TMF Marketing Manager goes on Safari

Ramy Youssry is Tornado Marine Fleet’s Marketing and Reservations Manager.  He has had many years experience working in the Tourism sector in Sharm el Sheikh, working with high profile Tour Operators such as Kuouni, Tez Tours, and Tui to name a few.  In fact you could say Ramy is the King of deals and a true landlubber.   Even when Ramy goes on vacation he finds it near on impossible to leave his lap top unattended, there is all ways the need to just check and keep in the thick of things.  Ramy even has to be reminded when his day off is, but for sure you will find him back in the office, often late at night.

So Tornado Marine Fleet decided on a little experiment, lets put Ramy out to sea for a week to see how the other half live.  Is it possible for our dedicated landlubbing Manager to relax on Whirlwind for a week?   When it comes to the life of a salty seadog, or more to the point the life of a Safari Guide – Ramy is a rookie.  He is an Advanced PADI Open water diver, but most probably due to his hectic lifestyle and work schedule hasn’t even dipped his big toe in the Red Sea for a while.

Ramy has been ordered to report on his week’s safari experience – so watch this space and our twitter account for all the highs and lows of our landlubbing colleague out to sea for a week.  

Whirlwind 20th March with dive guides Dickon and Yasser

Whirlwind set sail on the 20^th March, fully booked with Scuba Travel UK guests ready for a week in the Northern Red Sea on the Wrecks and Reefs itinerary.  Here are some of the guests comments on the brilliant wrecks, coral, and marine life the Red Sea has to offer.

Gordon Reef:  “Nice fast drift dive lots of life corals, fish and a turtle.”

Shark Reef: “This was an especially memorable dive for me as I visited this reef in 1978!  We drove from Jerusalem to the tip of the Sinai, camped on the beach and went snorkeling.  This was so amazing that it is one of the main reasons why I wanted to learn to Scuba dive – so that I could see it again and here I am!  It was just as I remembered it – wonderful colours, amazing variety of fish and coral. A world of life and vibrancy in the desert. “ -  Isobel

Thistlegorm:  “What a fantastic wreck something for everyone; teaming with marine life and a history to dive for.  One of my all time favourite wrecks.  Spared a thought for the crew who lost their lives when she sank.”

“Fantastic to be diving through all the holds – full of old motorbikes, cars, wellies and coal.  Taking up the option of a guided dive enabled me to make the most of the wreck.”

Chrisoula K "This was an exciting wreck to explore and with plenty of swim throughs and compartments without feeling claustrophobic. Plenty of reef life to hold interest both within and outside of the wreck.  A very enjoyable dive.”

Abu Nuhas -"Lovely reef to snorkel over, floating gently over really colourful corals and lots of fish”. Nicky

The Barge -“I particularly enjoyed diving The Barge as it had everything I look for in a dive, it was a wreck dive which appeared very similar to a reef dive as the corals and marine life has taken over the frame of the barge.  Being in shallow water meant the colour was there and the dive was easy.  Meeting the very large resident eel was great to see as were the many lionfish and scorpion fish.  The highlight of the dive was seeing a large pod of dolphins checking us out as they passed by. “ Clare

“Dolphins – big wow.  I didn’t realise how noisy they were – clicking and whistling - till I met them close up.”

“As a non-diver being able to snorkel above the barge was brilliant as you can clearly see the wreck...apart from when all the divers are in the way and blowing bubbles! Seeing a pod of dolphins pass by was very exciting and breathtaking. It was also lovely to snorkel through the small channel in the reef and into the lagoon, lots to see. Visited the island and found the skeleton of an inflated balloon porcupine fish. My favourite day so far!” Nicky

“Having THE BARGE  to ourselves with, a turtle, octopus and scorpion fish the size of dogs. Perfect way to start the day.”

“This whole trip has been a special occasion for me. Blown away by the quality of the reefs which are as good in places as the Southern itineraries.”

Mistral’s Wreck discovery trip

Mistral returned from her wreck hunting discovery voyage on Sunday 27^th March. Unfortunately the tech team Aaron Bruce(one of the most experienced tech divers in Sharm el Sheikh), Mike Ward, and Reda were unable to dive the ‘unknown’ wreck and decided to abandon further attempts as it would diminish the dive time of the non tech divers.  On the bright side the Wreck searchers have obtained the co-ordinates and are looking forward to planning a dedicated trip for the sole purpose to indentify her, and then tell the world of this unique discovery.  


The first discovery of the wreck was on a previous trip on Friday 18^th February by Captain Hamada of Hurricane.  Mike Ward who works with Scuba Travel UK dived above the wreck with our dive guides Reda and Sameh.  The visibility was very clear that day and the wreck could clearly be seen at an estimated depth of fifty to sixty meters.  So now we all wait with baited breath for the next discovery wreck trip which we will reveal soon. 

Mistral promo video

Guest comments on our Wrecks & Reefs itinerary on board Mistral

Mistral set sail on the 13^th March on the Northern Red Sea route aptly named 'Wrecks & Reefs'.  Here are just some of the comments about the beauty of the Red Sea and her amazing marine life.

Abu Nuhas reef: “This night dive was a gentle drift, fortunately for us, as soon as we descended we saw a Spanish dancer.”

Giannis D: “This wreck was awesome, such large swim trough's with a massive engine room. A massive skylight provides an immense amount of light that a torch is not needed at some parts of the swim-trough.”

“Giannis D was stunning. The best morning dive so far. To descend down beside such a towering mass of rusting, creaking iron. It was a beautiful wreck, and a great swim through.”

