RED SEA - EGYPT

All images below, are uncropped frame grabs from our 6K and 4K film stock footage, unless otherwise noted.

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2020 and COVID-19, a year of unprecedented change.

While this 'Pandemic' has had many negative effects on life as we knew it, the positive spin-off of the huge reduction in numbers of global travelers, seems to be that nature has had a chance to take a breath, to regain a little silence and possibly even recover, just a little. Once again, COVID-19 and the strict social and health protocols, that the world has put in place, has resulted in there being no better time for the exploration of our oceans, COVID risk aside, naturally.

Diving in the Red Sea has not been this tranquil since the 1970's, with so few people traveling and a 50% occupancy restriction on resorts and liveaboards, there were fewer divers and bubbles in the water than we could ever have thought possible. Divers, this is the time to get to the Red Sea.

We had three main objectives for this expedition:

• The first, was to get some alone time on the 1941 wreck of SS Thistlegorm, with no other divers, torches or bubbles in the shot, to film, what is arguably one of the most dived wreck in the world.

• The second, was to find and film one of the oceans most intriguing vegetarian mammals, currently vulnerable to Extinction, the Dugong.

• The third and final objective was to dive with and film the Carcharhinus Longimanus or Oceanic Whitetip Shark.

Filming with our 6K RED and 4K Black Magic Cameras in their Nauticam dive housings, our Dive and Sea monitors and, of course, our robust Keldan lights, we decided, considering all the travel issues and restrictions, to incorporate three separate legs to the journey so that we had 22 days of almost unlimited diving to achieving our goals.

Our journey started from Hurghada, on the Emperor divers liveaboard named 'Emperor Superior', with only 11 other divers. We were so fortunate to have our dear friend, Sonia as our dive guide. Yahooo! The itinerary was called “The Famous Five” and included our first objective, the SS Thistlegorm.

(These are Cellphone images)

We saw very few other boats on the water and almost no day boats at all. In stark contrast to reports over the past few years, of 35+ boats, being moored on this wreck at one time, 35 boats, with an average of 20 divers on each, can you imagine? However, due to COVID-19, we were the only ones there. How lucky were we? In all this tranquility, we managed 4 dives on this magnificent wreck, one of which was a night dive, with only our handful of divers in the water.

With a small amount of planning, we had almost 4 hours of filming opportunity, around and inside the wreck, making the most of this unheard of opportunity, to get 'The Shot'.

Being the only two divers in the lower sections of the ships holds, surrounded by trucks, motorbikes, aircraft parts, all frozen in time for the last 75 years, we could almost hear the horrific explosions, sounds of tearing and buckling steel, screaming from crew members, the smell of discharging explosives, the scalding heat and blinding light from raging fires, the roar of cascading sea water rushing through passages, doorways and chambers, as the ship heaved and sank below the surface, in the dark of night and then just bubbles, until the thud of her 128 meter body landed on the sea bed 30 meters below. Quite surreal.

First objective Achieved, two to go.....

Our next step was onto 'Emperor Skye' another boat in the Emperor Divers fleet, but not a safari boat. 'Emperor Skye' is a day dive boat with 4 cabins and she is moored in Marsa Ghalib, about 60 km north of Marsa Alam. We were the only divers living on the boat and were treated like King and Queen.

(These are Cellphone images)

From this location we did shore and boat entry diving, looking for the allusive Dugongs. While 'Emperor Skye' is able to get out to a number of famous dive sites in the region, we were content with spending our 6 days just searching for Dugongs in the shallow sea grass beds of the region.

Our fantastic guide, Paul, patiently indulged our obsession, dive after dive, Green sea turtle after Green sea turtle, day after day and it all paid off.

DUGONG's!! Eating, sleeping, fighting off remoras, what a delight!

On one dive, while filming yet another Green sea turtle, we were approached by a large male Dugong called Dyson, who proceeded to swim through between us and grabbed the turtle that we had been filming, by the back of its shell. The turtle, startled by the sudden physical contact, tried to get away, but Dyson held on tight and carried the turtle off into the distance and all the way up to the surface. Why?........ No idea! (see below sequence)

This portion of the expedition was also a great success, with over 60 minutes of 6K and 4K Dugong footage now in our library.

Second objective Achieved, one to go.....

(This is a Cellphone image)

….. and so we moved onto our third and final objective, finding and filming the Oceanic Whitetip shark. For this we joined the 'Emperor Elite', yet another magnificent boat in the Emperor Divers fleet.

