Vita Xplorer

The Golden Triangle and Beyond

The Vita Xplorer sails some of the best dive sites the Red Sea has to offer. Her itineraries reach the Ras Mohammed Marine Park, the wrecks of the Thistlegorm and Abu Nuhas, and the offshore reefs of Elphinstone, the Brothers, and Daedalus — the trio informed divers know simply as BDE.

The Brothers Islands and Elphinstone are only accessible by cruise ship, sitting at the easternmost edge of Egyptian territorial waters. The Brothers themselves are two islets rising from a bottom more than 500 m down, some 36 nautical miles (70 km) east of El Quseir, and their exposure to the current is what makes them what they are. Closer to shore, the Straits of Tiran add Jackson, Gordon, and Woodhouse reefs to the logbook.

The eight-night Hurghada round trip runs to approximately 16 dives and asks for Advanced Open Water with 50 logged dives. Vita Xplorer was custom built for diving: free Nitrox, a shaded dive deck with rinse hoses, tenders, DIN adaptors, and support for tech, sidemount, and rebreather divers, plus a separate rinse for underwater cameras.

Between dives, there are twelve air-conditioned cabins, warm-water showers, an air-conditioned saloon with audio and video entertainment, a bar, free internet, and multiple sundecks both shaded and open. Meals are buffet-style, with freshly prepared local dishes.