Cassiopeia’s interior walls of the cabins and the restaurant were completely refinished and all curtains were replaced during the month-and-a-half long dock work. As was the sitting furniture on the covered deck in front of the salon. The exterior lights were replaced and for increased safety, handrails were installed along the staircases.

And for popular demand, we have installed a table for the camera equipmnet as well. As you can see from the photos, the boat looks almost more beautiful than when she first was.

We formed into 6-diver groups and jumped into the zodiacs right away. After 20 minutes we were already at Shaab Rumi’s Northern point. On a count of three we backflipped into the water and began our descent. When I looked below, right away I saw the silhouette of a large grey shark! The liveaboard operators almost guarantee shark sightings at this part of Shaab Rumi because here is the coral-encrusted Cousteau shark feeder, left behind to this day. The sharks have long gotten used to this place, waiting for their old friend, Cousteau, to return and to make their regular feedings again.

Swimming above the plateau, the greys were already swarming around us. I counted about 15 around me but I never knew how many more could have been behind me. The sight was amazing! What was up close and real now, I only saw in documentaries. Though my battle plans primarily included the stalking of hammerheads, at that moment the greys had my complete attention. For 20 minutes I was just looking all around, never knowing from which direction they were coming towards me only to change direction with a quick whip of the tail less than half a metre from me. Meanwhile giant bass were irritating the big fish, bravely facing them. After a long watch, we left the greys behind us and continued for the North point of the plateau, closely swimming over the plateau. We barely made a few fin kicks when we ran into a giant barracuda school counting 80-90 of them. Some of them were as long as a metre and a half. By the time we reached the drop-off, our air supply was dwindling, so after the safety stop, we met on the surface to share our latest experiences. Between the two dives, familiar fins appeared about 200m from the boat, heading straight for us. Right away we knew that a group of dolphins arrived in the lagoon, right beside us. That was it and half the boat jumped into the water, people flying over the railings. I tried to make room through the crowd on the diving platform. With my mask and fins in place, I jumped into the water, right among the dolphins. It could not have been directed better! The beauty of their figures and moves is something no other animal can come close to. As if they were being moved by the sea, they swam in front of us with great precision. They always fascinate me and again I swam an hour with them.

There is a room onboard Cassiopeia and Andromeda, which is reminiscent of real Arabian cafes. The furnishings, the shishas which can be smoked right there, the coffee and tea served to the guests and the music, they all create true Egyptian ambiance.

The waterpipe is one of the oldest traditions of the Arabic world. Whether you call it hookah, shisha, sheesha, hubble-bubble or nargileh, it all points to the same delighful oriental smoking tool – the pleasantly bubbling and heavenly smelling waterpipe!

After a delightful day or if you just long for a nice rest, your body and soul find peace here. Oriental comfort, the smell of fresh coffee or the refreshing taste of a nice cup of tea takes you to the unforgettable place of the enchanted East.

This is a real special place in the middle of the sea, where you can enjoy your times of vacation having fun in such romantic environment and its decoration is authentic traditional one where the coloures rose, grey, dominate the eye and help you relax while you enjoy your sisha, chat with friends or even watch the spectacular belly dancers.

Whether you desire shade from the summer’s heat or fancy a cup of hot tea in the chill, you will find everything here!

We have expanded our safari tour destinations in Egypt! If you have already been to Hurghada, Safaga, the Deep South, the Brother Islands, Daedalus, Rocky and Zabargad, then it is time to discover our new routes this year! We offer three completely new itineraries!

Our new itineraries

THE TIRAN ISLANDS

One of the most popular North tours originating from Sharm el Sheikh is the one to the Tiran Islands.

We are widening our safari destination offers in 2010, one of which is an expanded North safari originating from Hurghada. In our new itinerary the boat does not turn back at Ras Mohammed but continues towards the Tiran.

The coral reefs we visit from South to North are: Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse and Jackson. The reefs got their names from 19th century British map-makers who were the first to make maps of this area.

The Tiran Islands which hide a virtual coral reef forrest on the sea bottom, lie at the entrance of the Akaba Bay and almost block the way to the Red Sea. There are only two narrow strips allowing entry through: the Enterprise on the West and the Grafton on the East, where the depths are at 360m, quite shallow compared to the depths of 1,800m to the North and South from here.

