Two Weeks on Discovery I in the Red Sea

I spent two weeks aboard Discovery I in the Red Sea. Brothers, Daedalus, and Elphinstone are a strong itinerary, and the price was fair. Some of the boat side of it I would change.

The sites

The Brother Islands, Daedalus Reef, and Elphinstone were the spine of the trip.

• The Brother Islands. Pinnacles and wall dives, soft coral and gorgonians on the walls. Big Brother has the lighthouse and the wrecks of the Aida II and Numidia, both covered in coral. The area is known for tuna, barracuda, hammerheads, silky sharks, and oceanic whitetips. On Small Brother we did see grey reef sharks on the plateaux, which is what people tell you to expect there.
• Daedalus Reef. A remote oval reef with some of the cleanest hard coral I have seen. Hammerheads in schools and grey reef sharks are the animals people come for.
• Elphinstone. Steep walls with soft coral. Known for grey reef sharks and oceanic whitetips.

Pelagic sightings were thin. Wrong time of year for it. The sites were still good. I would have liked an option to stay on the reef more, instead of everyone hunting the same blue water. Splitting the group (pelagic vs reef) would have helped.

The diving

Dives were well run, and safety kit was visible. Oxygen on hand, that sort of thing. I did not worry about how the boat handled the water. I did get tired of dropping on sites hoping for animals that were not really in season.

Onboard

The crew were good. Friendly, useful in briefings, around when you needed something. Food was plentiful and actually good, which matters on a two-week boat.

Cabins

The cabin was fine as a room and too hot as a place to sleep. Even with the AC on it sat around 30°C. I slept anyway. Cooler would have been better. The linen was worn and coarse. If that bothers you, bring your own. A small thing until it is not.

Phones

We were told we would be out of coverage for three days. The crew seemed to know the actual windows when signal would drop and come back. Sharing that properly would have let people warn family. Also a small thing. Also easy to fix.

Getting there

The boat leaves from Marsa Ghalib. The free transfer from Hurghada or RMF airports runs on Saturdays, so the flights have to match. Anything north of Hurghada or south of Marsa Alam costs extra.

Final thoughts

I would send someone to Discovery I if they wanted this route at a sensible price, with a crew that knows the work. I would also tell them about the cabin heat, the linen, and the season. If you are coming for pelagics, pick the dates more carefully than I did.

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Summary:
Two weeks on Discovery I: Brother Islands (including Aida II and Numidia), Daedalus, and Elphinstone. Grey reef sharks on Small Brother. Quiet on pelagics. Strong crew and food, hot cabin, rough linen, and coverage info that should have been clearer. Good value if you plan the flights around a Saturday transfer.