Excellence is one of the Sea Serpent Fleet's dive liveaboards. It was built specifically for divers. She offers 7 night trips from Marsa Alam or Hurghada to the best dive sites in the Red Sea, Brother Islands, Daedalus, Rocky Island, Zabargad, Elphinstone and St. John's reefs. The wrecks of Abu Nuhas, Dunraven, Thistlegorm and the legendary dive sites in the Tiran straights are visited as part of the northern tour.
Accommodation & Facilities
The Excellence is 34m (111 ft) long and offers space for a maximum of 22 guests. Each of the 11 double cabins has their own shower / toilet and central air conditioning. Daily 3 buffet style meals are served, mostly European and Arab cuisine.
The spacious air-conditioned salon offers video, TV, DVD and audio system as well as a bar and a separate dining area. The two sun decks are partially covered and offer enough space to relax. The large dive deck with platform is very spaciously laid out and each diver has sufficient room to move comfortably. The Excellence has two dinghies (Zodiacs), 2 life rafts, first aid equipment and oxygen as well as the necessary electronic equipment, dual radar, radio, satellite phone, navigation, and GPS.
Dive Service
Up to four dives will be offered daily, which take place either from the dive deck, or from one of the two dinghies. A certain amount of diving experience is necessary to participate in the safaris, diving is done in a buddy teams.
Nitrox is available free for certified divers via Overstream Manifold system. Each diver needs to submit a valid certification card and log book. For diving 12 litres aluminium tanks with INT or DIN connection are being used. For an additional charge and by pre-booking 15 litre tanks are also available.
Dive areas
The off shore Marine Park islands, The Brothers, Daedalus, Rocky Islands and Zabargad Islands, are the highlights of the Red Sea. The Brother Islands, two outer reefs rising from great depths, are one of the world's best dive sites. Steep walls, covered by stunning soft corals of all colours, black and fan corals, two wrecks, pelagic fish and schools of fish will excite any diver. With some luck you?ll meet thresher sharks, grey reef sharks, hammer head, oceanic white tip sharks and mantas. The trip in stormy weather may be somewhat rough, but the diving makes up for the effort.
Another sure winner for world-class diving is close to the Daedalus Islands, where especially in summer you are very likely to encounter pelagics, and be prepared to meet schools of hammer head sharks!
Excellent and almost unspoilt dive sites are in the areas of Rocky Island and Zabargad Island. All those sites are teaming with schools of tropical fish and promise lots of big fish action. Much further south, St John is a collection of small reefs offering all the beauty of the Red Sea with breathtaking reefs covered with hard corals and soft corals in all colours. Add the possibility to spot a wide variety of pelagics, big fish, Dolphins and diving through a labyrinth of caves.
The North offers very good to spectacular wreck diving. The Thistlegorm is a must dive, you cannot miss this one! She holds plenty cargo like motorcycles, locomotives and war goods - a really unique dive. The wrecks of Abu Shaab Nuhas are also worth a visit. Dives in the Tiran Strait complete the tours in the north.
We think...
Another great vessel of the Sea Serpent Fleet. Excellence offers really good value for money.
