinstone Reef, where sharks often feed. This journey offers a unique blend of history, breathtaking coral reefs, and thrilling marine encounters.

Brother Islands
The Brother Islands one of the best diving spots in the world. The Islands – the Big Brother and the Little Brother – are two small exposed promontories that just come out of the water in the middle of the sea at around 60km from the Egyptian coast line. The Little Brother has a very high concentration of life in a much reduced area. The walls are covered literally with sponges, anemones and all sorts of hard and soft corals in an astonishing variety of colors and shapes. Of course you will find here plenty of fish. It is not unusual to see sharks: hammerheads, thresher sharks, grey reef sharks, silvertip and whitetip reef sharks. About one km north of the Little Brother lays the Big Brother. Situated, in the middle of the island, is a lighthouse. When it is not too windy, you can proceed to dive the Wreck NUMIDIA which lies upon the reef on the northern side of the island between 5m and 80m. This 150m long ship sunk in 1901 and is now completely covered with both hard and soft corals and gorgonias. At the NW side of the island you will find the other Wreck: the AIDA. This 82m long steam ship sunk 1957. The remaining pieces of the Wreck are scattered all over the reef and just the back side of the hull can be found between 34m and 60m. It is nicely overgrown and worth to visit. Because of strong current and may be high waves it is not easy to dive at the Brother’s. This safari is only for experienced divers.

Daedalus Reef
The Daedalus Reef is a huge reef formation that lies at about 180km south of Brother Islands. The reef is surrounded by a sheer wall all around, featuring a plateau on its southern side that goes from 28m beside the reef to 40m on the edge of the drop-off. If the weather is good, try to get as far north as possible and drift along one of the sides of the reef. Reef and hammerhead sharks are often spotted here. Underwater marine life is here more abundant than anywhere else, with schools of surgeons, fusiliers, carangids.

Elphinstone This long finger like reef runs from north to south in the open Red Sea. Steep walls drop to the depths on the reef’s east and west sides, while the north and south ends of the reefs are marked by submerged plateau. Sharks often swim by the spot to feed on the abundant reef fish population.

Vessel Details

Year Built / Refurbished 2003 and refurbished in 2007
Length 36 metres
Beam 7.5 metres
Speed 10 Knots
Engines 2 x 650 HP Cummins K19, new in 2014
Generators 2 x 65 kw (230 V) Perkins
Compressors 2 X Marine Bauer
Connectivity VHF, DSC (Area I And II), Satellite EPIRB, WIFI
Emergency Equipment Oxygen system and Medic First Aid Kit available aboard
Tanks 12l aluminum-tanks DIN/INT, 15l tanks on request
Air Compressors 2 x mariner bauer
Zodiac 2 zodiacs with outboard engine
Dive Deck Spacious dive deck with hot water showers, charging station & camera table
Safety life jackets and 2 life rafts, oxygen and first aid, fire extinguishers in every cabin and in salon, fire fighting and alarm system, smoke detectors
Equipment Rental There is no rental equipment stock on board available, only spare equipment for the worst-case scenario. If you need complete rental equipment or only some items of the equipment, please inform us at least one week before arrival, including the sizes if necessary. A short-term obtaining is possible, but this takes time and could delay the trip start. Please do not forget the most important spare parts for your equipment, such as: mask and fin straps, repair kit for regulator and batteries, film and spare bulbs for your torch.

Available Experiences

ITINERARIES AVAILABLE IN THIS DESTINATION

Marcelina

Wednesday, 10 April 2019

Sunrise Marina Resort & Emperor Divers in Marsa Alam

The overall holiday was excellent value for money. Emperor Divers provided an outstanding dive experience on day boat trips to provide some of the most relax dives I have ever encountered at reasonable depths.

