Well I am just back from a nice day diving on the house reef at Makadi Bay in the glorious Red Sea. I have not been in the water for a few weeks so it was nice to be getting wet again.
The weather actually seemed a bit bleak this morning with a cold wind from the north so I was expecting it to be a bit cold with poor visibility but I have to admit that I was pleasantly surprised on both counts. 26 degrees in the water and surprisingly good viz.
This was quite a shallow dive really with a max depth of only 5.7m and an average of 3.3m but there was quite a lot to see. After getting out over the seagrass in maximum of 1.5m we were on a nice sandy bottom. This would be a great placed for openwater skills – nice and shallow with no obstructions on the bottom. You can get 30m from this entry point apparently but for today it was just a shallow bimble. More exploration for the deeper bits will come next time.
There are quite a few nice coral blocks scattered about, each of them teaming with wildlife, including the two biggest Lionfish I have ever seen. These are probably quite common but compared to the ones I have seen previously, these two were the size of small dogs!
Heading back in to the shore we saw some naive (stupid) snorkellers standing on top of a beautiful coral block as though it was a dance podium in a nightclub. Obviously these were dealt with and removed accordingly but I don’t think it will stop them doing it again in the future.
Back to the dive center, kit washed and car loaded it has to be said that my appetite had surely taken my focus. I actually gave up smoking 7 weeks ago after being a heavy user of glorious nicotine sticks for 23 years so my appetite has been quite uncontrollable for some time but after diving this takes on a whole other level. It should have been a 30 minute drive home but my hunger could not wait such a long time so a stop off at Senzo Mall was in order to visit McDonalds. Not exactly the most nutritious meal but given the circumstances it was perfect. Quick, convenient and copious. A Double McRoyale with Cheese and a Chicken Big Mac later and I was temporarily satisfied. I am now however sat at my desk catching up on emails and wondering what is for dinner.
Have to hope that diving is burning as many calories as I am taking in. If not, I am going to need a new wetsuit very very soon!
Big thank you to Emperor Divers for the use of the house reef at their new diving center in Makadi Bay. You can learn more about this new center and what’s on offer at: http://www.emperordivers.com