BUT! Before we proceed with the story, we wish to Congratulate Emperor Divers on their Safari boat 'Emperor Elite', winning the “BEST LIVEABOARDS” 2020 category in the UK Dive Magazine annual competition.

Well done guys!

(Image courtesy of Divemagazine.co.uk)

We boarded 'Emperor Elite' directly from 'Emperor Skye' in Marsa Ghalib and proceeded out to Brothers, Elphinstone and Deadalus, amongst others. Here again, we were grateful for the reduced number of boats in the water, which made it so much easier to film, without getting divers, fins and bubbles in the shot.

Mother nature was holding back a little here though, as the cold water, that brings the sharks, was not welling up from below as expected and the shark encounters had dropped from the previous week, but as we all know, there are no guarantees when you are out in the wild. This being said, we had a number of superb encounters with Thresher Shark, Scalloped Hamerheads, Whaleshark ….. AND..... LONGIMANUS, our intrepid and extremely inquisitive Oceanic Whitetip Shark

That's a wrap, all tree objectives Achieved.

Although, that being said, one must not forget all the other amazing creatures, corals and sights of the Red Sea. There are world class reefs, plenty of fish and majestic Dolphins.

What an incredible expedition this was, with Emperor Divers, ticking every box, not only from the filming and sighting perspective, but in absolutely every respect.

From the very first email to Emperor Divers, to all of our transfers and specific requirements, being vegetarian and traveling with so much camera and charging gear, (120kg+) and even helping with our exit COVID-19 testing in Hurghada on leaving Egypt, to finally stepping into the airport on our return home. Amazing service. Emperor Divers performed like a well oiled machine. Even in these very hard times, the office staff and boat crews eagerly performed their duties with competence, efficiency and a big smile. Thank you Sonia, for encouraging us to visit and dive the Red Sea again. THANK YOU SO MUCH to ALL the employees of Emperor divers, you exceeded all our expectations and made the trip a resounding success.

We look forward to our return to Emperor Divers, if not in the Red Sea, then to one of your other fleet vessels in the Maldives or Indonesia.

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This is a personal blog. Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the blog owner and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual.

All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.

Namibia & Botswana 2017

(These images are frame grabs from our 4K film Stock shot during this trip)

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Longing to return to Namibia and Botswana, we decided to try travelling just after the rainy season, in the hope of filming all the young animals and capture the different scenery.

The 2017 rainy season in Botswana was exceptionally wet with many areas flooded. So we definitely captured a different scenario. The grass was long, trees in full leaf and green. The rivers were gushing and flowing, resulting in many roads being closed due to flooding or huge crater pot holes. In many cases, the roads were in such poor condition that it was safer driving off of the road, away from the huge potholes and continuous corrugations.

Packing our Land Rover Discover 4 with all of our gear was easier this time and we knew just what to do and where to pack. Removing the seats in the second row gave us more space and The Blackmagic Camera, Canon lenses, DJI Osmo and DJI Drone all had their cradles for protection and easy accessibility. The rest of the car was packed in hard plastic containers with a huge net over it to keep everything in place over the rough and bumpy roads and then the Thule box on the roof gave us the much needed extra space for camping gear. 

(These images are frame grabs from our 4K film Stock shot during this trip)

Our desert and bush adventure began with a first night stop over in Springbok at Kokerboom Motel which was conveniently situated on the N7 and we even managed to capture some drone footage of the stunning rock formations of the area.  Next stop was the incredibly beautiful Canyon Lodge. From here we visited and filmed the Fish River canyon, Quiver tree forest and the unusual rock and boulder formations in the area. The Klein-Aus Vista, Desert Horse Inn was a great stop where we filmed the Garub wild horses. This area has had a dreadful drought and so the horses were being fed and water supplied to them to ensure their survival. Staying in Luderitz at the Luderitz Nest Hotel we visited the Diaz Cross and then moved onto Sossus Dune Lodge Chalet, visiting and filming Sesriem canyon, Dune 45 and Sossusvlei. Be sure to catch the Vlei while the sun is rising, as the light is perfect and the photographic opportunities endless. Passing through Solitaire on our way to Swakopmund, we popped into McGregors Bakery in Solitaire for their famous Apple strudel and ice-cream...a really yummy treat in the middle of nowhere.

(These images are frame grabs from our 4K film Stock shot during this trip)

We also managed to film the mysterious Fairy circles that are circular patches on the ground varying between 2 to 15 m wide. Their origin is not certain but two theories are suggested. The one is termites clearing circles under their nests and the second explanation of the circles are explained by plants competing for water.

