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24 Jun 2020, Phil North

Emperor Red Sea Liveaboards, egypt diving

We asked our great friends at Emperor Divers for an update on the local situation in the Red Sea as Egypt looks towards opening up to international visitors. Luke is the General Manager at Emperor Divers in the Red Sea and here reports on the latest news from the team on the ground.

Luke from Emperor Divers with Emperor Superior Liveaboard

"We have worked with Regaldive since the very beginning of Emperor almost 30 years ago, regularly looking after Regal divers on our boats and at our diving centres, but of course we haven’t had any guests for the past few months and so it's really nice to get this opportunity to update everyone.

The most important part of our company is our team. We have managed to keep the team together and we have been able to support them through this pandemic. Egypt, Maldives and Indonesia actually have relatively few COVID cases, so I am very pleased to say that no staff, nor their families, have been taken unwell by this terrible virus. We have been in contact with our team regularly. Some are posted on the boats while they are anchored up, keeping them safe and maintained ready for divers in the coming months. Others have gone back to their local cities, towns and villages to care for their families.

Aerial shot of the Emperor Superior liveaboard in the Red Sea, Egypt

To keep our diving and non-diving guests active, we have been doing live seminars on Facebook. Guides from all over the company have been talking about diving areas, or more general topics such as marine life or seas conditions and diving tips. Tracy has been running The Hatchling’s Club for our younger audience, full of information and facts about our favourite marine animals alongside some craft ideas. All our live talks have had lots of views and we have really loved the interaction that comes from this. 

We have our eye on the future and we are getting excited. Restrictions are starting to be relaxed in many countries; borders are opening up. Diving in our three destinations is so close we can taste it! Emperor is trusted to make safety the highest priority. We have operated at the highest level for nearly 30 years now and have an impeccable safety record. Over the decades we have innovated and adapted to make sure we are at the front of the pack when it comes to diver safety and service. We are ready to do so again, and we have a team dedicated to applying solutions to the current environment.

The three countries we work in have started to build a framework of procedures and policies that are still being finalised. Over and above that rest assured we will always follow the latest scientific advice and set the bar for industry best practices. As we get closer to reopening and the science, regulations and advice gets more apparent, we will confirm which procedures will be employed to specific upcoming trips.

We have been securing and maintaining our boats, our diving equipment and training our team; we are ready to go as soon as those first flights land! Egypt has had its fair share of slumps in the tourism business in recent years, and one thing has always been true – after a period of inactivity in the sea, the diving is better than ever. Reefs recover and replenish, and nature never looks more awesome. Be on one of those first flights out if you can, and we will be waiting for you here to get you back underwater with that familiar Emperor service.”

Reef scene in Fury Shoal, Egypt

Contact a member of our team or call us on 01353 659999 to discuss your next Red Sea liveaboard adventure.