More than 500 divers meet sharks on BDE every year.
Are you next?
What you will see
Up to 5 shark species in one week
All five species are present year-round. No seasonality. No migration windows. The sharks are there every week we sail.
🦈 Hammerhead sharks
Schooling at Daedalus south plateau and Big Brother south. Best sightings at dawn on the plateau at 15–30m.
Daedalus · Big Brother
🦈 Oceanic whitetip sharks
The signature species of Elphinstone. Also present at Brothers. Known for close approaches — full briefing given before every dive.
Elphinstone · Brothers
🦈 Grey reef sharks
Circling the Big Brother south plateau throughout the day. One of the most reliably encountered species on the entire route.
Big Brother south plateau
🦈 Thresher sharks
Deep water encounters at Big Brother south. Less predictable but present — especially on early morning first dives.
Big Brother
🦈 Silky sharks
Open water encounters during crossings and at the offshore sites. Often appear mid-water in the blue.
Open water · all sites
🏅 Shark briefing at every site
All shark dives follow the protocol developed by Dr Elke Bojanowski of the Red Sea Sharks Trust. Full species-specific briefing before every shark site.
17–21 dives depending on season and conditions. Night dives at Brothers and Daedalus are prohibited by Egyptian marine park regulations enforced by HEPCA.
Day
Program
Saturday
Transfer to the boat · check in · safety briefing · dinner
Sunday
2–3 check dives in Marsa Alam area · equipment check · species briefing
🦈 4 dives · Marsa Alam + Elphinstone — oceanic whitetips, north and south plateaus
Friday
2 dives · Elphinstone and Marsa Alam area
Saturday
Check-out 08:00 · group transfer · Hurghada airport approx 13:00
The number of dives is not guaranteed — final count depends on weather conditions and marine park access. In summer up to 4 dives per day; in winter 3 dives guaranteed.
Three rules that apply on every shark dive, every week, without exception.
🚫
Natural encounter only
We never use bait, chum or any attractant to bring sharks to divers. Encounters happen because the animal chooses to approach. This is the only ethical way to dive with sharks.
🤝
Nothing disturbs the animal
No touching. No chasing. No blocking a shark’s path. Every diver is briefed on positioning and signals before entering the water at every shark site.
📋
We report what we see
Unusual behaviour, new individuals, unusual aggregations — all observations from our dives are shared with local and international shark research organisations.
Conservation support
All shark dives aboard MY JPMarine follow the behavioural safety protocol published by
redseasharks.org
— guidelines developed by Dr Elke Bojanowski based on 20 years of direct field research at Elphinstone, Daedalus and Brothers Islands.
We actively support marine protection associations such as:
“Over 500 divers per year encounter sharks on BDE with us without serious incident. The briefing before every shark site is not optional — it is the reason encounters stay safe.”
PADI Advanced Open Water Diver courses run aboard MY JPMarine every week. Complete your certification mid-trip and unlock Brothers Islands deep walls and Daedalus plateau on the same journey. Course price: €280.
Big Brother — a lighthouse built by the British in 1880 still stands on the island. Both islands have sheer drop-off walls on all sides. The north has two wrecks — Numidia (1901) and Aida (1857), both now covered in corals and home to moray eels. The south plateau is where grey reef sharks circle continuously, with strong chances of thresher sharks and oceanic whitetips in the blue.
Little Brother — hammerheads and large grey reef sharks are the headline species. Currents are unpredictable — divers must always be aware of down-currents at the northern tip and eastern wall.
Lighthouse visit: Marine police normally allow divers to tour the lighthouse. Original paraffin lantern lens, range of 27km. Subject to army authorisation.
Daedalus Reef
Abu Kizan · 1 day diving
Marine Park since 1998
Known as Abu Kizan in Arabic — “kizan” meaning pottery, after a wreck that carried ceramic cargo. Dramatic walls to the north, west and east. The south plateau is the most reliable hammerhead site on the entire route.
Schooling hammerheads, oceanic whitetips, shoals of barracuda and tuna. Early morning dives on the south plateau consistently produce the best hammerhead encounters.
Elphinstone Reef
Shagra · 1–2 days diving
North of Marsa Alam
Renowned for oceanic whitetip encounters at close range. The reef runs 350m north to south. Two plateaus to the north — at –20m and –40m — are the primary shark observation points. The southern plateau descends to 40m then drops off.
The Arabic name Shagra means Blondie — on a sunny morning you see a bright red mountain on the shore. Unpredictable currents — experienced divers only.
Questions about the sites or currents? Our guides dive BDE every week.
Advanced Open Water (AOWD) or equivalent, with a minimum of 50 logged dives. The itinerary includes dives to 30m+ and strong unpredictable currents. Open Water divers are not permitted. If you hold OWD, you can complete your AOWD upgrade aboard.
Up to 5 species: hammerheads at Daedalus and Brothers, oceanic whitetips at Elphinstone and Brothers, grey reef sharks at Brothers south plateau, thresher sharks at Big Brother, and silky sharks in open water. All species are present year-round — there is no best month.
BDE is an advanced itinerary and is not recommended as a first liveaboard. For first liveaboard guests who want to see sharks, the Pelagic Trail is the recommended alternative — open to all certification levels including Open Water divers.
No. Night dives at Brothers Islands and Daedalus Reef are prohibited by Egyptian marine park regulations enforced by HEPCA. All dives are conducted during daylight hours — up to 4 dives per day in summer, 3 guaranteed in winter.
Over 500 divers per year encounter sharks on BDE without serious incident. All shark dives follow the protocol developed by Dr Elke Bojanowski of the Red Sea Sharks Trust. A full species-specific briefing is given before every shark site.
BDE — three dedicated shark sites: Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone. Deep walls, wrecks, high shark density. AOWD + 50 dives required.
Pelagic Trail — combines Daedalus with Sataya dolphins and St Johns coral reefs. Open to all certification levels.
Yes. Brothers Islands require a dedicated CDWS permit — not all liveaboards are authorised to enter. MY JPMarine holds the current permit, included in your trip price. We are also a HEPCA member.
Book your BDE shark diving week
Every Saturday · Marsa Alam Marina · From €750 · No agency · No markup
