M/Y Amelia Liveaboard shark baiting concerns.

[JakeyH]

Hello all,

I am looking at liveaboard trips to the southern red sea (BDE Route) for June 2020 and the MY Amelia has been looking like a really good option as it seems to be one of the less costly options whilst not sacrificing in the way of facilities or safety. That said just before booking I decided to do some extra digging and read the facebook reviews. Every diving magazine/site that had reviewed the boat gave it good reviews and the same can be said for Liveaboard.com and PADI travel. However on facebook there were guests mentioning in October/November last year the boat was baiting sharks at the Brothers Islands which is likely to have been one of the causes of the two shark attacks on divers that day. Seems the authorities clamped down on them and revoked their licence for a while.

This now has me slightly worried about booking this boat. Can anyone who has been diving with them in 2019 tell me if they are still doing this?

Thanks

 

[bshort4]

Dived from the Amelia the last week of September in 2019--did not dive at Brothers as we went on the St. Johns route. We did dive with the sharks at Elphinstone and there was no baiting.

 

[flyboy08]

I can’t, but I praise you for asking!

 

[JakeyH]

Dived from the Amelia the last week of September in 2019--did not dive at Brothers as we went on the St. Johns route. We did dive with the sharks at Elphinstone and there was no baiting.View attachment 558409

Looks wonderful! Glad to hear they didn't bait on your trip since it's the only thing keeping me from booking at the moment. Would you say it was a good boat/crew?

 

[Dan]

Hello all,

I am looking at liveaboard trips to the southern red sea (BDE Route) for June 2020 and the MY Amelia has been looking like a really good option as it seems to be one of the less costly options whilst not sacrificing in the way of facilities or safety. That said just before booking I decided to do some extra digging and read the facebook reviews. Every diving magazine/site that had reviewed the boat gave it good reviews and the same can be said for Liveaboard.com and PADI travel. However on facebook there were guests mentioning in October/November last year the boat was baiting sharks at the Brothers Islands which is likely to have been one of the causes of the two shark attacks on divers that day. Seems the authorities clamped down on them and revoked their licence for a while.

This now has me slightly worried about booking this boat. Can anyone who has been diving with them in 2019 tell me if they are still doing this?

Thanks

I just got back from Red Sea BDE route with Red Sea Aggressor a couple days ago and have a great positive impression of diving with the Oceanic Whitetip shark (Carcharhinus Longimanus). They are pretty mellow sharks and you shouldn’t worry too much about swimming with them if you are calm, stay put vertically (to look big), facing them, not swimming away, nor splashing on the surface like wounded fish and let them come to you.

As you see in the video, below, they are swimming around me and the other photographers. The DM put an SMB on the surface and dive flag below the boat as ways to attract them. In fact, there were some day boats, came all the way from Marsa Alam to Elphinstone to see the sharks swimming below our boat.

 

[bshort4]

Looks wonderful! Glad to hear they didn't bait on your trip since it's the only thing keeping me from booking at the moment. Would you say it was a good boat/crew?

Yes it was a good boat and crew---for the price it is great. I became sick on the second day--from ice from a hotel stay not from the boat--and they were very concerned and looked after me and gave me some Egyptian medicine for Egyptian illness lol--and had me back in the water the next day. The cabins are small--like most boats--and the food was ok but not great--you won't go hungry. Free sodas all the time and beers on the honor system. They broke the dive groups up by experience and that was good. Don't expect to much from the DM's as far as pointing stuff out--they will lead you around and check on you--most dives were in the 50 to 60 minute range. Nitrox was free and you start out with about 27% after your check dives which are on air then they start mixing in the extra O2 and we averaged about 30% nitrox on most dives--they do have several analyzers and you must check your fills and record them. The lounge areas on the second and third decks were great for relaxing and the dining area inside was good too. I did post a full review on my trip in this forum.