marsashagra2

MARSA SHAGRA 2006

Welcome

KEITH'S DIVING HOLIDAYS,

Panorama of the Marsa (bay)

My fifth visit to Eco Lodge at Marsa Shagra was the best so far for several reasons.

Firstly they are now offering nitrox so I was able to get in three dives a day without becoming too tired.

Secondly my buddy was a photographer and was quite happy to potter around so I was able to indulge myself and follow the camera instead of rushing shots as in the past.

Thirdly I had to buy a new camera, a Canon PowerShot A610, as the old one had flooded and the new one, still only a prosumer model, had more features and I invested in Alex Mustards Magic Filters for ambient light photography. Even though the light was not ideal and I had to use flash on most pictures I was delighted with the colours especially as the position of the sun meant that for most of the time I was unable to photograph with it behind me.

This time I was able to stay for two weeks at the beginning of October and although the sun was delightfully warm I found that towards the end of the second week I had to make use of a blanket at night. This was not just because of my age as several other people found the same.

The Ultimate Reef Four.

Mandy (my buddy), Myself, Roddy and Sharon.

This is the second time we have dived together at Marsa Shagra but whereas the first time was pure luck this time it was organised in advance.

My favourite tents on the beach. If all you want to do is eat, dive three or more times a day and sleep who needs a hotel?

The Eco Lodge of Red Sea Divers. Progress is inevitable and is insisted on by the Egyptian Government as part of the cheap price for land. The large dome is a new dining room which is nearly finished and in the background are many new huts.

The Eco Lodge at dusk.

And so to the purpose of the trip and the underwater pictures.

Squaretail rabbitfish. The fork in the tail is due to flexing and the camera angle.

Coral hind

This Coral hind looks as though it is transforming to the adult phase.

Male Red Sea Anthias displaying.

Juvenile Black snapper

Juvenile Black snapper. This one looks bigger but the adult fish can be up to 66cm.

Emperor angelfish

Regal angelfish

Arabian spinecheek

Crescent-tail bigeye

Blotcheye soldierfish

Masked butterlyfish & Red Sea Bannerfish with Yellowtailed Tang

Red Sea Bannerfish

Masked butterflyfish

Exquisite butterflyfish

Crown butterflyfish

Threadfin butterflyfish

Bluetail trunkfish

Female Yellow boxfish

Atmospheric lighting

Squamosa clam

Maxima clam

Blue/Green Chromis in coral head

Clown coris

Coral scallop in Porites

Common Reef Squid

Indian Ocean Crocodilefish

Feather duster worm

Giant chiton

Yellowstripe goatfish

Yellowfin goatfish

Humbug dascyllus

During a two week diving holiday I like to take a one or two day break in the middle to rest and to help with the de-gassing. This time I took a one day break which coincided with what turned out to be a minor crisis.

On a Zodiac trip to Nemo City the willing helpers who heaved me back aboard at the end were a little too enthusiastic and by the time I got ashore I had a sharp pain in my chest whenever I inhaled. It turned out to be muscle strain but was very worrying at the time. The reason I mention this was that I felt badly enough to contact my dive insurers Dan Europe for advice.Click here to visit their website. Based in Turin they really were excellent, especially as I wear hearing aids and cannot hear using a normal phone so had to speak through my buddy, thanks Phil. Having assessed the situation they rang back in the evening and again in the morning in case there were cardiac implications. They also contacted the local doctor just in case.

I really cannot speak highly enough of the service they gave and recommend them to anyone.

I didn't dive the following day and only did one dive as a trial the day after but all was well and I reverted to three dives a day after that. It almost seemed that getting into the water again helped with the mending process.

SOME VIEWS OF THE SITE.

BACK UNDER WATER.

Lyretail grouper

Greasy grouper

Peacock grouper

Red Sea Coral grouper

Redmouth grouper

Blacktip grouper

Freckled hawkfish

Indo-Pacific Sargeants

Leather coral

Common lionfish

Nemo

Giant moray

Network pipefish

Lace fire coral

Orbicular spadefish

Peacock flounder

Bridled parrotfish

Dusky parrotfish

Female Dusky parrotfish

Initial phase Rusty parrotfish

Redlip parrotfish

Bullethead parrotfish

Initial phase Bullethead parrotfish

Plate Fire coral

Porcupinefish

Masked pufferfish

Whitespotted pufferfish

Pyjama chromodorid

Purple-clawed shore crab

Red Sea Ghost crab

Red Sea Fusilier

Red Wire coral

Filefish

Reef octopus

Reef octopus studying Roddy

Smallscale scorpionfish

Six-stripe soapfish

White-tipped reef shark

Baby White-tipped reef shark

Smooth cornetfish

Ehrenberg's snapper

Mangrove snapper

One-spot snapper

Speckled sandperch

Spotfin squirrelfish

Tailspot squirrelfish

Blue-spotted stingray

Striped mackeral

Sulphur damsel

Bluespine unicornfish

Lined bristletooth

Sailfin tangs

Tang

Tangs feeding

Yellowtail tang

Orangespine surgeonfish

Golden sweepers

Vanikoro sweepers

Black-spotted sweetlips

Blue Triggerfish

Picassofish

I started to take these pictures of Titan triggerfish without realising that they were on their nest until one came towards me and I furiously backpeddled; keeping the camera pointed in the right direction of course!

In the meantime Mandy and Sharon were some distance away wondering when and where I would be bitten.