Setting sail from Sharm El Sheikh, the 30-metre South Moon 1 liveaboard is a new addition to the Red Sea fleet, having launched in April 2025. Unusually built with a steel hull, this yacht offers enhanced stability and passenger comfort, accommodating up to 22 certified divers. Each of the comfortable cabins is equipped with a private bathroom, balancing the spirit of adventure with essential domestic comfort.
The primary focus of a South Moon 1 safari is the iconic diving of the Sinai Peninsula. Guests can anticipate exploring world-famous sites such as the historical SS Thistlegorm wreck, the coral ecosystems of Ras Mohamed, and the spectacular current dives within the Straits of Tiran. The route is an established classic, delivered by an experienced operator.
Diving facilities are structured for ease of use. The wide dive deck provides generous kitting-up space, supported by in-situ tank filling and the availability of nitrox. 2 Zodiac tenders ensure reliable transportation to and from the dive sites, while the platform’s dual ladders facilitate safe and smooth water entry and exit.
Social and resting spaces are thoughtfully arranged across the decks. The main saloon and restaurant serve as inviting, climate-controlled interior zones for meals and relaxation. Guests are encouraged to gather here and share their daily dive experiences.
The external spaces are a major highlight of the South Moon 1 liveaboard. There are 2 expansive sun decks, one on the upper deck and another on the flybridge. These areas offer plentiful room for lounging in the sun or seeking shade, ensuring all guests can find a comfortable spot outdoors.
At the heart of the operation is the crew, who are central to the overall experience. This professional team combines expert knowledge with warm hospitality, cultivating a friendly and welcoming atmosphere. For a contemporary, well-supported, and expertly navigated trip, the South Moon 1 is a trustworthy choice for accessing Egypt's top dive attractions.
South Moon has 11 guest cabins for 22 guests - 10 twin bed cabins (6 upper deck, 4 lower deck), and 1 upper-deck suite with a queen-size bed. With large panoramic windows on the upper deck of the liveaboard and portholes below, each cabin offers comfort and functionality - perfect after a great day’s diving. All cabins have private en-suite bathrooms.
All the cabins have:
- Air-conditioning
- En-suite bathroom with W/C, hot-water shower and hand basin
- Portholes on the lower deck, windows on the upper deck
- Towels (2 per guest) and toiletries
- Daily housekeeping
- Wardrobe and mirror
- Bedding and luggage space
- 24-hour, 220v electricity supply
- European-style 2-pin plugs
- Safety equipment (life jackets & fire extinguishers)
No. of bathrooms / showers - 11 / 11 - hot water
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: Temple or Ras Katy, Ras Mohamed National Park: Ras Za'atar, Jackfish Alley, Shark Observatory, Shark Reef, Yolanda Reef; Dunraven, Small Crack, SS Thistlegorm Wreck, Shag Rock, Kingston Wreck, The Alternatives, Straits of Tiran: Jackson, Thomas, Woodhouse and Gordon Reef; Ras Um Sid
Day 1
Embark the South Moon 1 liveaboard in the early evening at Sharm El Sheikh marina. Once on board, you'll be welcomed and shown to your cabin to settle in and prepare your scuba gear for the week ahead. A comprehensive boat briefing will be conducted in the air-conditioned lounge, followed by necessary administrative work for the port authorities. Get to know your fellow divers over dinner as you settle into life at sea. The liveaboard will depart port early the next morning, beginning your dive adventure with South Moon.
Core Days
This 'Sinai Classic' dive safari is a journey through the most legendary sites of the northern Red Sea, blending world-class wrecks with vibrant reefs and breathtaking walls. Prepare for a highlight of the diving world: the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This legendary WWII transport ship sits on the seabed with its cargo of motorcycles, trucks, and munitions remarkably intact, offering an unforgettable journey through history that is also packed with marine life. You'll also explore other historic wrecks like the Dunraven, an inverted steamer where crocodilefish and glassfish school inside its hull, and the Kingston at Shag Rock, a smaller cargo ship often visited by turtles and whitetip reef sharks.
Dive the famous reefs of the Strait of Tiran - Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas, and Gordon. These submerged mountains are known for strong currents that attract large pelagics. Drift along their walls, adorned with gorgonian fans and black corals, while keeping an eye out for schools of barracuda, patrolling hammerhead sharks, and graceful spotted eagle rays.
