Red Sea Dolphin Project | Dolphin Watching

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The Red Sea Dolphin Project (RSDP) is the first boat-based research program in Southern Egypt, focused on cetacean abundance, ecology and distribution. RSDP is an HEPCA project (www.hepca.com)

The Red Sea Dolphin Project (RSDP) is the first boat-based research program in Egypt. The aim of the study is to document the abundance, distribution and ecology of the Egyptian dolphins and whales to provide baseline scientific data for the adoption of long-term management measures and conservation strategies to promote sustainable tourism development for the region. To fund the project we need the help of Eco-volunteers willing to join the RSDP expeditions and to assist the researchers on the field. Volunteers will be part of a unique interactive and scientific experience observing and studying the dolphins while navigating in some of the few pristine areas on the Egyptian Red Sea coast. Participants will be fully involved in all aspects of the project, learning about marine animals (dolphins, dugongs, sharks, turtles, sea-birds, corals, etc.) and their environment, field research methodologies and data collection.

Months

January • February • June • July • August • November • December

Duration

Multi-day

Vessel types

Live-aboard boat

Times and prices

Max 10 participants for team. Full participation fee: € 1150 (other currency: 8650 EGP, 1550 USD or 980 GBP) Student under 26 fee: € 650 (other currency: 4900 EGP, 880 USD or 560 GBP) Discount fee for more teams or locals: € 950 (other currency: 7150 EGP, 1290 USD or 810 GBP) Dates 2010 Team 05: 04 Dec - 12 Dec Team 06: 13 Dec - 21 Dec Dates 2011 Team 07: 15 Jan - 24 Jan (Full booked) Team 08: 25 Jan - 03 Feb (Full booked) Team 09: 04 Feb - 13 Feb Team NEW1: 14 Feb - 23 Feb (added on request) Team NEW2: 24 Feb - 5 Mar (added on request) Team 10: 04 Jun - 13 Jun Team 11: 14 Jun - 23 Jun Team 12: 24 Jun - 03 Jul Team 13: 21 Jul - 30 Jul Team 14: 31 Jul - 09 Aug Team 15: 23 Nov - 02 Dec Team 16: 03 Dec - 12 Dec

About our skippers and naturalist guides

RSDP international research team is composed of scientists specialized in many different marine environment topics. Marina Costa holds a degree in Biology and is a Research student at St. Andrews University. She have been working with Tethys Research Institute since 2002 and with CRRU since 2008. Amina Cesario holds a degree in Biology. She worked as field assistant in Samadai Project in Egypt in 2006 and at the Murdoch University in Australia in 2008. Amina is a Ph.D candidate at the University of Honk Kong. Maddalena Fumagalli holds a degree in Biology. She worked as field assistant in Samadai Project in Egypt in 2006 and as a scientific guide in Tunisia in 2008. The captain of the boat is a local Bedouin with more than 25 years of experience at sea. He belongs to one of the most old captain family in the Red Sea.

Facilities

Deck with 360?vision • Naturalist guide(s) as well as skipper • On board hydrophone • On board video • Onboard research • Public participation in research • Reading material available • Restrooms / toilets on board • Snacks / drinks • Support conservation • Swim / snorkel included • Use a code of conduct

We frequently

See leaping dolphins • Swim with them in the wild • Watch dolphins only

Baleen Whales

Bryde's Whale

Toothed Whales

False Killer Whale

Ocean Dolphins

Bottlenose Dolphin • Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin • Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin • Long-beaked Common Dolphin • Pantropical Spotted Dolphin • Risso's Dolphin • Spinner Dolphin

Other wildlife and points of interest

Dugongs, Sharks (Tiger, Oceanic white tip, Silky, Grey, Hammered, Thresher, whitetip and Blecktip), Sea-turtles (green, hawksbill), Sea-birds (white eye and sooty gulls, terns, osprey, brown booby, Sooty Falcon), coral reef associated life