Dive Review of Royal Evolution/Pickalbatros-Port Ghalib in
Red Sea/Egypt - Deep South

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Royal Evolution/Pickalbatros-Port Ghalib: "Terrific Bucket List Trip", Apr, 2024, by Dean C, CO, US ( Contributor 13 reports with 17 Helpful votes). Report 12957 has 4 Helpful votes.
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Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity	N/A
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
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Comments	Underwater Delights On LOB trips to other destinations with European guests, I heard captivating stories and saw pics and videos from the Red Sea. These depictions, and others from multiple sources like Undercurrent and books by John Bantin, piqued my interest enough to add the Red Sea to my bucket list of dive locations. I was not disappointed when I finally dropped below the waves. I found the clear water, colorful and healthy coral, and array of dazzling creatures to be a reward worth the effort of the long journey to get there. On nearly every dive there were schools of bright orange anthias the size of your thumb with purple eyes (scalefin Fairy basslet) swarming around the coral tops. They glowed nicely in the sun which also illuminated the vibrant soft corals that had a range of colors from off white to purple and red. A nice variety of species of small fish like purple tangs, yellow box fish, unicorn fish, sergeant majors, and titan trigger fish were in view all at once at times. At other times, inquisitive trumpet fish would hover inches from your mask checking you out as much as you were checking out them. Nemo could be found in anemone gardens at many places too. The colorful blue spotted ray made frequent appearances and cooperated for photographers. Small Napoleon wrasses with their bluish hues were often shyly following us about. There was a rich mix of smaller fish, eels, and, rarely, octopus wherever we splashed down. Can’t forget the colorful nudis including one named after our DM. Listing all of the colorful varieties that we encountered would be boring but seeing them made every dive rewarding. Occasionally, we saw large schools of fish. A small column of maybe 50 chevron barracuda gracefully floated in the mid water slowly making their way along the reef. A large school of silver bonita, with their backs striped black, paraded past us another time. In caverns, schools of green headed fish the size of your pinky finger enveloped us by the thousands at times rushing to get away from us fearsome bubble spewing aliens. Returning from a dive on the RIB, we encountered a cooperative school of spinner dolphins. Quickly tumbling into the water, snorkeling with them was a real treat. The dives sites themselves were surprising to me. Some were interesting looking and had a history like the lighthouse at Daedalus which was built by the Brits or Zabargad island. Zabargad was surrounded by a mix of azure waters, like Polynesia, and was the site of mining operations by the Romans. Many other dive sites did not even break the surface - only the outline and flat top of the reef was visible underwater. Here, the boat would tie mooring lines directly into the reef which was just a couple of feet below the surface and use the wind and current to keep it at a safe distance. Underwater, the diving varied from walls which dropped to the depths, gently rising bottoms with large plateaus full of coral gardens, wrecks, and caverns, to a couple of blue water drift dives in search of sharks. We also explored a couple of wrecks. In Elba, the Levanzo is a 100+ year old Italian freighter. It was fun to see the cargo of wine bottles still in place. Later, in the depths we spied the wreck of a LOB. This was a somber reminder of what can happen. Another recent wreck of a fishing boat, with nets still rigged, appeared to have plowed into the reef provided an interesting photo op. Sharks are some of my favorite denizens. Here, I found the sharks to be mostly shy and keeping their distance. I saw a few hammerheads and white tips. One of the DMs thought he saw a tiger in the depths. However, there were no large schools of hammerheads and none swam near us. I had hoped to see two animals on the trip: oceanic white tip and thresher sharks. Fortunately, I saw both. About 100’ below us on one dive a thresher could be clearly seen gliding along silhouetted against the white sand bottom with its long tail undulating slowly back and forth. Returning to the dive platform from another dive, a longimanus checked out the group. She wasn’t large, maybe 7’-8’, but made quite the impression stalking the stragglers and swimming right up into our faces. Luckily, she didn’t attack and we all left with a memorable experience and stellar videos and photos. Who This was my first trip to Egypt and diving in the Red Sea. I traveled solo on this trip. I am an experienced international traveler and am