For a Red Sea diving safari, the Blue Pearl liveaboard represents a balance of space, performance, and access. As a proud member of the respected Blue Planet fleet, this 36-metre vessel was built with a specific purpose: to get you to Egypt's most iconic dive sites in comfort and style. Its modern, hydrodynamic hull is designed for efficiency, allowing for faster crossings to remote reefs and wrecks, meaning less time travelling and more time exploring the underwater world. Accommodating a maximum of just 20 guests, the MY Blue Pearl offers an atmosphere that feels distinctly personal, a characteristic that sets the tone for the entire week.
Life on board the Blue Pearl liveaboard is centred around relaxation between dives. The interior is finished with rich wood, creating a warm and classy environment in the spacious saloon and dining area. Up on the upper deck, a well-designed shaded chill-out area with large loungers invites you to doze off with a book or simply watch the Red Sea coastline drift by. It is on the dive deck where the Blue Pearl’s operational experience shines. Though compact, the layout is highly functional, featuring a dedicated camera table with charging points, a separate rinse tank for sensitive photographic equipment, and hot water showers to warm up after a drift dive.
When it comes to accommodation, the Blue Pearl ensures a good night's sleep is a given. The cabins on the lower deck are unusually quiet, positioned a good distance from the engine room, allowing for rest that is genuinely restorative. Each cabin is ensuite with air conditioning; the twin cabins on the lower deck benefit from 2 portholes each for natural light, while the upper deck cabins offer double beds and scenic windows. This attention to detail reflects the operator’s deep understanding of what divers need after a full day of action.
The true value of the Blue Pearl lies in its varied charters and the expertise of those running it. With 2 motorised dive dinghies and 2 experienced divemasters, the diving is efficient, safe, and tailored to the group. Certified nitrox divers will appreciate that enriched air is included free of charge, significantly reducing fatigue during a week of multiple dives. The Blue Pearl crew, known for their longevity with the fleet, handle the logistics with a calm professionalism that allows you to focus purely on the diving, whether that’s the historical allure of the SS Thistlegorm or the steep, pelagic-rich walls of the Brothers Islands.
Operator credibility is paramount when choosing a liveaboard, and here the pedigree is solid. As part of the Blue Planet fleet, the MY Blue Pearl is backed by years of experience navigating the nuances of Egyptian waters, from the northern wrecks to the southern marine parks. The company’s commitment to maintenance, safety protocols, and crew training is well-established within the diving community, giving guests the confidence to simply enjoy the adventure without worrying about the operational details.
Choosing the Blue Pearl liveaboard means opting for an experience where the service is attentive, the facilities are precisely what a diver needs, and the destinations are world-class. Whether you are looking to capture wide-angle shots of soft corals at Daedalus or drift along the walls of Elphinstone, the MY Blue Pearl offers a platform that is as reliable as it is comfortable. It is the kind of liveaboard that experienced divers return to, knowing that the blend of destination appeal and onboard hospitality will deliver exactly what they came for.
Red Sea North, Wrecks & Tiran Straits (8 Days / 7 Nights - 21 Dives)
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Ras Mohamed, Straits of Tiran (Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas, Gordon, Laguna reefs), Thistlegorm, Shaab Mahmoud, Shag Rock, Abu Nuhas wrecks (Giannis D, Carnatic, Kimon M, Chrisoula K)
Day 1
Hurghada marina is where the MY Blue Pearl is ready to welcome you on board. Once aboard, your dive equipment can be stored in your personal dive box, and you will be shown to your assigned cabin. The tour guide will conduct a comprehensive safety and itinerary briefing before dinner. Dinner offers a chance to socialise with your fellow divers before the Blue Pearl departs the next day for a check dive.
Core Days
This Blue Pearl liveaboard tour provides a dedicated scuba exploration of the northern Red Sea, combining the thrill of world-famous wrecks with the spectacular coral life of the Tiran Straits and Ras Mohamed National Park.
The first major area of focus is the Strait of Gubal, starting with the famed wreck of the SS Thistlegorm. This wartime relic, resting at 32 metres, serves as a stunning artificial reef. Divers exploring its vast holds encounter schools of bigeye trevally and are often visited by playful moray eels and large groupers. Nearby, the treacherous Abu Nuhas reef has claimed several cargo vessels. Divers will descend upon multiple wrecks lying on the sandy slope, including the Carnatic and the Giannis D, whose skeletal remains provide impressive photographic backdrops, now entirely encrusted with colourful soft and hard corals. The Kimon M and Chrisoula K are also potential wreck dives in this area.
