In Focus: Red Sea North with Saeed Rashid

EXCLUSIVE LIVEABOARD PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKSHOPS hosted by Saeed Rashid.

QUALIFICATION NEEDED: You must be a PADI Open Water diver or equivalent to join this safari. You do not need to be a photographer to join this itinerary! All divers welcome!

As with all diving activities, the dive guide has the final decision regarding any divers competency to complete any particular dive.

ROUTE: North and Ras Mohamed 

Saeed Rashid of 'Focus Visuals' has joined the team at Blue o Two to run exclusive 'In Focus' photography workshops.

A lecturer at Bournemouth University, editorial consultant for Diver magazine and popular speaker at UK dive shows, Saeed will guide you through the underwater photography process from start to finish. He will not only help you to develop your skills to spot and frame your subject to its full potential underwater, but also show you how to polish your images using a variety of simple post-production techniques when back onboard.

"My aim is to make learning fun, promoting confidence and participation. You can relax and enjoy a memorable holiday, whilst enhancing your underwater photography skills and who knows maybe teach me a top tip of your own!" Saeed Rashid.

Over the course of the liveaboard week, there is plenty of time to learn new skills and the warm, clear waters of the Red Sea provide the perfect environment to practice! You don't even need to own a camera to get involved - you can hire all equipment from blue o two!

This itinerary will follow a route in the Northern Red Sea and will include the beautiful Ras Mohamed reef, allowing divers the opportunity to capture a wide variety of subjects, including reefs, wrecks, corals and marine species on a macro and micro scale. The northern region is also known for more favourable weather conditions, beneficial for successful photography. There will be up to four dives a day, three of which will be 'In Focus' dives where Saeed will be in the water. Out of those three 'In Focus' dives, one will be a night dive.

Why join this itinerary?

This trip is a must for anyone wanting to improve their underwater photography at the same time as experiencing some of the most fantastic diving the Red Sea has to offer. The expertise of Saeed Rashid coupled with blue o two's experience in delivering fantastic liveaboard holidays is the perfect combination for photographic workshops that will really help you progress.

Sample itinerary:

**PLEASE NOTE** the itinerary below is just an example of the route taken and the order and dive sites are not guaranteed. All dives sites are subject to weather conditions and the final route taken is at the absolute discretion of the captain and dive guides.

Day 1 - Shaab El Erg, Abu Nuhas Wreck, Abu Nuhas Wreck, Abu Nuhas Lagoon
Day 2 - Abu Nuhas Wreck, Abu Nuhas Wreck, Dunraven, Beacon Rock
Day 3 - Ras Mohamed National Park, Ras Mohamed National Park, Small Crack
Day 4 - Thistlegorm, Thistlegorm, Shag Rock/Kingston, Barge
Day 5 - Ulysses/Bluff Point, Umm Usk, Siyul.
Day 6 - Poseidon Reef, El Miniya.

Itinerary highlights:

SS. Thistlegorm - Shaab Ali: Probably the most famous of the Red Sea wrecks. The 129m English Freighter was bombed by German aviation on 6th October 1941. Today she creates an artificial reef on a sandy bottom at 32m max depth. She is home to an enormous variety of marine life and is especially popular with large schooling fish.

Ras Mohamed - Shark & Yolanda Reefs: This is a world renowned dive site, situated at the tip of the Sinai. Two small ergs are joined by a vertical wall dropping into the abyss. At shark reef the current allows you to drift along the wall, rich with colourful corals. Moving towards Yolanda reef you reach a plateau scattered with small ergs and coral outcrops. Continuing around the reef you will come upon the scattered remains of the wreck 'Yolanda' complete with its cargo of toilets and baths. The whole of this area is big fish territory so keep an eye on the blue!

Abu Nuhas: Also known as the 'Ships Graveyard', this reef is dangerously positioned close to the busy shipping lanes of the Gulf of Suez. This reef has claimed more ships than any other in the area. On the north side are four wrecks laying on a sandy seafloor at the bottom of a steep sloping reef layered with table corals. On the south side is a safe anchorage for liveaboards and two ergs, known as Yellow Fish Reef.

Small Crack - Shaab Mahmoud: This is a small split in the middle of Shaab Mahmoud's barrier. Drift along the outside wall next to beautiful corals and colourful fish. Look for a sand slope that leads you up and through the crack. When the current is right you can fly through the 5m deep channel and be thrown out across the sandy lagoon!

Gubal Island: At the gate of the Straits of Gubal is 'Bluff Point', which gets its name from the turbulence created by strong currents that beat the eastern wall of the island. The wreck of the 'Ulysses' lies on the reef 300m north of the lighthouse, starting at 5m and sloping to 25m. 'The Barge' wreck, south of the lighthouse, provides divers with a fun and unusual night dive. The wrecks skeleton creates protection for all types of night creatures.

Shag Rock: This large circular reef is often overlooked but offers excellent diving on pristine coral from any location on its perimeter.