(These images are frame grabs from our 4K film Stock shot during this trip)

Next stop was Swakopmund, which has grown so much that we could not even recognise it. Staying at Bon Hotel, we visited and filmed the Welwitschia mirabilis plants and for the very first time saw both male and female plants in flower. Some of these plants are known to be 1500 years old. We also managed to film some of the Namibs majestic sand dunes and visited the Kristall Gallerie which had some amazing crystals on display and is well worth a visit. Our favourite restaurant was The Tug. This is a very popular restaurant, so be sure to make a booking.

(These images are frame grabs from our 4K film Stock shot during this trip)

We were also hoping to get to Spitzkoppe, but unfortunately, we had a knocking noise on our Land Rover’s back wheel, so we had to spend our time getting this seen to. On contacting the accredited Land Rover repair centre in Walvis Bay, Novel Ford, Walvis Bay. We were thrilled when Danville, their Landy technician, had a quick look and fixed the problem in a minute. It was only a hand brake cable that had jumped out of a restraining clip and was knocking on the rim of the tire. Whew!

(These images are frame grabs from our 4K film Stock shot during this trip)

Heading North we passed the Salt works which have a collection of salt ponds which are a birds haven. Along the side of the road, keep your eye open for huge salt crystals that one can buy on an “honesty jar” payment system. On route to Terrace Bay, we stopped and filmed the largest Cape Cross fur Seal colony, where a staggering 250 000 seals frolic in the sea and laze about on land. Please, do remember that the Skeleton Coast National park gates close at 15.00 hours.

(These images are frame grabs from our 4K film Stock shot during this trip)

Upon arrival at Terrace Bay Namibia Wild life Resort, we found that our accommodation had been upgraded to the Presidential suite/house, where President Sam Nujoma used to spend his Christmas holidays. Although we are not fishermen, being vegetarian and all, we still had so much to enjoy in the area. From the rumbling agate pebbles on the beach, the sightings of jackals, hyenas, seals, dolphins, visiting Torra Bay, the dunes, searching for the desert lions, the great food and the absolute peace that was so therapeutic, this is a great place to unwind. In the mean time, the fisherman with us, Terry, managed to catch and release 40 fish in just 9 hours of fishing. Needless to say, he had a permanent grin on his face while we were there.

On our way to the Dolomite Namibia Wildlife Resort with its wonderful rim flow pool but awful staff service, we were so fortunate to meet Dr Philip Stander who shared some insight to the Namib Desert Lion Conservation Project. So sad to hear that the last of the five Desert Lions, stars of The Vanishing Kings documentary, has recently been killed. How ironic.

(These images are frame grabs from our 4K film Stock shot during this trip)

We then stayed in Etosha for three nights. Two nights in Okaukuejo, where we managed to book the premier water hole chalet 34w. Wow, do try book this chalet as it has an unobstructed private view of the waterhole and you are sure to see the Black Rhino on his late evening visit to the waterhole. One can literally view the water hole from your private upstairs deck. We also spent one night in Namutoni. Etosha had received a lot of rain, so the bush was thick, high and green. Viewing animals was not easy. We did not see the large herds that Etosha is so well know for. In fact, we saw very little and would not return at this time of year again.

Moving on, we returned to Ngepi and stayed in our favourite Tree house chalet for two nights where we swam in the caged pool in the Cubango/Okavango River, full of Crock's and Hippo's, went for walks, listened to the hippos chuckling and leopards growling across the river.

(These images are frame grabs from our 4K film Stock shot during this trip)

Our road trip from Ngepi to Dinaka was quite stressful, with the roads in Botswana being in such poor conditions, with huge pot holes, that it was at times safer to ride off the road, on the side rather than on the road. We finally arrived after 10hrs diving (for a distance that should have taken maybe 6hrs) at Dinaka  

(These images are frame grabs from our 4K film Stock shot during this trip)

We then drove to the Khwai Community Camp area, where once again, we were treated like kings by the fantastically organised Swampland Safari Trails for 5 nights. It was a magical experience in the bush with all our meals made, tents set up, showers supplied every day, and the brilliant Game Ranger, Max, as our guide. One night we had two roaring male lions 15m away from our tents, the wild dogs ran through our camp and we even had Hyenas through our camp at night. We forgot to pack our food box back into the car one night, only to wake the following morning with evidence that the Hyenas had dragged the box away from our tent, opened it up and guess what they ate????....Ferrero Rocher Chocolates, Lindt Chocolate and long life milk sachets....they clearly have good taste. They slobbered over everything and left the crisps, biscuits and Almond nuts. Spooky to think they were just outside our tent. Do NOT leave any food outside, even if it is in a closed crate! Stupid us!

