Marsa Alam: Day 2 Marsa Abu Dabab

First time diving today for this holiday. Also the check dive for Jon and me. Johanna dived in lake Constant this year, so this wasn't a check dive for her per say. Got all the gear, signed some papers with Mohammed and then we where of. Checked our Nitrox bottles and got geared up before going out in to the ocean. They don't have a jetty here so we walked over sand and stones to get to the deeper area. Seven people in total, six divers and one guide, Salah this time. Two of the six divers took ages getting in. The rest of us (four, Salah was helping the two) were chilling at the bottom of the ocean, as we had no idea where to go. After 15 minutes the rest finally arrived and we did the checks and set of towards some sea grass areas. Swam across sand and sea grass looking for the local manatee but no luck. No luck in seeing anything at all, actually. We took a left turn to the reef and spotted a huge sea turtle, with a diameter of about one metre. Carried on and also saw two spotted sting rays and a lion fish. Apart from the fish the corals are really nice here as well. The two who slowed us down before where running out of air, so whilst we where heading back Salah supplied them with air. Reached the top, walked back to the base and cleaned of our things with freshwater, wrote our blog and proceeded to lunch. Lunch being rather spare, as there are still only about 50 people here.

Back to get the GoPro up and running as the waterproof casing passed its test in the morning. Last years mistakes would not be repeated. Into the water with Michael as my diving buddy again and this time of to a faster start, me being the last one in. Started of along the reef strait away this time seeing a sea turtle towards the beginning. Smaller version than last time. Carried on along the reef with the GoPro on a pole, a lot better than on ones arm, I think. Can get close to a lot of fish without having to fear the consequences. Managed to get a few close ups of lion fish that way. The air consumption went up a bit as you have to concentrate on one more gadget you're taking with you. We steered away from the reef at about half point, after passing to through corals in a small canyon like arrangement. Back across the sea grass looking for the manatee again, but no luck once more. Ali arrived just today morning, went diving and spotted it strait away, lucky person. We met the group he was diving with and Salah took two stragglers with him which where lagging behind the rest and had little air. Got back to the beach and departed to clean our gear and to write our log books. After saying good night to the rest of the dive base of for some dinner and then had a long talk in to the evening with Uwe and Michael. Uwe being from Sonthofen and knowing Jon actually.

A local reef map here, we are in the area of Marsa Ghaleb.

Deepest depth: 14 metres / 16 metres

Diving time: 64 min. / 69 min.