Tuesday 19th January
Site: Reef Beach
Weather: Sunny, breezy
Conditions: Calm
The first snorkel. The first, but not the last, time we came out of the water and said "wow!"
Sue, who had been a little cautious at first, is an instant snorkelling convert.
Wednesday 20th January
Site: Reef Beach
Weather: Sunny
Conditions: Calm
Sue's confidence grows with another day, and the sheer magnificence of the fish. Paul swims directly through a shoal of Lunar Fusiliers
Thursday 21st January
Sites: Blue Lagoon, Tiran Island, and Far Garden
Weather: Sunny
Conditions: Calm
A boat trip to Tiran Island, which includes three dives. The first, at Blue Lagoon, a circular coral reef in the middle of the sea,
is notable for the Russian tanker shipwrecked there. However, the swim is too long to be enjoyable and, perhaps after Reef Beach,
the sea life disappointing. A shorter dive off Tiran Island is more enjoyable. The final dive, at Far Garden, off Na'ama Bay, is the best.
Whilst the fish are familiar to us from Sharm El Sheikh, the corals make it worthwhile. To swim between the coral formations, as someone said on the boat afterwards,
"made me feel like Jacques Cousteau".
Friday 22nd January
Site: Reef Beach
Weather: Sunny
Conditions: Calm
One of life's beautiful moments - watching a Cornetfish which has come into the shallow water for some maintenance,
being cleaned by two Bicolour Cleaner Wrasse. We watched for ages
Saturday 23rd January
Site: Reef Beach
Weather: Sunny
Conditions: Calm
The day of the Barracuda. Sue sees a very large, sleek, menacing, and well-incisored fish close up.
Moments later, Paul sees the same and thinks "I think that is a Barracuda". Foolhardiness takes over, and he swims off after it to be sure, but naturally
the Barracuda is too fast for him. After giving up the chase, he realises that Sue has disappeared, before discovering her on the jetty steps.
Sensible girl.
Sunday 24th January
Site: Reef Beach
Weather: Sunny
Conditions: Calm
The longest snorkel of the holiday. It wasn't timed, but must have been at least an hour
Monday 25th January
Site: Reef Beach
Weather: Sunny
Conditions: Choppy
After perfect conditions all week, the sea turns a bit rougher. Snorkelling becomes less fun, with
the additional concern of being buffetted into the coral. Unusually, one of our best sightings of the whole trip came from a boat,
rather than snorkelling, when we saw a Lionfish in the shallows at Sharm al-Maya
Tuesday 26th January
Site: Reef Beach
Weather: Sunny, Windy
Conditions: Rough
In the morning the sea is too rough to snorkel safely. By the afternoon, the wind has
dropped, and conditions improved. Even so, the sea is still choppy, but the chances of not snorkelling on the final day are,
of course, next to zero! Paul is nevertheless delighted by the sighting of
a magnificent green Unicorn Fish