(These images are frame grabs from our 4K film Stock shot during this trip)

Off road conditions in parts of Northers Botswana.

The bush in the Khwai area was very thick and the grass long after the heavy rainy season that Botswana had, so this made viewing the animals and driving the roads more challenging, as we had a few rivers to cross and many of the roads were closed due to flooding. During our stay, sadly, an Elephant died next to the river. No one knew why it had died but what was amazing was how nature and animals instinctively take on their roles of getting food from the dead carcass. There is a whole system that the animals have worked out and it begins with the birds pecking at the eyes and the Hyenas taking the first meal, as they have such powerful jaws they can penetrate easily, then all the other carnivores can get stuck in.

This is a truly special area and I do hope that the Khwai community will enforce a limit to the amount of tourism that the area can take, so as to conserve this special place and its wonderful wild animals that we all so enjoy viewing. A very special thank you to Louis Milne and his team for a great safari. We will return.

(These images are frame grabs from our 4K film Stock shot during this trip)

We then drove on to Gweta Lodge. We were warned about the very poor road conditions between Maun and Nata. The road had pot holes and was flooded either side of the road for miles on end, but we did manage to get to the lodge quite safely, passing the “Road Closed” signage and were told that the road from Gweta to Nata was the one in really bad condition, but the locals had made a secondary bypass road next to it for easier commuting. Returning to Gweta lodge on our second visit, we were so pleased to see Helen, James, Shayna and all the staff again. We were spoilt to another night sleeping on the Salt pan and we managed to get some great footage of the pans with the flooding water in the distance, the magical sun rising and some more Meerkat footage of them baking their bellies in the warm sun. Do take a drive to Planet Baobab, have a drink or a meal or a stay and see the majestic trees.

We also visited and filmed the Nxai Pan area including the huge Baines Baobab area. The roads in the pan were challenging, with ruts and poor conditions noted but we did manage to get about slowly. Do NOT access the road that runs parallel to the boundary fence road. STAY ONLY on the fence road. The other inside road, shown as the main road on their map, is in a dreadful condition and is the worst road we have ever experienced. With deep loose soft sand and even deeper ditches, this “Road” was quite a challenge, but our Disco 4 just kept ploughing on until we got back to the junction with the boundary road. We were suitably impressed by our cars abilities. Note to self, get a better cargo net system to secure all the goodies inside the car and stop them from moving around.

On our way to Lekhubu Island, we decided to stay overnight at Letlhakane, at Motswedi Hotel. We, fortunately, had a Satellite Phone from Swampland Safari Trails for safety and connectivity should we have had any major problems as we were driving Solo. We wanted to get an early start to Kubu just in case we had any road issues, therefore, decided to spend the night over in Letlhakane, the closest town to Kubu. Fortunately, we had an easy two and a half hour drive over the Makgadikgadi Salt Pan to Kubu, we pitched our tent and then set up for filming the sunset, stars, Baobabs and Makgadikgadi Salt Pan. This is a Gaing-o-communty trust run area and it is very sad to hear that people are abusing their staying at Kubu by arriving late and not paying their dues. So the area is to be fenced off to control/restrict movement of vehicles and a resort construction will start by, we were told, December 2017. I do not understand people that wish to abuse the environment or the community. So SAD. We do hope this area will be protected at all costs.

(These images are frame grabs from our 4K film Stock shot during this trip)

Having some business to tie up in Gaborone, we stayed at the Peermont Walmont at the Grand Palm for a few nights where our favourite restaurant was the Fig Tree. We were very fortunate to visit and stay with our dear friends Harold and Geraldine Hester in their lovely home and celebrated at the Mokolodi Nature reserve restaurant.

Our last stop was at Langberg Guest farm before we headed back home. Having travelled almost 10 000 km’s and visited 17 different destinations it was good to be safe and sound back home. We are thrilled at how our Land Rover Discovery 4 has preformed during our 6 weeks safari travel.

Special Thanks

Special thanks to all our friends Carol, Terry, Kathy, Martin, Reg and Shakila for their companionship and support and to Louis Milne and the Swampland team for a magical time.

