The Brother Islands (El Akhawein) are the pinnacles of two undersea mountains rising from the depths of the abyss, 300 m deep, and are located about 60 miles offshore. Big Brother, which is easily identified by its lighthouse, is about 100 meters across and 400 meters in length, with two extremities to the east and west. Little Brother lies about 800 meters east of Big Brother.

As part of the Marine Park Islands National Park, these islands offer stunning wall diving and a breathtaking display of color with their wide variety of soft corals and gorgonians, which cover the walls. You will find large and small fish here in abundance; tuna, barracuda, shoals of snappers and jack fish, as well a hammerheads, silky and oceanic white tip sharks, even the occasional thresher shark and manta ray. Sightings of the Grey Reef Shark are almost guaranteed on the North and South Plateaux of Small Brother.

For the wreck diver, the wrecks of the Aida II, an 82 m long Egyptian supply vessel that sank in 1957, and the Numidia, a cargo ship carrying locomotive spare parts to India, lie on the walls of the Big Brother. Both are covered in a rich growth of soft and hard corals. Marine life includes a family of Napoleon Wrasse and Grey Reef Sharks.

Daedalus Reef, also part of the Marine Park, is a large, oval reef with a lighthouse and is the furthest offshore reef in the Egyptian Red Sea. Its deep walls and drop-offs offer some of the most spectacular diving to be found. Daedalus has mountainous, pristine, hard coral formations. There is also a strong chance of spotting schooling Hammerheads and grey reef sharks.

Elphinstone, with its sheer walls covered in soft corals, offers a likely encounter with Grey Reef Sharks circling on the plateaux, and even Oceanic White Tip Sharks can be seen here for most of the year.

Sample Itinerary

Day 1:

• Check-in at 4:00 pm.

Day 2:

• Small Giftun.
• Small Giftun drift (zodiac).
• Night dive, if possible, before travelling to Brothers.

Day 3:

• Big Brother.
• Big Brother.
• Small Brother.

Day 4:

• 3 dives at Daedalus.

Day 5:

• Elphinstone.
• Elphinstone.
• Elphinstone or Ras Tromby.

Day 6:

• Salem Express.
• Panorama Reef.
• Ras Abo Soma.
• Gota Abu Ramada (night dive).

Day 7:

• El Mina Wreck (early).
• Diesel Refuel.
• El Fanous.
• Back to the Sheraton Marina.

Day 8:

• Check out at 10:00 am.

In the open blue between these remote reefs, clouds of anthias and chromis shimmer above the drop-offs, while cleaner wrasse dart in to service passing pelagics. Even in the quieter shallows, curious reef dwellers like pufferfish and shy gobies animate the coral terraces, adding delicate moments of life to contrast the drama of the deep.

The last dive will be on the penultimate day of the trip. Divers are recommended to wait for 24 hours before flying after the last dive.

Sample itineraries and maps are for illustrative purposes only, and the exact route and sites visited may change based on local regulations, guest experience, weather, and logistics at the Captain’s discretion.