In early August, a group of adventurers (led by myself) descended on the Hilton Hurghada (on the coast of Egypt) before being transferred to Marsa Alam and boarding the M/V Blue Horizon in anticipation of a week of world-classdiving in the Red Sea. We opted for Hurghada due to flight travel from the United States is much easier to Hurghada than Marsa Alam (most U.S. flights only fly to Marsa Alam a couple of times each week). Our approximately four-hour transfer was on a large comfortable bus, including snack boxes and water.
Explore red-sea-middle-east
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Liveaboards can seem daunting if you've never been on one, and even more so to newer divers. We've rounded up the best liveaboard destinations suitable for beginner scuba divers, with options ranging from the nearby Caribbean to the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. Read on to find the best liveaboard destination for you!
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Bluewater Travel's 50 Amazing Adventures
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Join us as we explore unique destinations around the world. Each video showcases a recent dive adventure with a Bluewater team member, customer, or a Travel with Bluewater group in an exotic location!
In early August, a group of adventurers (led by myself) descended on the Hilton Hurghada (on the coast of Egypt) before being transferred to Marsa Alam and boarding the M/V Blue Horizon in anticipation of a week of world-class diving in the Red Sea. We opted for Hurghada due to flight travel from the United States is much easier to Hurghada than Marsa Alam (most U.S. flights only fly to Marsa Alam a couple of times each week). Our approximately four-hour transfer was on a large comfortable bus, including snack boxes and water.
Our home during this trip. Photo Courtesy: Blue Horizon Liveaboard.
Upon arrival at Port Ghalib in Marsa Alam, our twenty-two person group was warmly greeted by and introduced to the crewa group that by the end of the week would be considered friends. The Blue Horizon measures approximately 135 feet (41 meters) and is the flagship fleet vessel of the Blue O Two fleet. The all-wood ship was updated in 2016 and has a very contemporary yet comfortable feel, including a large salon perfect for our nightly photo workshops, a sundeck with ample seating, televisions in the staterooms, and many other amenities.
View more photos and info on the Blue Horizon liveaboard
Our group was there to experience the Best Of itinerary, which included the world-famous sites of Brothers, Daedalus, and Elphinstone. After our requisite (and important) briefings about the boat, its safety features, and our life vest drill, we were all anxious to start diving! During the briefings, the crew gave the guests the option of either diving off the platform of the boat or to take the Zodiac to a spot that couldnt be reached from the platform.
The first two days of our seven-day trip were spent at Brothers, two islands lying approximately 77 miles from Marsa Alam. Little Brother was first, and the small teardrop-shaped island didnt disappoint. This was our first glance of the colorful, healthy reefs we would see throughout our trip. We caught a glimpse of a hammerhead shark in the blue, but not close enough to photograph. There was so much activity on the reefs we didnt even mind.
Big Brother (approximately a half-mile distance away) the next day brought more of the same. In the shadow of its lighthouse (built by the British in 1883), Big Brother presented more pristine reefs and tons of fish activity. One dive off the Zodiac took us to the Aida, a shipwreck situated near the northwest tip of Big Brother. Reaching the bow at approximately 80 feet, the dive was deep but the visibility on the wreck was incredible.
In early August, a group of adventurers (led by myself) descended on the Hilton Hurghada (on the coast of Egypt) before being transferred to Marsa Alam and boarding the M/V Blue Horizon in anticipation of a week of world-class diving in the Red Sea. We opted for Hurghada due to flight travel from the United States is much easier to Hurghada than Marsa Alam (most U.S. flights only fly to Marsa Alam a couple of times each week). Our approximately four-hour transfer was on a large comfortable bus, including snack boxes and water.
Our home during this trip. Photo Courtesy: Blue Horizon Liveaboard.
Upon arrival at Port Ghalib in Marsa Alam, our twenty-two person group was warmly greeted by and introduced to the crew--a group that by the end of the week would be considered friends. The Blue Horizon measures approximately 135 feet (41 meters) and is the flagship fleet vessel of the Blue O Two fleet. The all-wood ship was updated in 2016 and has a very contemporary yet comfortable feel, including a large salon perfect for our nightly photo workshops, a sundeck with ample seating, televisions in the staterooms, and many other amenities.
View more photos and info on the Blue Horizon liveaboard
Our group was there to experience the Best Of itinerary, which included the world-famous sites of Brothers, Daedalus, and Elphinstone. After our requisite (and important) briefings about the boat, its safety features, and our life vest drill, we were all anxious to start diving! During the briefings, the crew gave the guests the option of either diving off the platform of the boat, or to take the Zodiac to a spot that couldnt be reached from the platform.
The first two days of our seven-day trip were spent at Brothers, two islands lying approximately 77 miles from Marsa Alam. Little Brother was first, and the small teardrop-shaped island didnt disappoint. This was our first glance of the colorful, healthy reefs we would see throughout our trip. We caught a glimpse of a hammerhead shark in the blue, but not close enough to photograph. There was so much activity on the reefs we didnt even mind.
Big Brother (approximately a half-mile distance away) the next day brought more of the same. In the shadow of its lighthouse (built by the British in 1883), Big Brother presented more pristine reefs and tons of fish activity. One dive off the Zodiac took us to the Aida, a shipwreck situated near the northwest tip of Big Brother. Reaching the bow at approximately 80 feet, the dive was deep but the visibility on the wreck was incredible.
The next day brought us to Daedalus Reef, where more vibrant reefs, huge gorgonians, friendly Napoleon Wrasse, green turtles, and fish of every color greeted us. One highlight of the dives here were huge elephant ear coral that are taller than our divers! Another highlight was an anemone colony on a shallower part of the reef where clownfish were plentiful in each anemone (we saw up to nine clownfish sharing the anemone).
See also: Best Coral Reefs in the World Red Sea UW Image Gallery
Weve got many more beautiful pictures from our guests and trip leader for you to enjoy!
In case youre wondering, here is a list of the photography equipment used by trip leader Craig Dietrich to take his photos:
Bluewater Travel is a full-service scuba diving travel agency. We can help you book a liveaboard in the Red Sea and countless other world-class destinations worldwide. We are experts in diving, liveaboards, and logistics, and can provide recommendations based on your requirements and preferences. All that at no additional cost than doing it yourself!
To plan your dream trip:
And let us plan your dream dive vacation!
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Travel Editor
South Australia Great White Shark Trip Recap 2025
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Read all about Tim Yeo’s unforgettable South Australia expedition with Bluewater aboard the Rodney Fox, featuring great white sharks, sea lions, leafy sea dragons, and the world’s largest cuttlefish aggregation.
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Cozumel Trip Report 2025
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Bluewater Travel’s 2025 Cozumel Photo Workshop at Iberostar featured vibrant reefs, warm water, and expert photo instruction, with highlights including splendid toadfish, turtles, and sharks.
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Fakarava Grouper Spawning Trip Report 2025
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Read about Bluewater's unforgettable Summer 2025 Fakarava Grouper Spawn Trip—an exhilarating adventure featuring shark-filled drifts, rare grouper spawning events, and pristine Polynesian reef diving led by Mark B. Hatter!
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Dumaguete Trip Report 2025
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Read about Bluewater Travel's 7-day underwater photo workshop to Dumaguete, highlighting vibrant marine life, standout dive sites, and memorable underwater photography experiences.
