Egypt Itineraries:

In Focus: Red Sea South with Saeed Rashid

blue o two are pleased to offer you EXCLUSIVE LIVEABOARD PHOTOGRAPHIC WORKSHOPS hosted by Saeed Rashid.

QUALIFICATION NEEDED: You must be a PADI Open Water diver or equivalent to join this safari.

ROUTE: South

We are very happy that Saeed Rashid of 'Focus Visuals' has joined the team to run our exclusive 'In Focus' photography workshops.

Saeed shares our commitment to education, quality of service and respect for our oceans. A seasoned diver and an award winning, published photographer, both above and below the water, he is an energetic and enthusiastic teacher who is committed to helping you get the most out of your camera and pass on some 'tricks of the trade'.

A lecturer at Bournemouth University, editorial consultant for Diver magazine and popular speaker at UK dive shows, Saeed will guide you through the underwater photography process from start to finish. He will not only help you to develop your skills to spot and frame your subject to its full potential underwater, but also show you how to polish your images using a variety of simple post-production techniques when back onboard.

"My aim is to make learning fun, promoting confidence and participation. You can relax and enjoy a memorable holiday, whilst enhancing your underwater photography skills and who knows maybe teach me a top tip of your own!" Saeed Rashid.

Over the course of the liveaboard week, there is plenty of time to learn new skills and the warm, clear waters of the Red Sea provide the perfect environment to practice! You don't even need to own a camera to get involved - you can hire all equipment from blue o two!

This itinerary will follow a route in the southern Red Sea and will include the beautiful reefs of Fury Shoal, Wadi Gamal and Elphinstone, allowing divers the opportunity to capture a wide variety of subjects, including reefs, caves, corals and marine species on a macro and micro scale. There will be up to four dives a day, three of which will be 'In Focus' dives where Saeed will be in the water. Out of those three 'In Focus' dives, one will be a night dive.

Why join this itinerary?

This trip is a must for anyone wanting to improve their underwater photography at the same time as experiencing some of the most fantastic diving the Red Sea has to offer. The expertise of Saeed Rashid coupled with blue o two's experience in delivering fantastic liveaboard holidays is the perfect combination for photographic workshops that will really help you progress.

Sample itinerary:

**PLEASE NOTE** the itinerary below is just an example of the route taken and the order and dive sites are not guaranteed. All dives sites are subject to weather conditions and the final route taken is at the absolute discretion of the captain and dive guides.

Day 1 - Marsa Shona/Abu Dabbab
Day 2 - Wadi Gamal/Shaab Sharm
Day 3 - Fury Shoal reefs (Shaab Claudio, Abu Galawa Soraya, Shaab Maksour, Malahi, Abu Galawa Kebir)
Day 4 - Fury Shoal reefs (Shaab Claudio, Abu Galawa Soraya, Shaab Maksour, Malahi, Abu Galawa Kebir)
Day 5 - Wadi Gamal/Shaab Sharm
Day 6 - Elphinstone Reef

Itinerary highlights:

Elphinstone Reef: A Red Sea legend. One of the most beautiful reefs, the north and south plateau's are covered in hard and soft corals. Also popular for visiting pelagics; this truly is an awesome reef.

Wadi Gamal: Wadi Gamal is a protected valley which opens up to a large bay. The island of Wadi Gamal, found in the middle of the bay is the central point of the whole area and a multitude of dive sites are available around it. The variety of underwater landscapes is beautiful with drop-offs, hard coral gardens and soft coral-covered reef formations. Fish life is extremely surprising and varied and divers will enjoy their dives at Wadi Gamal for their undiscovered qualities.!

Fury Shoal: This large cluster of reefs offers unforgettable and easy dives. From the northern site of Small Abu Galawa to its most-southern site of Sataya, Fury Shoal can prove to be surprising and diverse. Each dive site has its particularity: from dolphins, to stunning hard coral formations and not forgetting the two little wrecks, "Tug Boat" and the "Yacht". Often overlooked, its beauty and easy diving will be welcomed after currents and wall diving!

Want to go? Check out the Schedules and Prices (sort by itinerary) HERE

Thanks to (Saeed Rashid) for providing the featured underwater images.