This creates currents rich in nutrients, providing an excellent habitat for fish and large whale species.

We recommend the Tiran Islands especially to advanced divers.

ELBA AND ABU FENDERA

Divers visit these reefs for two reasons: either they go through here when sailing from Egypt to Sudan or they come here to find a place where there are no other boats or hoards of other divers.

Abu Fendera is one place like that as is Elba Reef. From all the Egyptian liveaboards, only one or two sail this far South when an adventurous group books a week on them.

Abu Fendera lies South of St Johns and the Elba Reef can be found on the Egyptian and Sudanese border with a good plateau on its North and South side as well.

On the South plateau lies the large wreck of “SS Isola di Levanzo” that sank in the early 1900s. She is a rarely visited beautiful wreck which is surrounded by scattered sherry bottles all over the sea bottom. A few interesting facts about the wreck:

The “SS Isola di Levanzo” was built in 1901, weighed 3,713 tons with a length of 339.6 feet and a breadth of 46.3 feet. She was a single-flueted and double-masted vessel with a maximum speed of 11 knots and was able to accommodate up to 900 passengers.

She was built by the Orlando Brothers in Leghorn (Livorno) and she was launched in 1901 as the latest vessel of the Southern Marine Transport Association.

The boat laiden with salt and other cargo ran aground on the Elba Reef in the Red Sea on March 14, 1923 on the way from Genova to Durban. On March 28 during a salvage operation the towing rope snapped, the boat drifted onto the rocks and sank.

And finally, do not miss snorkelling in the Elba Reef lagoon.

These two destinations (Abu Fendera and Elba) can be reached by only high-speed vessels since several close to 10-hour-long night sailings dot the week-long itinerary to make sure the divers can start their next dive early in the morning at a far dive site. (The distances are: Hamata-St Johns, St Johns-Elba, Elba-Abu Fendera.)  And for these distances are just perfect the two robust steel vessels: Cassiopeia 5* and Andromeda 5*.

This is the best dive place on earth and the best place for hammerheads in the Red Sea. During one dive there is a big chance to see 40-50 in front of you. Best season for hammerheads is from November till April. on the plateau also sits Jacques Cousteau’s shark observation cage. You can lie in the sand and watch the Grey Reef Shark’s cleaning Station. If you want to be surrounded with at least 3 species of shark this is the place! Also big shoals of jacks and barracuda’s waiting for you on the plateau on every dive.

The entire boat has been re-painted and all the necessary maintenance work has been completed. Andromeda has received her own underwater stabiliser wings just like Cassiopeia’s. The interior walls have been covered with new velour finishings and the windows have received new curtains on the main deck and on the lower deck in the cabins.

All damaged wood planks have been replaced, the teak floors have been sanded and the bottom of the boat has received a new coat of algae-repellant finish.

During this time, Andromeda has received her permit to sail to Sudan and she is set to leave for the South in the beginning of February to start her 5-month long work there.

Our bodies are constantly exposed to damaging effects but the safety mechanisms of our immune system prevent the development of diseases. The weakening of our defense system or if exposed to especially serious harming effects can lead to the formation of diseases, in our case, to the infection of the hearing canal.

The harmful effects damaging the hearing canal can be divided into two groups: every-day effects and diving-related effects.

Besides the harmful effects at our own hands from the every-day cleaning of the ear, the hearing canal is further sensitive to drafts as well as to soaps, shampoos and shower gels which can significantly change the PH-levels of the skin or cause allergic reactions.

On a diving safari divers can dive up to four times one day and adding to this some snorkelling and fooling around in the water, divers can easily spend up to 6-7 hours a day in water. In addition, the sea water can collect in the shaped curve, increasing the time water stays in the ear. This much time spent with water in the ears is not preferable. Just think about sitting in the bath tub for a long time when our hands wrinkle like a prune.

Plus the sea water is not sterile. The organic materials in it provide sufficient breeding ground for bacteria which can more easily enter the skin of the hearing canal soaked in water, causing infections.

