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Al-Ahram Weekly 22 - 28 July 1999 Issue No. 439 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 22 - 28 July 1999 Issue No. 439
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Profile Features Focus Interview Travel Living Sports Time Out Chronicles People Cartoons Letters Travel Web:
Fish and facilities
This is one of the few web sites dedicated to diving in Egypt. It is not an official site but one that was set up by two businessmen who are dive masters, Osama Mursi and Sameh Mursi. It conveys a good impression instantly. On opening the site a photo appears of a diver who sits on planet earth with a whale behind him.
'Dive Egypt' is the name of the site. It started in July 1998 with a view to providing information about the many diving sites in Egypt, available facilities, tips and other relevant subjects.
According to its creators, the idea came to them when they realised that there was no contact between divers in Egypt and that, apart from some diving groups in Cairo, no general information was available to guide them.
"There are no periodicals specialised in diving, only an article here or there in the local sports magazines. In creating a web site divers and snorkellers all over the country can be linked. Egyptians and non-Egyptians alike can have access to one another, share ideas, experiences and help each other gain the most from the most wonderful diving sites of the Red Sea," Osama Morsi said.
The site is easy to navigate. Although some of the 13 sites are still under construction it already provides a lot of information.
The photo gallery is particularly impressive. Different species of fish in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba are shown beside the distinctive coral reefs near which they can be found. There is a good map of Sinai, travel tips on how to get there (by air, car and bus) and detailed plans of underwater caves and canyons.
It is unfortunate that the site does not live up to its title in the sense that a guide to specific diving sites is not provided. But this, its creators promise, will soon be remedied, as additions will be made.
Dive Egypt is the only site on the web with details of what is fast becoming a major sport in Egypt: diving in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aqaba. An interesting section written by Kristine Murray of Club Red Divers describes different areas of Sinai with particular attention to Dahab. The site has been simply arranged and is easy to navigate. It includes about 13 topics, most of which are already available.
The site provides addresses and telephone numbers of most of the diving centres in Hurghada, Safaga, Marsa Alam, Nuweiba, Dahab, Sharm El-Sheikh and Taba. There are also telephone numbers for the fire brigades, general hospitals, ambulances, dentists, clinics and the hyperbaric medical centres in Sharm El-Sheikh, Hurghada, Qusseir and Safaga.
In the environment section, divers and environmentalists are given the chance to publish articles about the protection of the natural resources and underwater life. The site gives them an opportunity to share their opinions, ideas and studies. One of the most interesting articles concerns the Crown of Thorns (COT) starfish which was submitted by Ras Mohamed National Park. The article defines what a COT is, when they spawn, what they eat and how they feed on coral reefs. The article tells us that COT is regarded as a plague as they devastate around 90 per cent of the reefs when advancing in massive columns.
If Internet users are interested in details of more diving sites they can be linked, through this particular site, to other diving organisations, dive-related sites, hotels, resorts and centres for underwater photography and filming.
Reviewd by Rehab Saad
