Nemo

Nemo is a true pioneer of the sea and roams the north east African coastline, providing liveaboard diving safaris in the Djibouti, as well as in the Red Sea of Egypt and Sudan. Many divers have enjoyed the reefs and wrecks of Egypt, and a few adventure seekers have explored the less well-known shark-rich waters of Sudan, but very few would be even able to locate Djibouti on a map, let alone have dived there! However, the remote Seven Brothers Archipelago has some pristine coral reefs with big schools of fish, and the gulfs of Gubet and Tadjoura are among the best places in the world for diving with whale sharks.

Nemo was constructed in 2003, is managed by the international dive operator - Dune, and underwent a complete renovation in 2011. It is a 31m long wooden hull motor yacht and accommodates 22 guests in twin bed cabins and a double bed suite. There is a private bathroom in every cabin. The boat operates a run-of-the-house cabin booking system, but guests can pay a small fee to pre-select their preferred cabin if they wish.

Meals are served in the dining section of the air-conditioned saloon. The indoor lounge has a TV, and guests are welcome to relax and watch a film from the onboard movie library. The upper deck has a shaded, open-air seated area and a bar where guests can socialise and enjoy the view while having a drink or two after a day of scuba diving. The open sun deck is where guests can take the African sunshine, and it is fitted with padded seating and bean bags.

Although Nemo's dive platform is sometimes used for diving, most dives are made from the 2 motorised dinghies that are used to transfer divers to the sites. Nitrox is provided free of charge by the membrane system. The dive guides are European and local and are well trained, passionate about scuba diving, and know all the sites very well. This means they are familiar with the seasons and conditions, and can choose the best sites based diver experience and guest wishes. They balance guest safety with a fun atmosphere, sharing anecdotes, tips and stories, to ensure everyone has a memorable liveaboard safari in Djibouti.

On the final day of the trip, guests have the option to make a full day 4WD excursion to see some of Djibouti's natural highlights before they fly during the evening. You can enjoy the incredible landscapes of the salt lake of Assal, visit natural hot springs, and the Ardoukoba volcano.

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Notes: Age limit: junior divers are welcome onboard all expeditions provided they have the required dive experience. Childcare services are not provided and parents must be responsible for their minors, so these safaris are not recommend for non-diving young children.

Dive experience: A minimum of Open Water and 25 logged dives is required.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, water, soft drinks, hot drinks, return transfers from local airport, dives (as detailed in the trips above), nitrox fills for certified enriched air divers, 2 experienced English-speaking divemasters, tanks, belt and weights.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (US$ 107 per week), SMB, dive computer (US$ 54 per week), diving insurance. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash - EUR/USD, or credit/debit card).

Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks (wine, beer, liquor), espresso, 15 litre tank (US$ 43 per week), torch (US$ 32 per week). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival.

How to get there: Nemo's Djibouti liveaboard trips normally use the fishing port in the city of Djibouti. All tourist visas must be obtained online before the cruise. The yacht will provide a letter of invitation. Once you arrive at Djibouti–Ambouli International Airport (code JIB), a boat representative holding a 'Dune' signboard will greet you outside the arrivals hall. Major airlines that fly to Djibouti include Emirates, Qatar Airways, Air Djibouti, Air France, Ethiopian Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Fly Dubai and Kenya Airways.
Transfers are provided form the airport and take 20 minutes. Boarding starts at 5 pm, so if you arrive at or after 5 pm, you will be taken directly to Nemo. If you arrive before, you will first be transferred to the nearby Beach House (a restaurant/hotel) to wait for the boat's preparation and then on to the yacht at 5 pm. The boat leaves port on the following morning.
The last dive of the trip will be about 10 am on the penultimate day before the boat returns to port. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving. Guests disembark at 8 am on the final day.

Diving Environment: Djibouti is located close to the Horn of Africa, in the Gulf of Aden and at the entrance to the Red Sea. The best known region is the Seven Brothers archipelago and there are relatively untouched soft and hard coral reefs, amazing drop offs and ship wrecks. You will have the opportunity to see large schools of fish, dolphins and manta rays. But the region is best known for its abundant whale sharks. Although they can be seen throughout the year, whale shark encounters are especially common from mid-October to February.
Over 200 species of coral are found in Djibouti, at the mouth of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, making it an extremely diverse ecosystem. Currents coming in from the Indian Ocean attract large marine animals such as the whale sharks, pilot whales, beaked whales, grey and nurse sharks, manta rays and dolphins. It’s also very common to see large schools of stingrays, barracudas and groupers.
All dives are done from the 2 motorised tenders. The visibility in Djibouti is variable from 15-100 ft (5-30m). The water temperature varies from 78-80°F, 25-26°C from December to March. A 3 or 5 mm wetsuit is recommended.

Non-diver rate: Discount of US$ 9 per night.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to pay a supplement of 75% of the published price for their own cabin, or share a cabin.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 9 guests and 1 extra person can join the cruise free of charge (total 10+ guests).

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 18 guests and 2 extra person can join free of charge (total 20+ guests).

Nemo has 11 guest cabins, each with its a private bathroom: There are 6 twin bed cabins on the lower deck and 4 on the upper deck. There is also a double bed suite in the bow of the lower deck.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 12 / 12 - hot water