Sunrise Marina Resort & Emperor Divers in Marsa Alam

What Our Customers Have To Say

Reviews from our Clients, Journalists, Photo Pro's and our own Experts

Our reviews and blogs are an additional guide to evaluate of the holiday is exactley what you are looking for or not. Some love an Eco-Resort, some love air-con and a flat screen TV, we aim to ensure you get what you are looking for, at great value for money.

Elphinstone Reef

Marsa Alam, Red Sea

The sheer walls of this great reef plunge steeply into the blue, richly decorated with soft corals, sponges, gorgonians and fans. Sharks often swim by the spot to feed on the abundant reef fish population. The northern plateau is home to schooling hammerheads with frequent sightings of oceanic white tip sharks.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

Daedalus Reef

Marsa Alam, Red Sea

A huge round reef with a lighthouse more than 40 miles away from the coast, features an excellent opportunity for spotting big pelagics including manta rays. All around its steep walls you will see an extreme variety of fish and coral. Good chance to see schooling hammerheads on the northern point. Strong currents possible.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

Rocky Island

Marsa Alam, Red Sea

Tiny rock emerging a few feet out of the water, it offers one of the most incredible underwater scenarios of the whole Red Sea. Steep walls falling into the deep blue, currents, soft corals and a great abundance of pelagics and all kinds of fish.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

St Johns Reef

Marsa Alam, Red Sea

This incredibly beautiful reef lies Approx. 40km North of the Sudanese border and 20km south of Zabargad . The reef covers a huge area and many dives would be needed to explore the numerous coral heads and islands that make up this extensive area.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

Thistlegorm

Sharm El Sheikh , Red Sea

The Thistlegorm was discovered in 1956 by Jacques Cousteau and is probably the most famous wreck in the world. It sank in 1941 when it was hit by a German bomb that blew a hole in the port side, igniting tank ammunition that was in the hold. The explosion ripped the roof of the ship backwards, rather like opening a tin of sardines.
The stern section of the wreck lies almost horizontal to the sea bed; the remainder of the wreck is nearly upright. Inside the wreckage, tyres, tanks, motorbikes, Bedford trucks, waders and wellington boots can be seen. Penetration is possible around the bridge and blast area. The large propeller is still in position and the guns on the stern are in excellent condition.
Artillery litters the blast area. A bath tub can be seen towards the bow and a toilet near the stern. The sea life is impressive with possibility of seeing tuna overhead the resident turtle. Expect this to be very busy, especially once the day boats have reached it; it is likely to be chaos both on the surface and under the water.

  • Dive Type: Drift Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 31m

SS Thistlegorm

Hurghada , Red Sea

The Thistlegorm was discovered in 1956 by Jacques Cousteau and is probably the most famous wreck in the world. It sank in 1941 when it was hit by a German bomb that blew a hole in the port side, igniting tank ammunition that was in the hold. The explosion ripped the roof of the ship backwards, rather like opening a tin of sardines.
The stern section of the wreck lies almost horizontal to the sea bed; the remainder of the wreck is nearly upright. Inside the wreckage, tyres, tanks, motorbikes, Bedford trucks, waders and Wellington boots can be seen. Penetration is possible around the bridge and blast area. The large prop is still in position and the guns on the stern are in excellent condition.
Artillery litters the blast area. A bath tub can be seen towards the bow and a toilet near the stern. The sea life is impressive with possibility of seeing tuna overhead the resident turtle. Expect this to be very busy, especially once the day boats have reached it; it is likely to be chaos both on the surface and under the water.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

Brother Islands

Hurghada , Red Sea

The offshore islands in this area have recently been reopened for diving after a long closure by the Egyptian Government and have been designated as a Marine Park. Now suitable moorings are installed for dive boats visiting this area. The Brothers are really the tops of two undersea mountains these islands rise from the depths, the coral clad walls do offer outstanding diving with plenty of big fish action due to there remote location some 80km offshore.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 65m

Big Brother

Hurghada , Red Sea

A 400 meter long island offering fabulous wreck diving and wall diving. The wreck of the Numidia lies on the northern tip between 10 and 80 meter. The north-west side of the island houses the wreck of the Aida. On every section of this reef the wall is covered with corals and life.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 18

