It all started last year with the eruption of the volcano with the most unpronounceable name ever, the Finnish Eyjafjallajökull. People could not come, but could not leave either. Diving tourism in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, took the first hit. Even those who were not able to return home could not save the matter – their holiday money had finished and so there was no other option than to spend the obligatory vacation hanging around the hotel pool.
Later that year something else happened that no one would have ever thought possible. The normally quiet Red Sea Riviera around Sharm was unexpectedly plagued by a remarkable number of shark “attacks”. The fact that the media neglected to mention that a large part in the cause of this unusual behavior was due to human activity, has not helped much. As expected, not many tourists wanted to make a try-dive, and even the die-hard divers seemed less at ease in the water.
And then came the final blow. After having lived under oppression for 30 years, the Egyptian people came in revolt against dictator Mubarak and started the long road to democracy. Unfortunately this did not happen without violence and many people lost their lives. Still today, the battle continues. Understandably fewer and fewer tourists are willing to come to Egypt and so the beach chairs remain empty. (more…)
Our latest underwater photography from around Sharm el Sheikh features a variety of subjects captured in stills images. From shipwrecks to sunrays and Goatfish to Groupers, diving in the Red Sea has never been better!
P.S. The slide-show works pretty fast, but might need some time to load depending on your Internet connection and speed. It is said that patience is a virtue…
The beginning of this year has seen the return of two “old” but familiar faces to the Sinai Divers team at their diving center in Naama Bay, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt. Some of you might remember us from our days as dive guides and instructors, but as of January 2011 we are the designated Photo & Video professionals for Sinai Divers, also known as the 2GoBelow team.
We embrace the opportunity to be in the water with our high-end digital SLRs on a daily basis and offer a wide array of services to suit any photographic needs.
You can let us join you on your introductory dive or Discover Scuba Diving program to take home a great selection of professional underwater pictures of yourself. A great way to show your friends and family what adventures you have had during your holiday!
If you already are an underwater photographer – hobbyist or professional – you can take full advantage of our years-long experience in the Red Sea and let us guide you to the best places. An excellent opportunity to improve your results and get the most out of your photo dives. (more…)
The team from 2GoBelow are now the dedicated underwater photography professionals for Sinai Divers – Na’ama Bay, Sharm El Sheikh. Our services include:
Photo guiding for Professionals.
Underwater Photo shoots.
Underwater photography courses and workshops.
Looking to improve your underwater photography skills? Then the PADI Digital Underwater Photographer Course is ideal for you!
The PADI Digital Underwater Photographer course gets you going quickly with today’s modern digital equipment, whether you use a point-and-shoot snap camera or a sophisticated D-SLR.
All of our photography courses are carried out in Na’ama Bay on the wonderful Sinai Divers house reef, which has a wealth of Marine life from Nudibranchs to Turtles, so you are never short of subjects to capture.
Disbelief rages through the Sharm el Sheikh community as yet another shark incident occurred Yesterday involving a 71 year old female tourist from Germany, this time fatal. As a consequence, the Chamber of Diving & Watersports has issued a press-release, suspending all diving & watersport activities for today. CDWS Chairman Hesham Gabr has called upon its members to volunteer in conducting a number of exploratory dives taking place today in order to gather as much information as possible on sharks in the area. Additionally, a number of experts from all over the world have been called upon, with the aim to form an advisory team of professionals in the field of shark behaviour. They will examine all information available to assess the situation and advise on the best course of action following the incidents of the past week, attempting also to find the root of its cause.
Which leads us straight away to the myriads of speculations invading all media, from broadcast news to on-line articles. Theories trying to explain this very unusual chain of events are springing up like mushrooms and are not always what could be considered testimonials of common sense. There are however, a number of plausible explanations making their way into the world. Fish feeding (see previous blog), shark feeding and even dead sheep floating in the sea. “Shark feeding disrupts the marine ecology and associates man with food in the mind of the sharks”, according to Dr. Hanafy, professor of marine biology at the Suez Canal University. It should come as no surprise then, that sharks could easily mistake snorkellers for food in areas where feeding takes place. (more…)
Shark “attacks” three tourists in Sharm el Sheikh
Following three shark “attacks” on snorkellers in the coastal areas of Sharm el Sheikh, the Egyptian authorities have decided to suspend all watersport activities in the area until tomorrow (more…)
From our recent trip the the southern most point of the Egyptian Red Sea, we have come back with some wonderful new images. Our participation in the Red Sea Dolphin Project gave us the opportunity to capture some stunning Spinner dolphin pictures and some exciting new Abstracts from nature. Here are a few examples, for the full collection please visit the New Uploads Gallery.