Moving north, the Blue Pearl includes a passage through the Straits of Tiran, where 4 magnificent reefs (Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas, and Gordon) feature spectacular walls and deep pinnacles. These exposed reefs are swept by powerful currents that feed immense forests of soft corals and gorgonian fans, attracting larger schools of fish, including fusiliers and snapper, alongside possible sightings of reef sharks and pelagic barracuda. The Blue Pearl is perfectly positioned to handle the conditions in this area, offering divers access to some of the most vibrant marine environments in the entire Red Sea.
The safari culminates with dives in the Ras Mohamed National Park. Sites like Shark and Yolanda Reefs provide a thrilling drift over huge drop-offs. Here, scuba divers can search for large Napoleon wrasse and keep an eye out for patrolling reef sharks, while enjoying the prolific life on Anemone City. The dive schedule will be completed with 2 dives on the final day before the vessel returns to port.
Day 8
After waking up in Hurghada harbour, enjoy a light breakfast before checking out from your Blue Pearl liveaboard diving safari. You will be transferred back to the airport or a local hotel for your onward travel.
Red Sea North, Wrecks, Tiran & Dahab (8 Days / 7 Nights - 21 Dives)
Trip highlights: turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Ras Mohamed, Straits of Tiran (Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas, Gordon, Laguna reefs), Thistlegorm, Shaab Mahmoud, Shag Rock, Abu Nuhas wrecks (Giannis D, Carnatic, Kimon M, Chrisoula K), Dahab: Blue Hole
Day 1
Following arrival at Hurghada Marina, you will board the Blue Pearl liveaboard. Once aboard, the crew will assign your cabin and guide you through the vessel's features and safety procedures. After stowing your dive kit in your personal dive box, dinner will be served, offering an excellent chance to socialise before the Blue Pearl departs the next morning for a local check dive.
Core Days
This Blue Pearl liveaboard cruise provides a complete northern Red Sea diving experience, covering iconic wrecks, current-swept offshore reefs, and the unique topography of the Dahab coastline. This is a demanding route suited for scuba divers who appreciate both historical sites and diverse marine environments.
The safari begins with an exploration of the area known as the ‘Ship Graveyard,’ where the treacherous Abu Nuhas reef has claimed several vessels. Divers will explore multiple wrecks resting on the seabed, including the wooden-hulled Carnatic and the Giannis D, whose engine room and superstructure are now home to schools of black-tipped reef sharks and large jacks. Other sites, such as the Kimon M and Chrisoula K, provide different challenges and opportunities for discovery. Further south, dives around Shaab Mahmoud and Shag Rock offer vibrant reef exploration and potential big fish sightings.
A major feature of this Blue Pearl route is the exploration of the Straits of Tiran, where strong currents feed 4 major coral reefs. These sites boast some of the Red Sea's most impressive hard and soft coral systems, attracting large concentrations of life, including enormous schools of snapper and barracuda. The Blue Pearl also focuses on Ras Mohamed , an area celebrated for its vertical drop-offs. Dives at Shark and Yolanda Reefs, as well as sites like Jackfish Alley, offer thrilling current dives where divers may encounter tuna, kingfish, and even oceanic manta rays, depending on the season.
The most unique aspect of this liveaboard trip is the excursion to Dahab, including the opportunity to dive the famous Blue Hole. This distinctive geological feature, accessible from shore, provides a dramatic wall dive.
Please note that only 2 dives are scheduled on the last full day of the tour, after which the vessel returns to Hurghada harbour for the final night.
Day 8
After a restful final night in Hurghada, guests will enjoy a light breakfast before disembarking the Blue Pearl liveaboard. Crew will assist with transfers back to the airport or a local hotel.
