The best liveaboards in  Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone route

Considered by many divers as the best route in the Egyptian Red Sea if you want to see pelagics and coral-laden walls, diving at Brothers, Daedalus and Elphistone is special. The Brothers Islands are undoubtedly the highlight of this route. These two islands are a refuge for thousands of species and pelagic encounters are common. Their walls full of life, the currents and the spectacular fauna are the great references of these islands. Without forgetting the possible sightings of longimanus sharks, hammerhead sharks or thresher sharks.

On this safari you will visit the Elphistone reef, located to the south, whose life surprises and amazes even the most experienced divers. All kinds of pelagics visit the cleaning points of this reef, where the walls get lost in the depth. You will also dive Daedalus Reef, the furthest from the coast and in the middle of frequent currents that fill this place with nutrients, famous for the sightings of "longimanus". Large schools of hammerhead sharks live in the vicinity of this reef and often come here to feed.

If you want to dive this route and decide to go on this special liveaboard dive trip, don't hesitate, with the guarantee of PADI Travel and liveaboard.com.

1. SHARKS

In Brothers we can dive with some of the most exciting sharks such as Oceanic White Tip, Silky, Hammerhead, Thresher or Gray sharks. The Red Sea is the closest place in Europe where we can dive with sharks and on this route we have them guaranteed.

2. PRISTINE AREA

The remote and difficult location of the Brothers means that you will find yourself in an area with few divers and good conditions, with healthy and virtually pristine corals.

3. CORALS

This isolation, together with the food-rich currents and the great depth of the reefs, make the corals grow with great strength, mainly gorgonians, huge in Brothers, and beautiful black coral forests from 30 meters deep.

4. WRECKS

In the Brothers Route there are also attractions for wreck diving lovers, with two very interesting wrecks within the itinerary. Both the Aida, sunk between 30 and 60 meters more than 50 years ago and with a lot of coral in its hull, and especially the Numidia, with its 110 meters length and very appreciated by tech divers, are two more shows to add to the sharks during the Brothers Daedalus Elphinstone route diving trips.

The best time to dive this particular route is September. After the summer heat, the sharks come closer to the surface and the best diving conditions can be found in these islands.

But it is true that in the Red Sea you can dive all year round, with surface temperatures ranging from 18°C in February to 45°C in August. Summer and late spring in Egypt is rough. I remember my first trip to the Red Sea in late May with 40º on deck at 9am. However, good news for the cold, the water is great in the summer, around 25º. It is common to see divers wearing a shorty and 3mm in late spring and summer, but during the rest of the year a 7mm or 5mm will do if you are not very cold. In winter the water gets down to 18ºC and with the successive dives and the loss of temperature it can be cold with a 5 mm.

WHAT CERTIFICATION DO I NEED TO DIVE THE BROTHERS ROUTE?

Unlike the North Route, the Brothers Route requires the Advanced Open Water Diver certification and some cruises require a minimum of 50 dives in the logbook.