comfortable with being a single diver on liveaboards. Even with the war in Gaza and the Houthi’s attacks from Yemen, I had no issues and I felt safe throughout the trip. Underwater, I am a recreational diver that primarily enjoys the creatures and beauty in the sea. For me, wrecks are ok in small doses and tech diving isn’t on my menu. When Two and a half weeks starting at the end of March and returning mid-April 2024. I arrived a few days early to help recover from jet lag and sort out luggage issues should they arise. Unfortunately, my bags were delayed for 4 days so the extra time came in handy. Where/Getting there I flew from Colorado to Hurghada, Egypt, then transferred by car to Port Ghalib. This is a long trip taking approximately 30 hrs door to door. My itinerary consisted of 4 legs with the last one connecting through Zurich to Hurghada. This was slightly longer since I was using miles to save on the cost of airfare and resulted in some longer connections. It could be shortened to 2 legs by driving to Denver and connecting through Frankfurt. Once in Hurghada, the ship had arranged for me to be met at the airport and driven the 2.5 hrs to my hotel in Port Ghalib. They met me in the airport which was very helpful with reporting my lost bag and making arrangements to have it delivered. Nationalities of Other Guests Egypt caters to Europeans much like Mexico caters to North Americans. It is a direct 4-5 hour flight from many European hubs like Frankfurt and Zurich so it is an easy way for sun seekers and divers to get away. The boat has 12 cabins berthing 24 passengers. On my cruises there were only 16 and 12 passengers for the two trips respectively. Not surprisingly, guests on my cruises were from the UK, Austria, Germany, and Switzerland with outliers from India and Russia. Fortunately for me, everyone spoke excellent English as my German is non-existent and, as the Brits pointed out, I speak American English. We all shared a common bond of a love for diving so we got along well swapping stories. There were some enlightening conversations about politics and differences in perceptions about the US and Europe which had a good-natured tone. All in all, I have enjoyed LOBs that have a mix of guests from other countries and this was no exception. Accommodations Undercurrent estimates that there are more than 175 liveaboards licensed to operate in the Egyptian Red Sea. This leads to a fierce amount of competition to have the bestest, newest, shiniest yachts. As a result, perception of the quality of the accommodation can be in the eye of the beholder. I found the Royal Evolution to be recently upgraded, spacious, clean, comfortable, and a great place to spend a couple of weeks. It is one of the nicest yachts I have been on. My frame of reference includes what was once the Cayman Aggressor (now BVI aggressor I believe) which I found to be a wonderful ride to the Ferox which did the job safely but in an overly spartan way. My large cabin had twin beds, a desk, adequate closet space, small fridge, and a large ensuite bathroom that was functional but could have been upgraded to separate the shower from the rest of the space with something more substantial than a curtain. It was on the main deck and well away from the engine room so it was mostly quiet except some mechanical sounds when mooring. None of the guests complained about engine noise. Room was cleaned and beds made by the crew multiple times per day. There were multiple places to hang out between dives. Inside there were comfy couches and tables provided space to hold computers for editing and sharing pics. Outside a sun deck with couches and lounge chairs accommodated sun worshipers. A middle deck that was covered but open was a popular place to hang out day and night. Safety With the seemingly regular incidents of LOBs having issues resulting in fires, collisions, and sinking for a variety of reasons, safety is an important factor to consider when choosing a LOB. The Royal Evolution took many steps to address these risks. It is constructed of steel which helps in case of fires. There are smoke detectors in the cabins and throughout the boat. There are also automatic sprinkler systems in the cabins as well as fire extinguishers and fire blankets at strategic locations. We were given safety briefings which included how to don our life jackets and directing us to primary and backup exits. Instructed in how emergency rafts worked. We were even given a few tips for long term survival in rafts. We also had a surprise evacuation drill in the middle of one of the cruises. When diving, each person was required to carry multiple signaling devices. These were an SMB, whistle, and a provided Nautilus lifeline. On the checkout dive all divers were required to deploy their SMBs to confirm they had these skills and the SMB still worked. Food/Staff I am not sure what the standard is in the Red Sea but the meals were excellent on the Royal Evolution. Maybe it’s the