Red Sea Northern Wrecks (8 Days / 7 Nights - 21 Dives)
Trip highlights: dolphins, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Thistlegorm, Dunraven. Abu Nuhas wrecks (Giannis D, Carnatic, Chrisoula K, Kimon M), Rosalie Moeller,, Gubal
Day 1
Following arrival at Hurghada Marina to board the Blue Pearl liveaboard, you place your scuba equipment in your personal dive box and settlle into your cabin. The tour guide will provide a detailed briefing covering the vessel's features, safety procedures, and an overview of the diving schedule. Dinner is an informal occasion to meet fellow guests before the boat leaves port the next morning to start the week with a check dive.
Core Days
This Blue Pearl dive tour is dedicated to the unparalleled concentration of historical shipwrecks found in the northern Red Sea. The voyage is structured to explore the best preserved and most fascinating sunken vessels, alongside vibrant reef sites that showcase the region's rich marine life. It begins by targeting the infamous Abu Nuhas reef, often referred to as the Red Sea's 'Ship Graveyard'. Here, 4 notable wrecks lie in close proximity on the sloping seafloor. Divers can explore the cargo holds of the Giannis D, often shadowed by schools of black-tipped reef sharks, or descend upon the beautifully salvaged framework of the 19th-century steamer Carnatic, whose wooden structure has rotted away to leave a haunting iron skeleton draped in glassfish and soft corals. The Kimon M and Chrisoula K complete this cluster, offering diverse environments for underwater exploration.
The safari continues through the Strait of Gubal, home to some of the world's most atmospheric submerged ships. The colossal WWII transport, the SS Thistlegorm, is a mandatory highlight, resting at 32 metres. Exploring its massive holds, which contain trucks, motorbikes, and military supplies, is an exercise in history, frequently shared with large schools of batfish and giant moray eels. For those seeking deeper exploration, the Rosalie Moeller lies intact and upright, its decks patrolled by large jackfish and oceanic triggerfish in the morning currents.
Completing the Blue Pearl dive safari are other significant wrecks and nearby reefs, including the Dunraven, an 1876 steamer resting upside down near Sha'ab Mahmoud, and dives around Gubal Island. These locations offer a chance for night dives and quieter reef exploration, where the focus shifts to macro subjects like nudibranchs and stonefish amidst flourishing hard and soft coral gardens.
Day 8
After a final night spent in Hurghada harbour, guests will enjoy a light breakfast before disembarking the Blue Pearl liveaboard.
Red Sea Northern Wrecks & Brothers (8 Days / 7 Nights - 17 Dives)
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving
Dive sites and activities: Abu Nuhas wrecks (Giannis D, Carnatic, Chrisoula K and Kimon M), Thistlegorm or Rosalie Möller, Big Brother and Little Brother
Day 1
Your journey begins at Hurghada marina, where the MY Blue Pearl is ready to welcome you on board. The crew will show you to your private cabin, where your scuba equipment can be secured in your personal dive box. An essential safety and dive cruise overview will be given by the tour guide before dinner. This is the perfect opportunity to meet your fellow divers before the vessel leaves the harbour for its overnight transit to the northern dive grounds.
Core Days
This route is specifically designed for experienced scuba divers, striking an outstanding balance between historical wreck exploration and adrenaline-inducing reef diving at the Brothers. The voyage targets the most exposed and vibrant sites in the northern Red Sea, promising some of the region's most memorable underwater experiences.
A significant portion of the Blue Pearl dive trip is dedicated to exploring the legendary sunken fleet, starting with the colossal SS Thistlegorm. This military cargo vessel rests at 32 metres in the Strait of Gubal. Her vast holds contain military vehicles and hardware, now covered in soft corals and frequented by schools of bigeye trevally and giant barracuda. Depending on conditions and trip routing, a deeper dive may be scheduled on the remarkably intact Rosalie Moeller, a cargo wreck often patrolled by large amberjacks. Closer to shore, the Abu Nuhas reef system provides a cluster of shallower, accessible wrecks, including the Carnatic and the Giannis D, whose skeletal structures are richly colonised by sponges and small reef creatures like stonefish and moray eels.
