Almonda

Starting from the port of Yanbu sailing for 18 miles to the west you reach the Seven sisters area where dives such as Marker 32, Marker 34, Abu Galawa, Marker 39 and others, will offer the opportunity to dive along the plateaus that stretch out towards the blue from which it will be possible to spot shoals of large pelagics. Hammerhead sharks, silvertip and silky sharks are the masters of these waters but the real surprise will be the richness of the walls where multitudes of hard corals mix with forests of gorgonians. With the grazing light of sunrise and sunset you will admire the incredible life that surrounds these reefs where every coral is still intact. Sailing 8 miles further south is the isolated Mansi reef or Marker 42, a large madreporic column that rises from the depths with walls covered with gorgonians. From the blue, with a little luck, a school of hammerhead sharks may appear, stationed along the southern slope. Continuing further south for 16 miles we will come across the atoll of Sha’ab Suflani or Marker 44 with the walls falling vertically to over 300 meters deep. From sha'ab Suflani we will sail south for about 75 miles until we reach the area called Five Corals, 5 coral atolls facing the town of Rabigh. It will be these magnificent reefs located a short distance from each other that will welcome us in this still completely virgin area. The Maria reef site is by far one of the most fascinating dives that will leave those who dive for the first time in its depths speechless. From the first meters of depth you will notice the impressive presence of passing fish: from tuna to schools of trevally and barracudas that swim undisturbed along the entire plateau surrounded by clouds of fusiliers. A real aquarium where soft corals almost completely cover the madreporic surface. Joey reef, Noura, Mary Ann and Mary Jane are the other 4 "sisters" who differ from the first as they have totally different morphological characteristics. Huge madreporic columns with walls covered with gorgonians that fall vertically in depth while schools of hammerhead sharks and manta rays will appear frequently from the blue. It will be the latter that will offer us the opportunity, with a little luck, to meet them even at night along the southern plateau of Joey reef.

The departure base of the cruise is the port of Al Lith located 210 km south of Jeddah. In the spring, a few miles outside the port, it is easy to come across families of whale sharks intent on feeding on the rich plankton present below the coast in these waters. After navigation for about 3 hours, we reach the first dive sites. Dive spots that will immediately give the feeling of being in an unexplored world. The island of Mar Mar besides being a splendid dive is an excellent night mooring. Not far away are the islands of Dohra, Jadir, and Malathu and the splendid outcropping reefs of Gorgonia, Bandu, and Long reef. Sailing for 25 miles to the south we will come across a second reef area which includes Sha'ab Ammar, a large horseshoe-shaped reef also used as a night mooring. Continuing southwards we meet the islets of Danak, Jabbara, Eagle, and the coral atolls of Mudarr, Fantasy, and Choppy, stages of spectacular diving. A common feature of all these dive sites is the incredible variety of hard and soft coral found on the plateaus as well as the massive presence of coral and pass fish. Diving on the falls of the plateaus, generally oriented to the north and south, you can witness the passage of the large pelagic fish including schools of hammerhead sharks and the tiger shark admired several times in different diving points. We will also pass by Mubarak reef and Marbat Al-Khail which are remarkable healthy and pristine dive sites. The last dive at Canyon reef will close this wonderful itinerary on the edge of reality.