Then explore the wonders of Ras Mohamed National Park. This protected marine park is the jewel of the Sinai. You will dive iconic sites like Shark & Yolanda Reef - a world-famous site where you'll drift from the stunning Shark Reef pinnacle to the remains of the Yolanda wreck, its seabed still scattered with ceramic bathroom fixtures. The area is a magnet for sharks, tuna, and vast schools of fish. Shark Observatory is a dramatic wall dive where you can explore caves and gullies covered in soft corals (alcyonarians), all while watching the blue abyss for passing pelagics, and even the occasional whale shark. Anemone City and Ras Za'atar are sites renowned for their extraordinary forests of gorgonian fans, vibrant soft corals, and fascinating chimneys filled with glassfish and lionfish.
Your liveaboard tour will also include superb local sites like Ras Um Sid, famous for its beautiful gorgonian forest, and Temple, with its striking coral pillars. Depending on conditions, you may explore sheltered lagoons like The Alternatives or navigate the colourful passage of Small Crack.
You can expect 4 dives per day on each full diving day, with 3 dives provided on the penultimate day, before the South Moon cruises back to port.
Day 8
Awaken in Sharm El Sheikh and enjoy a final breakfast on board the South Moon 1 before checking out. You will then be transferred to Sharm El Sheikh airport or your local hotel, concluding your incredible Red Sea liveaboard adventure.
[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].
A day on the South Moon 1 liveaboard starts before the sun gets serious. You wake in your air-conditioned cabin, dress quickly, and head to the dive deck. First light over the Red Sea is worth the early alarm.
6 am: Pre-dive fuel
The crew put out coffee, tea, cookies, and breadsticks. A light bite, just enough to take the edge off. Briefing happens on the dive deck. Then you suit up and drop in. The first dive of the day, often a wall or a reef slope, catches the best light and the calmest water.
7:30 am –: Breakfast, properly done
Back on board. Wetsuit off. Towel dry. Now the cook opens the buffet. Toasted bread, pancakes stacked on a plate, assorted cheeses and cold cuts. Fresh fruit. Yoghurt. And an omelette station, eggs cooked to order, any way you like. You eat in the air-conditioned lounge on the main deck. Some guests sit inside. Others take their plate to the shaded outer deck and eat with the sea breeze.
9:30 am: Surface interval
The boat moves to the next site. You charge cameras, log dives, or lie on a sun bed. Drinking water, juice, and soft drinks are always available.
11 am: Dive 2
The second dive of the morning. Usually a different site type: maybe a drift along a coral garden, or a deeper pinnacle.
12:30 pm: Lunch buffet
The cook pulls out the stops. Fresh salads. Hot dishes: turkey with gravy one day, kofta another. Egyptian favourites appear: koshary (rice, lentils, pasta, and crispy onions with tomato sauce), molokheya soup (a green, garlicky broth made from jute leaves). Dessert follows: rice pudding, fruit, or a small pastry.
2 pm: Rest hour
The sun gets high. Most guests find shade on the upper deck or nap in their cabins. The South Moon 1 has 2 decks of lounge space.
some shaded, some open for sunbathers.
3 pm: Dive 3
The afternoon dive is often shallower. Macro time. You look for nudibranchs, frogfish, or the flash of a blue-spotted ray. No current rush. Just quiet breathing.
4:30 pm:Afternoon snacks
Sweet or savoury treats appear. Maybe basbousa (a semolina cake soaked in syrup). Maybe cheese rolls or small sandwiches. Tea and coffee run all day.
5:30 pm –: Sunset and briefing
The light softens. The crew brief the night dive. You have time to relax, review the day, or take photos of the sky.
6:45 pm: Night dive (dive 4)
A different world. Coral polyps extend their feeding tentacles. Hunting lionfish drift through your torch beam. The water feels warmer than the air.
8 pm: Dinner
The main meal of the day. A big buffet. Soup first, maybe lentil or molokheya. Then salads. Vegetables. A meat dish (chicken or beef). A seafood option if the cook found something good at the market. And dessert - om ali (Egyptian bread pudding with nuts and raisins) or a fruit plate. You eat slowly. No rush. The crew do not clear the table until everyone finishes.
9:30 pm: Deck time
Some guests head straight to bed. Others stay on deck, talking about the day's dives. A beer or a glass of wine (available for extra cost) finishes the evening. Lavazza espresso is also available for those who want a nightcap of a different kind.
Drinking water, tea, coffee, juice, and soft drinks are always available. Alcohol is permitted, but the crew remind you: not between dives. Special diets (vegetarian, vegan, other) can be arranged with advance notice. The cook takes it seriously.
The South Moon 1 liveaboard keeps things simple: dive, eat, rest, repeat. The crew have run Red Sea routes for years. They know when to push for an early start and when to let the morning unfold. By day 2, you stop checking your watch. The boat sets the pace. Your job is to follow it.
