Sha'ab Rumi, Sudan

Mooring Ball
Sha'ab Rumi
Sudan
Africa
19'56.8N/37'24.1E

650 Miles to the Suez Canal!!
0 fish caught today...

We left at 8am this morning for a short 10 mile trip north to where we are presently anchored at another reef anchorage called Sha'ab Rumi. This was where Jacques Cousteau spent some time doing some filming in an underwater habitat called Conshelf II. One of his divers died here and is reportedly buried here somewhere. But I can not see how as there is no land here, just reef.

To enter this circular reef there is a very narrow pass, about 100 feet wide. that 'ol Cousteau blasted through the reef with dynamite. He probably left that detail out of his show. Once we were inside the reef we headed to the north end where there are mooring buoys. We grabbed ourselves one. It would be very hard to anchor in here as it is very deep, and all coral.

As soon as we got secured we all jumped in the water for some spectacular snorkeling. There are many different brightly colored corals and reef fish here. We were a bit intimidated to get in at first as just after we arrived a large barracuda was hanging out off Sandpiper's port side. We also crossed the reef and explored a wrecked sailboat that looks like it might have gone up on the reef this year. Its keel is ripped off and its laying on its starboard side. Everything that can be removed has been stripped off.

Our plans are to leave here at 3pm for an overnight 90 mile jump north. The northerly winds have dropped down to almost nothing, and we are hoping it lasts through tomorrow so we can eat up some miles.

More from somewhere else...
Tom and Amy