Routes & Safaris
Signature weekly safaris for diving, snorkelling and kitesurfing: from the dolphin reefs and wrecks to the deep south of St. John’s and the kite lagoons of the northern islands, each capped at 20 guests.
Sail around the Red Sea
SY Mermaid sails the full southern and northern reach of the Egyptian Red Sea: a cruising ground that takes in some of the most storied names in Red Sea diving and snorkelling: the turtle grounds of Abu Dabab, the walls of Elphinstone, the hidden lagoons of Fury Shoal, the dolphins of Sataya, the remote reef systems of St. John's, and the historic wreck grounds north of Hurghada.
The exact route sailed each week depends on the season, weather and your chosen departure port: our team confirms the final itinerary with your booking.
Choose your route trip
Sataya & Fury Shoal
Our signature deep-south journey. Open-water mornings with the resident spinner dolphin pod at Sataya lead into days spent drifting the sheltered lagoons of Fury Shoal: Shaab Claude, with its celebrated swim-throughs and white tip reef sharks; Abu Galawa Soraya, where a small wreck sits in a coral garden thick with glassfish; and the reef mosaics of Malahi and Maskour.
Elphinstone & Sataya
One of the Red Sea's most celebrated shark dives, paired with a night at Sataya. Elphinstone, also known as Sha'ab Abu Hamra, rises as an isolated reef roughly 30km north of Marsa Alam, its steep walls draped in soft Dendronephthya coral and patrolled by grey reef sharks, with oceanic whitetips a regular sighting for much of the year. Few sites in the Red Sea offer a better chance of a serious shark encounter. From there, the route continues to the turtle and dugong grounds off Abu Dabab and an open-water night with the Sataya dolphins.
Northern Wrecks
A route built around the northern Red Sea's most storied wreck sites. At Abu Nuhas: long known among divers as the "ships' graveyard": lie the remains of vessels including the Giannis D and the 1869-wrecked SS Carnatic, her blackened hull now draped in soft coral and home to moray eels and grouper. Off Sharm el-Sheikh, the SS Thistlegorm, a WWII supply ship sunk by German bombers, remains one of the most famous wreck dives on earth, while the walls of Ras Mohammed and Tiran's Jackson and Thomas reefs round out a route built for certified divers with an interest in history beneath the surface.
Deep South: St. John’s
Our most remote expedition, sailing to the reefs near the Sudanese border. At St. John’s, the walls of Habili Ali carry giant gorgonians and black corals, Gota Kebir and the St. John’s caves are laced with tunnels and shafts of light, and the outer reefs bring grey reef and silvertip sharks, hammerheads on the west side, with mantas and oceanic whitetips out in the blue. The way back north stops at Fury Shoal and the Sataya dolphins, and ends on the walls of Elphinstone.
Kite Safari: Northern Islands
A week built around the wind. From Hurghada, SY Mermaid follows the steady north to north-west breeze to the flat-water lagoons and sandbanks of the northern islands, Tawila, Geisum and Abu Mungar, and anchors wherever conditions are best. Up to three sessions a day when the wind allows, downwinders for experienced riders, and our tenders on hand to carry gear, follow riders and bring them back. Friends who don’t ride are welcome to snorkel, swim and relax on deck.
Good to know: season April to October, best May to September, with typical winds of 16–28 knots from the north and north-west. Bring your own kit: two or three kite sizes, board, bar and lines, harness, helmet and impact vest. This trip is for independent riders who can water-start, ride both ways and relaunch; beginners can join selected weeks with lessons arranged in advance. Sessions always depend on wind and the captain’s safety call.
Rates depend on season and cabin type and are confirmed with your invoice: with only 10 cabins per departure, we recommend enquiring early.
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