Just over a month ago, I joined a group of marine biologists and literally embarked in what turned out to be one of the most interesting experiences of my life. We sailed uncountable hours, from Marsa Alaam in Egypt’s southern Red Sea, all the way down to the border with Sudan (and I’m quite sure we actually crossed it!). There was no signal for our cell phones, let alone an internet connection, so that meant being completely cut off from the rest of the world for almost two weeks. Aside from that, we dealt with rough weather, occasional seasickness and a gasoline shortage on the boat. But I enjoyed it every step of the way, because by documenting the work of the people involved in the expedition, I was able to contribute my tiny little bit to the future of dolphin populations in the southern Red Sea.
Counting dolphins
This particular expedition was part of the Red Sea Dolphin Project, developed with the aim to find out which species of dolphins and whales (scientifically known as “cetaceans”) are actually present in the southern Red Sea. On top of that, the research team also wanted to find out how these cetaceans are distributed and how many there roughly are of each species. One of their research methods is collecting photographs of the animals for identification purposes. And that’s why, being a (underwater) photographer, I decided to participate. (more…)
Here is a selection of some of the new images that we have uploaded to 2Gobelow. There is a variety of different subjects from Giant frogfish to wide angle views of some of the famous Red Sea shipwrecks, such as the Giannis D and Rosalie Moller.
To avoid you having to search the whole site to find the new stuff, we have conveniently placed them in their own gallery “Latest uploads”, why not pass some time and take a peak, as ever we would love to receive your comments and feedback.
To compliment the new look on 2GoBelow, we have re-organised our galleries and the image archive to what we feel is our best work. New to our archives is the Ripples & Reflections gallery which features some simple underwater scenics that will indulge your imagination. Aside from this personal favourite of ours you can find some other new galleries, such as the Panoramics, Sunrays & Silhouettes and the Coastal & Sea collection.
Here are a few of the new images that are available in our gallery collections here on 2Gobelow, we hope you enjoy them.
It all started last year with the eruption of the volcano with the most unpronounceable name ever, the Finnish Eyjafjallajökull. People could not come, but could not leave either. Diving tourism in Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt, took the first hit. Even those who were not able to return home could not save the matter – their holiday money had finished and so there was no other option than to spend the obligatory vacation hanging around the hotel pool.
Disbelief rages through the Sharm el Sheikh community as yet another shark incident occurred Yesterday involving a 71 year old female tourist from Germany, this time fatal. As a consequence, the Chamber of Diving & Watersports has issued a press-release, suspending all diving & watersport activities for today. CDWS Chairman Hesham Gabr has called upon its members to volunteer in conducting a number of exploratory dives taking place today in order to gather as much information as possible on sharks in the area. Additionally, a number of experts from all over the world have been called upon, with the aim to form an advisory team of professionals in the field of shark behaviour. They will examine all information available to assess the situation and advise on the best course of action following the incidents of the past week, attempting also to find the root of its cause.
Just over a month ago, I joined a group of marine biologists and literally embarked in what turned out to be one of the most interesting experiences of my life. We sailed uncountable hours, from Marsa Alaam in Egypt’s southern Red Sea, all the way down to the border with Sudan (and I’m quite sure we actually crossed it!). There was no signal for our cell phones, let alone an internet connection, so that meant being completely cut off from the rest of the world for almost two weeks. Aside from that, we dealt with rough weather, occasional seasickness and a gasoline shortage on the boat. But I enjoyed it every step of the way, because by documenting the work of the people involved in the expedition, I was able to contribute my tiny little bit to the future of dolphin populations in the southern Red Sea.
