Star Diving

Star Diving has been operating in Marsa Alam since 2012, providing a structured gateway to the Red Sea's diverse marine ecosystems. Located in the Marsa Alam region, the centre serves as a base for both local reef exploration and trips to more remote offshore sites.

The centre is affiliated with both PADI and SSI, ensuring that divers can complete a wide variety of international certification programmes. Their operations cover everything from shallow reef flats to deeper offshore excursions, catering to those looking to build skills or simply enjoy the local marine life.

The team at Star Diving is composed of experienced professionals, including PADI and SSI instructors and dedicated snorkeling guides. They operate with a multilingual staff capable of providing instruction and guidance in English, German, Arabic, Russian, and Polish.

Safety and precision are central to their approach, with specific protocols for different diver levels. For instance, while most divers require a guide, the centre allows OWD divers with more than 25 logged dives, or AOWD divers with more than 15 logged dives, to dive without a guide.

Star Diving offers a complete curriculum of PADI and SSI courses. Beginners can start with Discover Scuba Diving (DSD), moving through to Open Water Diver (OWD), Scuba Diver (SD), and eventually Advanced Open Water Diver (AOWD).

For those looking to specialise, the centre provides courses such as Nitrox, Deep Diver, Navigation, and Perfect Buoyancy. They also offer Rescue Diver and Diver Stress and Rescue training, alongside Emergency First Response (EFR) certification. More advanced or specific training includes the Referral Course, Refresher Courses, and Adventure Diver programmes.

Excursions are conducted via boat or minibus, depending on the chosen site. For offshore trips, the centre provides boat transfers to reach more distant locations.

Onboard, divers have access to snacks and drinks, with lunch provided during full-day trips. Nitrox is available for certified divers on these excursions, allowing for extended bottom times on deeper sites.

The centre provides a full range of rental kit for those not travelling with their own equipment. This includes BCDs, regulators, wetsuits, masks, snorkels, and fins, as well as torches and compasses for navigation and night dives.

They offer 15L cylinders and have Nitrox facilities available on-site. All rental equipment is maintained and disinfected to ensure it is ready for daily use.

The waters around Marsa Alam are home to a vast array of pelagic life. You may encounter various sharks (Selachimorpha), including the Whitetip reef shark (Triaenodon obesus), Grey reef shark (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos), and Silvertip shark. Larger visitors like the Hammerhead shark (Sphyrna lewini) or even the occasional Whale shark (Rhincodon typus) can be seen by those on offshore trips.

Reef life is abundant, with sightings of Napoleon wrasse (Cheilinus undulatus), various Groupers (Epinephelus), and large schools of Jacks (Carangidae). You will also see many species of colourful reef fish, such as Butterflyfish (Chaetodon), Parrotfish (Calotomus), and Surgeonfish (Acanthuridae), navigating the hard corals (Scleractinia) and soft corals (Alcyonacea).

Macro enthusiasts will find plenty to observe on the seabed. Look out for Nudibranch (Chromodoris willani), Seahorse (Hippocampus kuda), and various species of Octopus (Octopus vulgaris). Scorpionfish (Scorpaenidae), Stonefish (Synanceia), and various species of Frogfish (Antennarius) provide excellent challenges for those practicing their macro photography.

In the sandy areas and seagrass meadows, you might spot Dugong (Dugong dugon), Green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas), and various rays, including the Southern stingray (Hypanus americanus) and Blue-spotted stingrays. Large predators like the Great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) and various species of Tuna (Thunnus) also patrol these waters.

Diving in this area is influenced by the local currents, particularly when visiting offshore sites like Elphinstone. Divers should be prepared for varying conditions depending on whether they are diving a protected reef or an open-water site.

Night diving is an available option through the centre, offering a completely different perspective on the reef's inhabitants and nocturnal behaviours.