Tips for Namibian trips

1. If you are close to The Namibian Wild Life Resort centre in the City centre of Cape Town, do become a NWR member with your yearly Namleisure card. Pop into this extremely well organised centre and the helpful, friendly staff will book and arrange your accommodation and your valid Namleisure cards will allow for some amazing discounts on your accommodation bookings.

2. We also made a few bookings with the Gondwana Collection of lodges, so having a SADC or Namibian Gondwana card, that is valid for 5 yrs, allows for further amazing discounts and is well worth applying for. 

3. Many fuel stations in Namibia do not have card facilities and many will ONLY accept cash. They accept payment with Namibian dollars or South African Rands.

4. At Sossus do book your accommodation within the park gates, as this gives you a heads up to getting to the tourist attractions before the crowds and buses.

5. If you are passing through Solitaire do pop into McGregors Babery in Solitaire for there famous Apple strudel and ice-cream...really yummy treat in the middle of nowhere.

6. The poor road conditions and in particular the dreadful corrugations were not pleasant and limited ones ability to maintain the suggested road speed, resulting in added time in getting to your destination.

7. Please, be aware of the varying opening and closing times of park gates, especially if your accommodation is with in the park, be sure to arrive at the gate before it closes. E.g. Skeleton Park gate closes at 15.00.

8. Novel Ford Walvis bay is an accredited Land Rover dealer and repair centre.

9.  If you plan to visit Etosha, Okaukuejo Camp, book the premier water hole chalet 34w, it has a fabulous private clear view of the waterhole from its upstairs deck.

10. Stay in your car when in game parks.

Tips for Botswana trips

1. Most fuel stations have 50pp diesel.

2. NEVER pass a fuel station without filling up, as some do run out of fuel and the next one may be out of range.

3. Remember to keep P1000 in your wallet at all times for any fines. All fines have to be paid in Pula ONLY, otherwise your passport, or more, can be held until you pay up and you will be escorted to the closest town to make payment arrangements. Many speeding traps are set up just before you are leaving Botswana on your way back to South Africa. With any luck you will return to South Africa with the P1000 still in your wallet. 

4. Always stop your vehicle dead still at all stop signs. Failure to do so may incur a fine. Specifically at makeshift Police Check points that can spring up anywhere. Stop at the Stop sign, which will be 15m or so from the Officer, wait to be summoned by the Police Officer and stop again as you get to him/her.

5. There are many veterinary fences and foot and mouth road blocks, many of which, you will have to dip ALL your shoes into the solution provided. So, keep ALL your shoes readily accessible.

6. Do NOT drive at night. There are too many wild animals, not to mention the cows, goats and donkeys on the roads that are a huge accident risk.

7. Remember to take Malaria precautions....long sleeves and trousers, insect repellent and medication.

8. Take a set of spare car keys with you and extra batteries for your keys.

9. Ensure you have sufficient tools, food and water in the event of a car breakdown.

10. Buy a local cell sim card. I recommend, B Mobile cell for the best bush and city coverage. If one is travelling alone a Satalite phone may be hired.

11. Do not leave any food outside when you are camping in the wild. Keep all food safely in your car.

12. The road between Ngepi, Shakawe, Tsau, Seithwa and Maun is in poor Condition with so many pot holes that it is at times easier to drive off the road, on the side of the road.

13. The Road between Maun and Gweta was closed but we did manage to go through it . The road stretch between Gweta and Nata is very poor but the locals have made a secondary bypass road next to it for easier commuting.

14. Do Not try and access Le Kubu Island from Nata area if there has been heavy rain. We went via Letlhakane and had no problems at all.

15. In the Nxai Pan area: The roads in the pan were challenging, with ruts and poor conditions noted but we did manage to get about slowly. Do NOT access the road that runs parallel to the road running along the fence. STAY ONLY on the fence road. The other inside road is in a dreadful condition and is the worst road we have ever experienced, with loose soft sand and very deep ditches.

16. Do contact Swampland Safari trails for all bookings and any assistance you may need. Speak to Louis Milne .

17. Road speed sighs are often missing for long stretches. Be careful as there are many speed traps

18. Use a huge net over your luggage, to keep everything in place over the rough and bumpy roads

This is a personal blog. Any views or opinions represented in this blog are personal and belong solely to the blog owner and do not represent those of people, institutions or organizations that the owner may or may not be associated with in professional or personal capacity, unless explicitly stated. Any views or opinions are not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, or individual.

All content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only. The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following any link on this site. The owner will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information nor for the availability of this information. The owner will not be liable for any losses, injuries, or damages from the display or use of this information.