fact that there is a head chef, a sous chef, and a pastry chef preparing a wonderful assortment of meals and snacks throughout the day. One guest, who has been diving Red Sea LOBs for 30 years, said the chef made the best meats of any boat he had been on. Every morning the pastry chef tempted us with fresh sweets and breads. There was also a dedicated area for breads, bread sticks, and other treats that was updated throughout the day and was conveniently located between the dive deck and the cabins. Breakfast was made to order eggs and a variety of fruits, crepes, waffles, etc. Lunch and dinner typically started with soup and a variety of other choices for each meal often with some Egyptian dish like baba ghanoush or falafel. One night was for Egyptian specialties while another was a more formal steak night. Wine was complimentary at dinner while beer and other alcoholic drinks could be purchased at a reasonable price. Some guests also brought their own alcohol and Nespresso coffee pods. Staff was universally friendly and helpful. I can’t say enough good things about how they kept the rooms clean, provided food service, and supported diving preparations. They were always attentive when we gearing up for a dive by lending a hand with zipping wet suits, helping with donning fins, handing out and retrieving camera gear, and many other little things that make a trip even more enjoyable. The dive guides, Sven and Phillip, were knowledgeable and provided competent guiding services. The guests were mostly very experienced divers and I believe their approach with guiding was suited for the skill level of the cliental. They provided good briefings and led the groups to the sites and then mostly let us explore along the planned route as we wished. When needed, like when exploring the Levanzo wreck which is a penetration dive, the guides were right there and kept close watch. Other times they were available but didn’t insist on tight groups close on their heels. Sven has been guiding for decades and has even found some new species of nudibranchs including one that is named after him. A funny side note, when were riding back from a dive in a RIB past another ship, that crew starting chanting Sven, Sven, Sven…so it seems he has a bit of a reputation. I was happy with the guiding to say the least. Diving Briefings Thorough briefings were presented for each dive site. These were typically done in the lounge and presented on a TV using an artist’s rendition and annotated with the latest anchorage and current conditions. As expected, routes, points of interest and topics of requiring special attention, like ship wrecks, were covered in more detail. Also, discussed were areas of caution and contingency plans in case conditions changed during the dive. Dive Organization Divers were organized into groups of no more than 8 with one guide. The groups would alternate guides and who entered first in the water each day. The first group would gear up and depart 15 minutes before the other. Entry and exits were done directly from the boat most of the time. Some sites required short rides in a RIB either for entry, exit, or, rarely, both. A buddy was required but buddy teams could follow the designated routes at their own pace and not stick closely to a guide. There was always a RIB nearby for safety or if someone wanted to end their dive early. My experience was that a few buddy teams would stay loosely with the guide. Since the visibility was often 100’ or more we could follow at a pleasant spacing and avoid the problem of having fins and elbows in your face. On some dive sites, like Daedalus, there were divers from multiple boats so it was inevitable that crowds did form at times. Our itinerary to the deep south mostly avoided this problem with crowding and we were the only boat on a lot of the sites. However, at Daedalus there were 6 boats and the crew mentioned they have seen over 25 boats there. Diving Itinerary The itinerary for both of my 7 day trips was to start in Port Ghalib and cruise to the deep south of Egypt. This included the sites of Elphinstone, Daedalus, and Rocky Island before heading South to Elba reef on the Sudan border. On the return trip to Port Ghalib we stopped at St. Johns Reef. Water temp and Clarity Temperature of the water varied from 72F in the north to 80F at Elba reef on the Sudan border per my computer. I was warm in a 5M wetsuit which I replaced with a vest at Elba. The water was typically fairly clear with visibility of 100’+ at most of the sites. Some of the experienced Red Sea divers onboard were hoping for warmer temps. Camera Table A large camera table was located in the middle of the dive deck which had adequate space to stage gear. Charging batteries was done inside the lounge with each cabin having dedicated space and outlets. Two dedicated camera rinse tanks were available as well. Tips Come Early/Stay Awhile If you can make time, it’s worth coming early, staying later, or both. The obvious