ISLANDS AND LIVEABOARDS
EGYPT
Tornado Fleet
Liveaboards
Text and images by GILL MCDONALD
The Egyptian Red Sea has been a must-go
destination since recreational diving became
popular around the 1960s. Early pioneers would
hire trucks, build compressors and camp along
the empty coastline, with a backdrop of the
ethereal Sinai Desert and only Bedouin villagers
and camels for company. Since mass tourism
took hold in the 1990s, the coastline has become
unrecognisable. Hotel after hotel and swimming
pool after casino after “manufactured” garden.
Thankfully, high-rise developments are forbidden.
So, why should you go? Because the Red Sea
itself, the creatures and scenes and encounters
it delivers have not changed. Tourism has taken
its toll at some more popular dive sites, but there
are still masses of life and beauty. By shore,
land-based day boat or liveaboard, the Red Sea
is still outstanding. World events take their toll
in this region and recent visitor numbers have
05
been low, but this means now is an even better
time to go than usual, while the marine life is
prolific and tourists fewer. Tornado liveaboards,
among others, are absolutely full of divers and
photographers right now, enjoying stunning
scenery and fantastic marine encounters.
The wonderful Tornado fleet of liveaboards has
been operating since 1989. The guides, captains
and regular crew work together as a family. At
least two of the extremely talented captains have
SDOP
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