Uiysses and the Barge:  “The highlight of the day, was the dolphins, thereafter, spotting George, the very large stonefish and various other marine life, including quite a few Lionfish.”

“Spotted a pod of dolphins swimming close to the boat whilst moored close to the barge and I was lucky enough still to be in trunks at that point. I got my fins on and was in the water fairly quickly. The Dolphins had a good look at us in the water and the whole pod swam within a couple of metres of me. One circled three or four times at arm's length before swimming off. Pretty awesome.”

Thistlegorm  “Absolutely stunning wreck, beautiful from both the inside and outside. It was a pleasure to be guided by guides who took the time to show us the big things and the intricate marine life surrounding the wreck. A beautiful real life underwater museum and an experience that should not be missed.”

“The highlight of the day dive was seeing a stonefish perched on top of a motorbike seat. A true Hell's angel :P  Wished I had a camera at that point! There's also a lot of jellyfish around here. On my night dive I saw a few huge ones the size of my head. It was beautiful though, would definitely dive this again!”

“The Thistlegorm never ceases to amaze, although a  wonderful experience, it is also humbling.”

Small Crack: “Found a 10m stretch of overhanging table corals with at least a thousand Vankiro Sweepers – truly spectacular.”

Shark & Yolanda:  “One of my favourite reefs, having such a large wall with a huge amount of fish life is just breath taking with the possibility to see large fins and on this occasion we saw a huge tuna at least 2metres long.”

Jackson Reef Tiran: “Jackson reef a wonderful drift dive, with splits in the coral leading to sandy bottom, coral was fully alive with multiple routes to take.” 

Mistral on a voyage of discovery

Mistral sets sail on the 20^th March to the Brothers on a Get Wrecked escorted charter with wreck expert Mike Ward.   Apart from the pristine reefs, warm waters of the Red Sea, and the plethora of wrecks to dive, this charter has an added dimension.  This is a voyage of discovery, and for those who are booked on-board, it offers the chance to be the first to dive a new wreck.  Tech and Wreck expert Aaron Bruce will be on board, alongside long term Tornado Marine Fleet dive guide Reda, and of course Mike Ward.  The wreck is currently un-dived, she lies near the Ulysses and Rosalie Moller in an estimated depth of 80-90m, so divers must have the correct dive qualifications and experience.  Watch this space for more news on the discovery.   

T2 / Tornado Marine Fleet Staff Trip.

Tornado Marine Fleet in conjunction with T2 hosted an overnight mini safari on board M.Y Tempest for Diving Instructors from various centers.   Eleven Instructors from Ze-Club, Ocean College, Tornado Marine Fleet, plus the Recreational Manager of the Four Seasons, I.T manager from Red Sea Diving College, and the patron of T2 Mr Monty himself headed out to sea midday on Thursday to spend the night at the Alternatives. 

Although the trip caught the tail end of the winter winds everybody enjoyed their time.  At night they were treated to a spectacular nature scene, of a massive flock of flying seagulls surrounding the boat attracted by the fish caught in the boats lights.   

Some Instructors had never been on a liveaboard before, and were impressed by the luxury of the boat, the spacious en-suite cabins, and the service of the crew and the saloon staff.  A big thank you goes to the CEO of Tornado Marine Fleet Mr. Ayman Mousa for providing the charter, and Monty for generously contributing to the costs. 

Ukraine and Russian Journalists onboard M.Y Cyclone

Tornado Marine Fleet hosted The Mayor of South Sinai, a group of Russian and Ukrainian travel journalists from various T.V channels, Journalists from the Egyptian Channel one, the International Egyptian satellite channel, and the owner and assistant owner representative of Tez tours on board M.Y. Cyclone for a days diving in Ras Mohamed.    The trip will be broadcasted on the various media channels highlighting the beauty of the Red Sea, how safe Sharm el Sheikh is for visiting tourists, and the warm climate, making Sharm the ideal holiday destination for the Russian and Ukraine market.   Everyone enjoyed the trip, and commented on the pristine reefs, and plentiful marine life of the National Park.  

Just a couple of photos of marine sightings from our trips on board MY Whirlwind, MY Cyclone, MY Tempest, MY Hurricane, and MY Mistral.

Tornado Marine Fleet staff in promo film for Sharm.

Tempest Staff trip

Tornado Marine Fleet have kindly arranged an overnight trip on-board Tempest for the diving Instructors of Sharm, who want to make the most of the beautiful Red Sea.  Its a great opportunity to experience a liveaboard, see more marine life, away from the daily diving boats. Instructors from Ocean College, TMF, RSDC, Colona, Ze-Club, plus some old time Instructors will join the trip.  Watch this space for updates on the trip and photos. 

Mistral Tornado Marine Fleets new boat

Tornado Marine Fleet proudly announces the arrival of our new luxury live-aboard boat ‘Mistral’.  She has a state-of-the-art design especially thought out for the divers comfort and enjoyment.  There is a designated camera room for underwater photography lovers, spacious dive deck, saloon and dining room, and four double bed en-suite cabins, plus six twin room en-suite cabins. At 34 meters and of steel construction she is perfect for the Red Sea North and South safaris routes; with two 1150 hp caterpillar engines she has a top speed of 13 knots making sure you have a smooth and fast passage even to the more remote reefs.

Tornado joins the bloggers

Tornado Marine Fleet have finally joined the bloggers, and hopefully we will get lots of followers, catching up on all the lastest news from the fleet, our dive guides, and the sightings in the Red Sea.  This week Mistral our new boat set sail to The Brothers.  When they return we will keep you posted about the trip.