Little Brother

Hurghada , Red Sea

Boasts a very high concentration of life within a very small area. Fan coral forests, overhangs, hard and soft corals in a variety of astonishing colors… and of course there are plenty of fish! With regular sightings of hammerheads, thresher sharks, grey sharks and white tip reef sharks, at the right time of year.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 18

Zabargad Island

Marsa Alam, Red Sea

Zabargad is the largest of Egypt's 4 Southern Red Sea marine parks and lies just 5 km northwest of Rocky Island in the deep south, 70 km off the mainland. The island has exquisite turquoise bays, sandy beaches and a 235m high hill at its centre. Zabargad means topaz in Egyptian, and you can still find evidence of an island community that mined the semi-precious stones here.

Red Sea diving is at its best on Zabargad Island's south east coast in the sheltered Turtle Bay. Here you'll find a wall to 15m then a coral reef slope down to 30m or so and then a drop off into the blue. The reef slope is a maze of coral patches and dome turrets, forming refuges to reef fish such as pufferfish and sweetlips, and invertebrates such as cuttlefish and octopus. The floor is home to bluespotted stingrays, scorpionfish and crocodilefish, and of course turtles are found here too. Green and hawksbill turtles hatch on the beach here in the month of August.

It's best to dive along the reef wall here as the coral growth is dense and there are many caverns and gullies to explore. There are also a couple of passageways that lead directly into the inner lagoon behind the reef wall.

Outside of the sheltered bays, Zabargad has steep walls that offer some great Red Sea drift diving. The usual sharks can be sighted here, such as oceanic whitetips and grey reef. It's also a good place for manta encounters, where these rays come into the reef to attend cleaning stations dotted along the ledges at 15-30m.

On the northeast coast of Zabargad lies the Khanka Wreck, a 70m long USSR transport/surveillance ship that sank upright in 24m of water in the 1970s. The bow has impact damage and lies on its port side but the rest of the wreck is in good condition. The main superstructure lies just 10m below the water's surface. Although there is little coral growth here yet, there are several interesting sections of the ship to explore on a dive, such as the holds, bridge and engine room, which are filled with glassfish and are easy to explore from the 2 large openings to be found in the bow and stern.

Large winches and heavy chains are in evidence towards the bow. You can access the engine room through the hatches in midships. The bridge is found down a narrow stairwell where you can still find the helm, chart room and control panels. The main mast is intact and is a great place for a safety stop since it rises to just 2m below the surface.

Down the west coast of the island, lies the remains of the Neptuna. This was a German Red Sea diving safari boat that sank here in 1981. It has now broken apart but much of what remains is visible on the sea floor. The area is fairly shallow with coral bommies rising from 15m. Sometimes night dives are taken here

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 30m

Umm Hararim - Caves of St. Johns

Marsa Alam, Red Sea

This is a very shallow reef, full of spectacular corridors and caves with an open topside, it is even more impressive than the caves of Claudio. Few animals, except for several large napoleons are to be seen here. We will also enjoy the impressive garden of porites of the north wall.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 26m
Dates Duration Route Room Type Price
17 Jul 2025
24 Jul 2025
7 Nights North–Do not use Double Cabin (Upper Deck) £893
24 Jul 2025
31 Jul 2025
7 Nights Brother Islands-Daedalus-Elphinstone Twin Bed Cabin Lower Deck £1010
25 Sep 2025
2 Oct 2025
7 Nights Brother Islands-Daedalus-Elphinstone Double Cabin (Upper Deck) £1052
2 Oct 2025
9 Oct 2025
7 Nights Rocky, Zabargad and St. John's Double Cabin (Upper Deck) £1043
16 Oct 2025
23 Oct 2025
7 Nights Brother Islands-Daedalus-Elphinstone Double Cabin (Upper Deck) £1052