This itinerary includes two Marin parks of the Egyptian Red sea. This itinerary is perfect for advanced divers seeking challenging dives and encounters with big pelagic species in the heart of the Red Sea.
The Brothers-Daedalus-Elphinstone itinerary offers some of the most thrilling and diverse diving experiences in the Red Sea. Divers will explore the famous Brother Islands with their steep drop-offs, vibrant coral gardens, and large pelagic species, including oceanic whitetip and hammerhead sharks. At Daedalus Reef, you’ll encounter pristine coral formations and schools of barracuda and trevally. Elphinstone Reef is renowned for its dramatic walls, abundant marine life, and the possibility of spotting oceanic whitetips and schools of hammerheads.
Why to dive on BDE Golden triangle?
Shark Encounters: Dive with oceanic whitetip sharks, hammerheads, and possibly thresher sharks, making it a must for shark enthusiasts.
Iconic Dive Sites: Visit three of the Red Sea’s most renowned dive sites—The Brothers, Daedalus Reef, and Elphinstone Reef.
Diverse Marine Life: Encounter a wide variety of marine species, from large pelagics to colorful reef fish and intricate coral formations.
Advanced Diving Opportunities: This itinerary offers challenging dives with strong currents and deep drop-offs, perfect for experienced divers seeking adventure.
Historic Wreck Dives: Explore wrecks like the Aida and Numidia, which have become artificial reefs teeming with marine life.
Day-by-Day Description BDE Golden triangle itinerary:
Day 1 (Saturday):
Arrival and boarding, briefings, dinner.
Main Points: Equipment checks, safety briefings, time to meet the crew and other divers aboard!
Day 2 (Sunday): Departure and Marsa Alam area
The boat departs Sunday early morning from 06 AM to 1 PM depending of the decision of the Red Sea cost guard.
Main Points: Perform check dives to test skills of the group, one or two more dives of Marsa Alam area.
Marine Life: A lot of small underwater creatures and wonderful corals.
Day 3 (Monday): The Brothers
Continue exploring the Brothers with multiple dives at different locations.
Main Points: Dive the southern plateau, vertical drop-offs, and rich coral gardens.
Marine Life: Thresher sharks, Napoleon wrasse, and barracudas.
Fact: The Brothers are home to some of the best-preserved coral in the Red Sea.
Day 4 (Tuesday): Daedalus Reef
Full day of diving at Daedalus Reef, one of the Red Sea’s largest and most remote reefs.
Main Points: Dive along the steep walls, visit the Daedalus Lighthouse.
Marine Life: Hammerhead sharks, manta rays, large schools of barracuda.
Highlight: Early morning dives for the best chance of seeing hammerhead sharks.
Day 5 (Wednesday): Daedalus Reef
Continue exploring Daedalus with dives along the north and south plateaus.
Main Points: Deep dives with potential for strong currents.
Marine Life: Grey reef sharks, trevally, and vibrant coral formations.
Day 6 (Thursday): Elphinstone Reef
Morning and afternoon dives at Elphinstone Reef, famous for its dramatic drop-offs.
Main Points: North and South Plateaus, strong currents, and deep walls.
Marine Life: Oceanic whitetip sharks, barracudas, and groupers.
Highlight: The chance to spot both oceanic whitetips and hammerhead sharks.
Day 7 (Friday): Marsa Alam area and back to the shore
Returning to Marsa Alam, early morning dive and midday dive on the area. The boat arrives to the shore Friday afternoon. Early check out possible from 5PM, transfer for additional charge.
Main Points: Last dives, possible visit Dugong place.
Marine Life: Reef fish, potential sightings of turtles and Napoleon wrasse.
Day 8 (Saturday):
Disembarkation 08 AM and transfer to the airport and hotels.
Red sea dive safari route Brothers, Daedalus, Elfinstone is known as “Simply the best” or “Golden triangle of the Red sea”. It includes Brother Islands, Daedalus reef and Elfinstone reef. Brothers and Daedalus are Egyptian Marine parks since 1998. Another name of this itinerary is “shark route”. For advanced divers only who have made more than 50 dives in open water. Brothers Islands and Daudelus are achievable for divers only by liveaboard. The route includes three night transition (from Ghaleb to the Brothers – 6-8 hours from the Brothers to Daedalus about 6 hours and from Daudelus to Elphinstone – 8 hours).
Big Brother. Attraction on land here is a lighthouse built by the British in 1880. The lighthouse had a simple system: normal paraffin lantern lens. Light had benn extended up to 27 km. Marine police employees which work on lighthouse normally allow divers to make a tour of lighthouse, take photos and videos. Guests can see the lighthouse like it was in 19th century. The underwater world of Brothers is great. Both islands from all sides have drop off walls.On the North part of Big Brother are 2 wrecks: Numidia, crashed in 1901, and Aida, in 1857. Both wrecksare covered with soft and hard corals and are home to fish, moray eels.Other underwater attraction point of Big Brother is South plateau. Gray reef sharks are circling round and here there is a big chance to see Trasher shark, Whitetip shark and other deep-sea fishers. Big Brother is also known by big gorgonian. Little Brother. At the walls of Little brother everything that lives in the Red sea is expected to be seen but Sharks are the reason for many divers to come and dive in this site specially the Hummer heads and the Big Gray reef shark. Currents at this site are very confusing and unoredictable. Divers should always aware of the down currents that are caused by the low tides at the Northern tip of the reef and the Eastern wall.Next dive point is Daedalus. Daedalus or Abu Kizan. The first name is given to the reef by admiralty charts. The second name’s origine is arabic word “kizan” mean “pottery” as there is a Wreck at the Northern side of the reef that had a kargo of pottery. In present time the wreck is totally destroyed by waves. Main attraction points on Daedalus are marine life, south plateau and dramatic walls at the North, West and East. Hummer heads paradise is here, you can see also oceanic white tip sharks, shoals of fishes, barracudas, tunas…
Due to safety reasons nights dives on Brothers and Daedalus are not provided at all. In summer period we arrange up to 4 day-dives, in winter time 3 day-dives guaranteed. Claimed number of dives is not guaranteed, the final amount depends on weather conditions, a particular week, the special conditions of the contract, if any.
Elfinstone – a star dive site north of Marsa Alam. This name was given by international marine shart. The arabic name Shagra means Blondie. If you are moored at the reef on a sunny morning, when you look at the shore, you will see a solitarily bright red mountain which is called Shagra Mountain or The Blondie Mountain. There are two versions of the international name Elfinstone “stone of elves” and “elephant”. The absence of this reef in the list of marine parks looks like misunderstanding. Elfinstone is known by unpredictable currents.
The reef is located almost in the direction from north to south (NNW-SSE), a length is 350 m and a width is 70 meters. There are unlimited points of attaction at this reef and they are all related to the extremely generous reef formation and its location. You can find big marine life hanging around the reef on all sides, at different depths of blue water. On the north there are two plateaus: on -20m and on -40m. This is a perfect sharks points. There is a chance to meet hammerheads especially early morning. The southern plateau descends slowly till 40 m and after 40 drop off.