The safari then takes a decisive turn south towards the Brother Islands, 2 isolated pinnacles that are a powerful magnet for pelagic life. Big Brother and Little Brother are designated marine parks, renowned for their phenomenal hard and soft coral growth, which attracts an incredible density of reef fish. Big Brother features the historic wrecks of the Aida II and the Numidia along its deep walls, while Little Brother offers thrilling drift dives. The exposure of these islands, which are lashed by currents, increases the likelihood of spectacular large marine animal sightings. Divers here consistently encounter oceanic whitetip sharks, often accompanied by scalloped hammerheads or large manta rays during key seasons. Frequent sightings of curious green turtles, large Napoleon wrasse, and reef sharks further confirm the exceptional biological richness of this combined northern wrecks and Brothers expedition with the Blue Pearl liveaboard.
Please note that the final full dive day includes two dives before the vessel commences its return to Hurghada.
Day 8
Following the final night moored in Hurghada Marina, guests will awaken for a final light breakfast on board. Disembarkation then takes place and the Blue Pearl crew will arrange transfers back to the airport or local hotels.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
Daily life on the Blue Pearl liveaboard settles into a comfortable cadence. You are here to dive, and the schedule supports that priority without feeling rushed, but the experience extends beyond the dive deck. The atmosphere in the dining saloon, the quality of the food, and the simple consistency of daily routines all contribute to what makes a week on the MY Blue Pearl feel both productive and restorative. As is typical on Egyptian liveaboards, the day starts early. An early morning pre-breakfast snack is set out before the first dive briefing, offering simple biscuits, toast, or fruit, accompanied by tea and coffee. It is enough before splashing in, allowing you to focus on the dive ahead without a heavy meal sitting uncomfortably.
After the first dive, the main breakfast is served in the air-conditioned saloon on the main deck. This is a buffet-style meal with waitress service, and the spread varies. You can expect the familiar elements of a substantial breakfast: eggs prepared to order, local cheeses, cold cuts, fresh vegetables, and often a hot option such as falafel or baked beans. Divers return from the water, secure their gear, and filter into the saloon to compare notes from the first dive while refuelling. Between dives, the saloon remains a hub. The Blue Pearl crew keep a constant supply of snacks available throughout the day: biscuits, candy bars, cake, and fresh fruit. Bottled water, soft drinks, tea, and coffee are all complimentary and always within reach. If you prefer a can of soda, beer, wine, or other alcoholic drinks, these are available for purchase on board.
Lunch is the main meal of the day. Served after the second dive depending, it is a buffet spread that leans heavily on both international staples and local Egyptian dishes. On one day, you might find a spread of grilled chicken, kofta, and rice alongside a pasta option and a fresh salad bar. Another day might feature a fish dish brought in from the local market, baked with vegetables and herbs. A lentil soup often starts the meal, and there is always a selection of breads. The Blue Pearl kitchen does not rely on a fixed weekly menu; instead, the chef works with what is fresh and adapts to the group’s preferences as the week progresses. The afternoon follows a familiar pattern: a third dive, then time for snacks and relaxation on the sundeck or in the saloon before the final dive of the day or a night dive. Ice cream appears in the afternoon, a small detail that has a way of feeling significant after a day in the sun.
Dinner is served after the day’s diving has concluded. The pace slows. The meal is again buffet-style with waitress assistance, and the cooking reflects the same approach as lunch: a mix of international comfort food and Egyptian specialities. A typical dinner might include a slow-cooked tagine, roasted meats, vegetable dishes, rice, and a simple dessert such as fresh fruit or a traditional Egyptian sweet like basbousa. The portions are generous, but the emphasis remains on quality ingredients and consistent preparation rather than elaborate plating.
Dietary requirements are accommodated with prior notice. The kitchen handles vegetarian and halal diets as a matter of course, and they have experience managing other restrictions such as gluten-free or dairy-free when informed ahead of time.
A typical day on the Blue Pearl liveaboard follows this flow: a pre-breakfast snack at around 6:30 am, then the first dive briefing and dive at 7 am. Main breakfast follows at 8:30 am, with the second dive briefing and dive at 10:30 am. Lunch is served at 12:30 pm, then the third dive at 2:30 pm. Afternoon snacks and ice cream appear at 4:30 pm, and the fourth dive or night dive takes place around 5:30 pm, depending on the tour. Dinner is served at 7:30 pm. Between dives, the crew handles tank fills, and your gear remains set up on the dive deck. The Blue Pearl saloon is air-conditioned, providing a comfortable space to review dive computers, charge cameras, or simply sit with a cold drink and watch the coastline pass.
