Seven Sisters & Umlajj
Mandatory Requirements: PADI Open Water or equivalent and a minimum of 10 logged dives.
Recommended: Advanced Open Water, or deep dive certification, and experience in currents.
Duration
7 nights
Skill level
Intermediate
Overview
Walls and dropoffs
Shark encounters
Abundant marine life
Stunning corals
Shipwrecks
The Seven Sisters & Umlajj liveaboard itinerary spends 7 nights aboard Saudi Master exploring the offshore reefs between Yanbu and Umlajj, a stretch of the Saudi Red Sea where many reefs are still known only by the numbers on their navigation beacons. Their walls drop steeply into deep water, hung with gorgonian fans several metres across and covered in soft coral, and when the current runs, grey reef sharks, trevally and the occasional hammerhead come in off the blue. The Seven Sisters are a chain of reefs just south of Yanbu with wide coral plateaus running out into open water. There are also two wrecks on the route: the Orpheus, a Greek cement carrier stranded on Shu'aybah Reef since 1979, and the Iona, a steamship that has lain against a reef near Yanbu for around a century.
Dates & Prices
What's included:
- Shared embarkation and disembarkation transfers
- Liveaboard accommodation
- Full board (Breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks)
- Soft drinks, tea, coffee, mineral water
- Marine park and port fees
- Up to 3 dives per diving day
- 12 Litre (80 cu ft) cylinder
- Nitrox
- Flights
- Visas
- Additional transfers
- Land excursions
- Equipment rental
- On board merchandise
- Crew and dive guide gratuities
- Dive & Travel Insurance
Maps & Itinerary
The Seven Sisters & Umlajj liveaboard itinerary starts and finishes at Yanbu Port. Over 7 nights, Saudi Master dives the beacon-marked reefs and wrecks around Sha’ab Shu’aybah, towards Umlajj, and the Seven Sisters off Yanbu.
Umlajj
The Umlajj section of the route covers the beacon reefs of Markers 3, 7, 9 and 11 around Sha’ab Shu’aybah. Marker 11 drops vertically into deep water, its walls covered in gorgonian fans up to 5 m (16 ft) wide, and grey reef sharks often patrol the points when there is current. The 180 m (591 ft) Orpheus sits on the reef where she ran aground in 1979.
Seven Sisters
A chain of beacon-marked reefs around 20 km (12 mi) off Yanbu. Abu Galawa, the longest, has a broad plateau of coral heads and white sand channels, with silky sharks, trevally and hammerheads seen in the blue. Marker 39 is covered in hard and soft corals of every colour, with schools of pickhandle barracuda off the wall, and tiger sharks have occasionally been seen at Marker 32.
Yanbu
Closer to port, the Iona wreck lies at an angle against the reef with her stern at around 20 m (66 ft), surrounded by coral gardens, overhangs and small caves where moray eels and octopus shelter.
Where possible, Saudi Master offers up to 3 dives per day, typically scheduled as follows.
- Breakfast
- Briefing and dive 1
- Lunch and rest period
- Briefing and dive 2
- Snacks and rest period
- Briefing and dive 3, where possible
- Dinner
Important note: The dive sites and schedule shown above are illustrative and subject to change based on weather, sea conditions, local regulations and the Captain’s discretion.
Accommodation
8.8
Rated excellent
Nitrox
Included
Wifi
Free when available
Equipment
Surcharge
Tech Friendly
No
Prepare to embark on an amazing diving adventure aboard Saudi Master. Our 39.9-metre wooden-hulled liveaboard vessel has 12 individually air-conditioned cabins, hosting a maximum of 24 guests with a crew of 11 who have years of experience navigating Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea waters.
Saudi Master’s well-organised dive deck offers plenty of space for kitting up and equipment storage, while two pangas stand by to transfer divers to and from the dive sites. The mahogany and brass interior decor gives her a classic, characterful feel that perfectly suits the remote, expedition-style nature of diving in the the Red Sea and offshore around the Red Sea coast in Saudi Arabia.
Extras & Add-ons
Rental Gear | 7 nights |
|---|---|
Full Equipment set | 295 USD |
BCD | 55 USD |
Regulator | 55 USD |
Dive Computer | 55 USD |
Dive Light | 55 USD |
Wetsuit | 55 USD |
Mask | 38 USD |
Boots | 38 USD |
Fins | 38 USD |
SMB | 8 USD |
15 L Tank | 55 USD |
Extra 12 L Tank | 55 USD |
Full Equipment set includes BCD, Dive Computer, Fins, Mask, Regulator, SMB and Wetsuit. All rental equipment should be pre-booked, but can be paid for in advance or on board.
PLEASE NOTE: Items paid for on board are subject to 15% VAT.
Customer Reviews
Some of the great things our customers have said about our liveaboard in Saudi Arabia
Do you have questions about Saudi Arabia?
We have tried to include as much information as possible on our website. You may find, however, that you have additional questions about our Saudi Arabia liveaboard, diving in the Seven Sisters & Umlajj, or general destination information. Via the following link you can find answers to some commonly asked questions. Should you have other questions or queries, please contact our reservations team who will be pleased to assist you.
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