Thank you, Faisal et al!

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Permalink Reply by Kirk Hamblen on October 16, 2009 at 2:55pm

Right you are Lynne; the Tala is first and foremost a diver’s boat!
Let me take a minute to encourage all UTD members to book passage on the Tala so they too can dive the Red Sea. The Red Sea offers a fantastic combination of wrecks and reef’s. Both are available on the Northern tour. The crown jewel of the Red Sea is Big Brothers Island. Big Brother has two spectacular wrecks and a reef wall that’s second to none. The site is one of the top ten dive sites in the world.

There are many liveaboard’s plying the Red Sea, but the Tala is special. For me the Tala crew sets her apart from the rest. The Tala's crew is a wonderful combination of attributes, just like her owners; intellect and precision coupled with good humor and spontaneity. All together, they can accommodate any group, from the freshly minted open water diver to the most accomplished tech team. Most often, as on our tour, the Tala entertained a wide cross section of divers with different skill sets. During our visit the galley consistently produced wholesome meals of generous proportions while the diver support team worked hard to make sure everyone got in and out of the water safely. But I’m thinking that’s the rule not the exception.

The Tala is also on the vanguard of conservation in the Red Sea. Every briefing covered how fragile the reef is and emphasized its protection. Towards that end I was luck enough to sit next to a Saudi marine biologist on the way home who provided me some contacts which I’ll be forwarding off the Andrew and Faisal later today. Knowing that the marine environment in the Red Sea is one of the least studied bodies of water coupled with the crew’s passion for its conservation, it seam’s to me a perfect fit. Having witnessed how fragile the marine environment is regionally I can only wish them Godspeed in their upcoming research projects.

Nick and I want to thank everyone who was on board the Tala during our visit, we were treated like family. We look forward to returning to Hurgada and boarding the Tala again. Both of us are already missing you all very much Thank you for enriching our lives.