thing to do would be to visit the pyramids, other historic sites, and enjoy a Nile River cruise. My wife and I plan to do these on a separate trip so I skipped them this time. Instead, I took the time to relax on the beach and ease into diving. There are a couple of dive operations adjacent to my hotel and I selected Wonderful Dive. They were able to arrange a shore dive from their beach and a day boat. Consider Back To Back Trips This was such a long distance to travel that it made sense to extend the diving. My original itinerary was a two-week trip to Sudan. The civil war there changed those plans and I opted for two one-week trips. This was very convenient since I didn’t have the hassle of changing boats or relocating to a land-based operation. Even though the itinerary is the same, I assumed the dive sites would be changed which they were. However, it is possible to mix and match boats and/or land-based operators with a number of options for each. Stay in Hurghada vs Port Ghalib Port Ghalib is a minuscule outpost. The hotels are lovely but there isn’t much to do outside of them since it is isn’t a real town. Hurghada offers many excellent hotels along with a chance to explore the city, try local restaurants, and get a hint of Egyptian life. I would stay here and then transfer to the boat if I were to do this again. It also allows you to get a shower and go to sleep quicker after arriving. Local Excursions There are a few options for excursions offered from Port Ghalib. Some of these are long bus trips to Luxor and back while others are focused on desert activities like riding quad bikes and camels. Before the boat departed, I did shore and day boat dives before relaxing on the beach. While enjoying the sun, a persuasive representative from the hotel spa gave me a sample massage which enticed me to signed up for a full treatment. I found the massage and laying about the beach to be an enjoyable way to spend most of the afternoon. Hotels A representative from the liveaboard recommended staying at the Pickalbatros resort in Port Ghalib. This is a large all-inclusive complex that has several pools, a lagoon, water slide, spa, beach, and other amenities you would expect. It is a clean hotel with decent buffet food. Guests were a mix of families and couples so it tended to be a little more reserved than some of the party palaces that can be found in other resort towns. It fit the bill for me. There is also a Radisson next door and seemed to be some air bnb offerings for locally owned condos. Maybe Cruise From Saudi Arabia Royal Evolution has a history of commercializing new dive itineraries on the Red Sea. In the Fall of 2024, they are offering itineraries for Saudi Arabia. From a purely diving point of view, this appears to have many of the benefits of diving in Sudan. This is because the routes are further south, they start further south and sail to a point that appears to be as far south as Eritrea. In addition, the sites are not yet heavily dived like they are in Egypt. They do not leave Saudi waters so none of the hassles like those of crossing from Egypt to Sudan and back. I think this itinerary is worth investigating and I hope to see feedback from other Undercurrent members that make this trip.
Websites	Royal Evolution Pickalbatros-Port Ghalib
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	501-1000 dives
Where else diving	Caribbean, Indonesia, Fiji, Australia, Malaysia, Mexico, Florida, California, Colombia, Costa Rica, Hawaii, French Polynesia, other inland reservoirs.
Closest Airport	Hurghada	Getting There	Colorado to Hurghada on United, Swiss Air, and Lufthansa. Using frequent miles resulted in trips with 4 legs and 30hrs of travel time. Swiss air lost my bag and it was a tense 4 days waiting for it to catchup to me after I boarded the boat but before we departed.
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, dry	Seas	calm
Water Temp	72-80°F / 22-27°C	Wetsuit Thickness	5
Water Visibility	80-150 Ft/ 24-46 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	yes
Enforced diving restrictions	Buddy diving with no planned deco dives.
Liveaboard?	no	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	1 or 2	Mantas	None
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	None
Turtles	1 or 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	There are two dedicated rinse tanks for cameras and computers. A large table in the center of the dive deck is good for staging cameras. Charging batteries is done inside in dedicated cubicles for each room. A dedicated camera room would increase this score.

Report currently has 4 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Royal Evolution/Pickalbatros-Port Ghalib in Red Sea/Egypt - Deep South

Royal Evolution/Pickalbatros-Port Ghalib: "Terrific Bucket List Trip", Apr, 2024,

Photos Submitted with this Report

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Royal Evolution/Pickalbatros-Port Ghalib in
Red Sea/Egypt - Deep South