The first symptom of infection in the hearing canal is the ear ache. As the process continues, the skin of the hearing canal swells, narrowing or often completely closing the canal. From the narrowed canal there is often a discharge caused by the infection.

When the ear aches and the diagnosis is probable infection in the hearing canal, we can do the following: If on a diving safari, leave out at least one day of diving, try to gently rinse out the canal with fresh water and use anti-inflammatory ear drops 3 times a day. Once on land, consult a physician who will carefully clean out the hearing canal, prescribe ear drops or if the canal is too narrow, place an antibitoic strip into the canal.

To sum up, we can do the following to avoid all these inconveniences and to prevent infection in the hearing canal:

- Keep the hands away from the ears. Do not use cleaning sticks, hair pinsor any other objects to clean them.

- Have your ears checked by a doctor 2 weeks before a diving trip.

- Use PH-neutral or hypoallergenic hygiene products.

- Protect the ears even from the wind.

- After a day of diving, always rinse the ears with fresh water and letthe water leave the ear completely.

Dr. Gabor Kiefer PhD.
University Assistant Professor
SOTE, Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic
Tel: +36 20 947 0701

The Hearing Canal

Every diver’s nightmare is the less or more painful ear ache starting on the second or third day of the safari which could also last for the whole week. There are many reasons for these ear aches but most common is the inflammation of the hearing canal. The hearing canal lies between the outer ear and the ear drums. Its function is to get the sound waves to the ear drums and in part, the protection of the ear drums. In an adult ear, the surface of this “S”-shaped organ is covered with a fine layer of skin.

This skin layer contains the suet glands that produce a special substance,the ear wax (cerumen in Latin). In normal cases, the ear wax thinly coats the skin of the hearing canal, acting as an anti-bacterial agent and protecting it from infections. Like with most good things, there may be a couple of problems with ear wax: not enough or too much.

If there is not enough, the hearing canal is dry, itchy and can easily crack, leaving room for the bacteria to reach the deeper layers of the skin. If there is too much, it can accumulate and cause a plug, partially or completely closing the hearing canal which may cause annoying decreased hearing.

From all these we can quickly conclude that the use of Q-tips (earcleaning sticks), preferred by most people, can be the source of many problems, so they should be used only to gently help out the ear wax that is already on the edge of the ear canal. If we use them deeper in the ear and we regularly clean out the ear wax, we cause the ear canal to dry out and the skin to break. And if there is too much ear wax, we cannot clean it all out and we simply gather it into a plug somewhere near the ear drums.

So, it is best to leave the hearing canal alone and have it cleaned by a doctor one or two weeks before the diving trip. The doctor will either use a syringe filled with lukewarm water to rinse out the hearing canal or use a gentle suction device to remove it. Of course, this will not guarantee 100% that after this procedure there is not going to be any ear infection but the chances of it happening are decreased.

Now let us see what can actually cause an infection in the hearing canal…

To be continued…

Dr. Gabor Kiefer PhD.
University Assistant Professor
SOTE, Ear, Nose and Throat Clinic
Tel: +36 20 947 0701

Would you like to surprise someone for their birthday or just because you have been thinking of them?

Would you like to look at beautiful underwater pictures all year round even if you cannot be there?

Download now the New Year’s present of Red Sea Boats, a free printable 2010 calendar with the most beautiful photos of Daniel Selmeczi.

Click on the image on the right and our calendar can be yours, all you need is a printer.

The Cassiopeiasafari Team

Get away to Sudan for some winter sun and some of the best scuba diving to be found in the World.

The brand new luxurious M/Y Andromeda Liveaboard is offering the following spectacular last minutes offer for the following cruise dates.

Some places are still available on an incredibly – priced, low season scuba diving safari.

Last Minute Deals BOOK NOW & SAVE!!!

27 February until 06 March 2010 on board Andromeda, North trip, last spaces !!!

13 March until 20 March 2010 on board Andromeda, North trip, last spaces !!!

20 March until 27 March 2010 on board Andromeda, North trip, last spaces !!!

Don’t delay, this offer sell out fast!

For more details contact volgyesi.livia@cassiopeiasafari.com