A Red Sea liveaboard that caught fire and sank last month has been replaced – and the new arrival, Scuba Scene’s Sea Legend, is now fulfilling previous bookings and accepting new ones.
The fire had broken out soon after Scuba Scene’s departure from Hurghada on 18 April, as reported on Divernet. The 19 occupants were evacuated safely, with guests found alternative accommodation and journeys home arranged. Scuba Scene’s managers, Ahmed Fadel and Elke Bojanowski, had been aboard at the time and insisted that future bookings would go ahead.
Now, a month after the sinking, they have justified that claim by taking on the motor yacht Sea Legend,
which Mark Murphy of Scuba Scene’s UK travel agent Oyster Diving Holidays says “offers the same high-quality experience”.
“They are also adding a few of their own touches that made a holiday on Scuba Scene so special,” he says: “Two high-powered RIBs with ladders and equipment racks, the chefs that serve up sensational restaurant-quality food, washer/dryer and warm towels in the winter to name but a few.”
Built in 2019, Sea Legend is only 1m shorter than Scuba Scene at 42m, with a maximum capacity for 32 diving guests but limited to 28 for comfort. Like Scuba Scene it is steel-hulled and equipped with two large speedboats fitted with tank-racks and dive-ladders.
“Of course, the trips wouldn’t be the same without managers and guides Elke and Ahmed,” says Murphy, adding that Bojanowski, who runs the Red Sea Shark Trust, would be continuing with her Red Sea Shark Weeks while Fadel would “continue to surprise people with his knowledge of the wrecks and reefs of the Red Sea… as well as his Tec Weeks and training.”
Passengers previously booked on Scuba Scene have been transferred to Sea Legend keeping to the original dates, and prices are unchanged.
“The Scuba Scene team is confident that they can maintain the same high standards and deliver holidays that will be as good, if not better than on Scuba Scene,” says Murphy. More information and bookings at Oyster Diving Holidays.
