Red Sea - Marsa Alam - A LOT OF SCUBA PICTURES

[daniloronchi]

Also this year we have chosen the Red Sea for my family holiday, again Marsa Alam. But we have changed the Resort, from the wonderful Kahramana of the last year to the new Holiday Beach Resort of this year. Beacuse we prefer to look ahead instead of repeating the same experience ever.

You can see all the photos of the last year reading this post: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1213078

I write a lot in my blog about this trip with tons of photos, but I think it's better to show you only the scuba photos. If you want to read and see more, please take a look here (more than 250 photos): http://www.danireef.com/2008/11/21/marsa-alam-holiday-beach-resort-english-version/ (be patient if you click )

The lagoon view from below

Our week was near the full moon, and this has had a very negative reflection on the presence of water in the lagoon in front of the resort. The lagoon in any case was not sandy but probably dug with mechanical excavator, and so it had a rocky bottom with lots of creeks, and a water level which ranged from half a meter of the first days to the absolute lack of water in the last ones. In addition, many forms of life, also absolutely dangerous, was hidden beneath the surface, and was a problem for our children. As you can see from the photos it was full of sea urchins, there were several moray eels and fish, scorpion fish, and if you wasn't so lucky... it could be a problem for your holiday. But you can find also some fish, many Tridacna, and many many hermit crabs. In the evening it was not rare to encounter some ray and a huge porcupine fish.

We see from the photos what you can find in the lagoon ...

(tridacna out of water during low tide)

(a beautiful snail)

(other tridacna)

(someone here has not done a good job)

(A big astrea snail)

(a small sea star on a piece of dead coral)

(tridacna in a very low water)

(brittle stars... there was more than a milion)

(green tridacna)

 

[daniloronchi]

(a small moray eel on lagoon)

We take now the pentax and we go underwater...

(wonderful sea urchin)

(the lionfish)

The Sea seen from below and its inhabitants

The sea is why we came here. The coral reef and the fish are why we wanted to come right in Marsa Alam. And we were fully satisfied, as you can see from the photos.

And then there was her, the Barrier Reef.

What can we say ... In any case I try to explain. The barrier in front of the pier is beautiful especially if you swim a little, both right or left. Near the pier the corals are somewhat sparse and rather small, while if we swim away a little bit we can see enormous and spectacolar corals. The fish are present everywhere, in greater quantity and variety with some gems such as the presence of Pomacanthus imperator and Pygoplites diacanthus. Then the presence of many lion fish is ensured in the early morning and late evening. Then of course tons of Acanthurus sohal and Naso litoratus and unicornis, as then you will see in the photos.

(Naso unicornis into the blue)

(Chaetodon semilarvatus)

(anthias over big coral)

(Arothron hispidus)

(Chaetodon lunula o fasciatus)

(Heniocus acuminatus in first view and Pterois volitans to the second view)

 

[daniloronchi]

(a big group of rastrelliger kanagurta)

(Anthias male)

(Pterois volitans in the late evening)

(Acanthurus sp.)

(a marvellous Zebrasoma desjardinii)

(Naso unicornis over Acropore sp.)

(male and female of Heniocus acuminatus over fire coral)

(Acanthurus sohal sleeping)

(great layout)

 

[daniloronchi]

(so many fishes...)

(Acanthurus sohal and Chaetodon lunula)

(Acanthurus sohal and Chaetodon lunula)

(Chaetodon lunula and Naso unicornis)

(sergeant fish, Abudefduf saxatilis)

(Acanthurus sohal eating near the pier)

(damselfishes over tons of corals)

(great looking acropora)

(Chaetodon lunula)

 

[daniloronchi]

(male and female of Cephalopholis argus)

(Fistularia commersonii)

( a small group of Naso unicornis and the blue)

(braincoral, maybe a platygira with one tridacna and two Acropora into her)

(another shot)

(histrixfish)

(2 meters Acropora)

(lovable tridacna... no doubt!)

 

[daniloronchi]

(group of Chaetodon lunula or fasciatus)

(Aluterus scriptus not so little )

(I love the Pomacanthus imperator, also named emperor angelfish)

(two tridacna)

(the Reef and the blue)

(pesci pesci ed ancora pesci)

(underwater canyon)

(the reef)

 

[daniloronchi]

(the reef and the fishes over it)

(the reef, damselfishes, Chaetodon lunula and over them Naso unicornis...)

(the reef again...)

(male and female of Heniocus acuminatus)

(where the reef and the blue meets each other)

(two Naso unicornis, and a great view)

(damselfishes)

(Abusdefduf saxatilis)

(the reef, one Chaetodon semilarvatus and the blue)

 

[daniloronchi]

(Anthias and corals)

(I love this male and female Chaetodon semilarvatus)

(pink coral)

(wonderful Naso unicornis)

(the big Balistoides viridescens, also named titan trigger fish Titano)

(male and female Chaetodon semilarvatus)

(firecoral)

(8 meters, two amphiprion bicinctus and onre anemone)

(astounding view...)

 

[daniloronchi]

(male and female of Chaetodon melannotus)

(rastrelliger kanagurta)

(stonefish)

(Anthias, Anthias ed Anthias again)

(one of my preferred photo)

(Tridacna...)

(larvafishes in the early morning)

(one great looking Pygoplites diacanthus, named also regal angelfish)

(Acanthurus sohal)

 

[daniloronchi]

(Naso unicornis)

(Naso unicornis again)

(clownfishes and anemone)

(Pomacanthus imperator)

(Pygoplites diacanthus and firecoral)

(Acropora... big...)

(moray eel Gymnothorax javanicus)

And we saw a giant turtle, about 80 cm, at the left of the pier.

 

[daniloronchi]

Finally, the most beautiful emotion we lived twice: Tuesday in a group we saw a flock of dolphins, around 35 that were closer and with whom it was possible to swim, not much closer to the pier because the high number of snorkelmen, and in any case it was around the same 50/100 meters, while Saturday morning I and Lumaz we were alone in water and dolphins come to look us, swimming below, on the right and above. The emotion was unique.

(Lumaz swimming with doplhins)

 

[dougie]

wow! beautiful shots. you had great viz!! thanks for sharing.

 

[Lordhelmet]

:eek2:

 

[Fin Mike]

Beautiful water, but nothing compares to the Mighty Ohio River!:spin2: :hammer:

 

[streetjudge79]

amazing photos! Thank you for sharing. How deep was the reef there?

 

[daniloronchi]

thanks to all...

amazing photos! Thank you for sharing. How deep was the reef there?

Until now I haven't scuba brevet, so all the pictures was taken during snorkeling, at 5-6 mt max underwater.

Now I'm taking my scuba brevet, so in the next time...

 

[Lariviere]

amazing !!

 

[SPSpirate]

HOW DID YOU GET TO HEAVEN WITH OUT DYING? It makes me feel good that there are still places on earth that look so and that are still BEAUTIFUL..great pics!

 

[mcliffy2]

Looks beautiful - I think one of my next diving trips will definitely be the Red Sea.

 

[NiTr0x911]

All those incredible pictures and you weren't diving!! Thats amazing...makes diving the keys kinda boring.Thanks for sharing!!