MV Nouran dive boat review
Photographs: Red Sea Explorers.
MV Nouran: a historical Red Sea liveaboard profile
MV Nouran was lost following a fire near Daedalus Reef on 6 November 2024 and is not available for cruises in 2026. The operator reported that all guests and crew were evacuated without injury. This page preserves the boat’s history, cabins, photographs and guest experiences; it is not a current booking offer.
Nouran belonged to Red Sea Explorers and combined recreational safaris with a substantial technical-diving operation in the Egyptian Red Sea. Please note, Miss Nouran is a different boat: the similar names should not be used interchangeably when reading older reviews or choosing a cruise.
Nouran’s cabins and vessel history
The 36-metre wooden vessel was built in 2006 and upgraded in 2018. With a beam of 7.5 metres, three decks and accommodation for 24 guests, Nouran offered 12 air-conditioned cabins with en-suite bathrooms. Four cabins were listed on the upper deck, and two rooms had double beds.
The cabins were fully furnished with mattresses, pillows and linens. The photographs show the distinction between a twin room with separate beds and a double with bedside storage, while larger windows brought light into the pictured rooms. Those images illustrate particular cabins rather than every room category aboard.
| Feature | MV Nouran |
|---|---|
| Operator | Red Sea Explorers |
| Construction / upgrade | 2006 / 2018 |
| Hull and dimensions | Wood; 36 m length × 7.5 m beam |
| Guest accommodation | 24 guests in 12 en-suite, air-conditioned cabins |
| Upper-deck cabins / double-bed cabins | 4 / 2 |
| Status | Lost after the fire of 6 November 2024; no current departures |
Life between dives aboard Nouran
The main deck had a vast air-conditioned room with a restaurant-style dining area and a lounge. The dining room provided space for the group to eat together, while the living area had a large television and entertainment system. In the photographs, upholstered sofas and low tables occupy one end of the room, with dining tables farther along the same bright, window-lined space.
Outside, there was an uncovered sundeck at the bow and a covered area aft of the main deck. The spacious skydeck featured bench-like seating and tables; the shaded fly-deck seating and open-air bar gave divers places to gather without spending every surface interval indoors. These details from the original profile help explain the boat’s sociable layout.
Meals followed the rhythm of the diving day, with three freshly prepared meals and local and international cooking. On his 2021 southern voyage, Scott Bennett particularly enjoyed the food, including kibbeh. That is a recollection of one trip, rather than a fixed menu. Dietary arrangements belonged to each booking and should not be inferred from the photographs.
The aft preparation area had benches, cylinder stations and equipment crates. Nouran supported technical configurations with oxygen and helium blending, twinsets, rebreathers and diver propulsion vehicles. This capability was a distinctive part of the operation, but it did not turn every recreational safari into a technical expedition.
Where Nouran sailed: historical itinerary families
Nouran’s recorded voyages ranged from northern wreck weeks to longer southern explorations. The examples below distinguish trips that guests described from programmes advertised for a particular date. All concern the Egyptian Red Sea; none is a current departure.
| Historical route | Duration and ports | What distinguished it |
|---|---|---|
| Northern wrecks and Ras Mohammed, September 2016 | One week from Hurghada | A guest account describes Abu Nuhas, Thistlegorm and Ras Mohammed, with repeated diving days rather than a southern offshore circuit. |
| Brothers, Daedalus and Elphinstone | Regular week-long route reported in historical coverage; exact sailing ports varied | Offshore islands and walls, with open-sea passages between locations. |
| Deep South and remote islands, 2021 voyage | One week from and back to Hurghada; Port Ghalib had originally been planned | Elphinstone, Rocky, Zabargad, Fury Shoals and Daedalus formed a wide-ranging southern trip. |
| Extended south, advertised for June 2024 | 13 nights; Hurghada to El Gouna | A longer proposed itinerary through the Brothers, Daedalus, Rocky, Zabargad and St John’s. |
| Rocky and Zabargad safari, historical advertised package | 8 days; El Gouna to Port Ghalib or Hurghada | A shorter southern package with Abu Nuhas also named; the published outline did not establish a complete daily order. |
The longer crossings were part of the choice. A northern wreck week concentrated on shipwreck interest, whereas the southern voyages traded more time at sea for remote island walls and reef formations. The 2021 departure also illustrates why port arrangements mattered: its embarkation changed from the original plan.
Nouran’s historical itinerary map
These are partial historical references. Lines appear only where an account establishes an order, and skip unmapped intermediate stops; the other layers show locations without asserting sailing order. No embarkation berth is assigned.
Daedalus marker: southern reef reference from Red Sea Diving, checked 4 November 2026. This is a geographic reference, not a dive-entry point.
- Northern week, 2016: Hurghada departure; Abu Nuhas, Thistlegorm and Ras Mohammed are documented highlights, without a complete daily sequence.
- BDE: Big Brother, Small Brother, Daedalus and Elphinstone are historical route references; a fixed order and exact departure port are not established.
- 2021 voyage: Hurghada → Ras Torombi → Abu Dabbab → Elphinstone → Rocky → Zabargad → Sataya → Claudio → Maksour → Daedalus → Elphinstone → Ras Torombi → Hurghada. Ras Torombi, the specific Abu Dabbab reef, Maksour and port berths are not mapped.
- June 2024 proposal: Hurghada → Carless or an alternative → Big Brother → Small Brother → Daedalus → Rocky/Zabargad → St John’s → Ras Tirombi → Erg Somaya → El Gouna. Carless, Ras Tirombi, Erg Somaya and port berths remain unmapped. This was an advertised programme, not proof that every stop was visited.
- Eight-day outline: El Gouna departure, Abu Nuhas and Rocky/Zabargad highlights, ending at Port Ghalib or Hurghada. The full order was not specified.
Reef and wreck references from Nouran’s voyages
Abu Nuhas marks the reef rather than an individual wreck. Thistlegorm is a wreck location, while the Ras Mohammed reference is at Shark and Yolanda. The Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone and Rocky represent offshore reef and wall locations. Sataya and Claudia identify southern reefs; Habili Ali is a reference for the wider St John’s group, not a promised stop.
Geographic references: CDWS dive-site directory, checked 23 October 2026. Route context: dated guest voyages and historical programmes described above.
Diving style and specialist expeditions
Nouran carried guides and deck staff for ordinary diving safaris as well as equipment for more specialised work. Historical research and deep-wreck accounts also associate the vessel with technical expeditions. Their complete day-by-day programmes have not been established here, so they are not presented as additional fully mapped cruises.
A reef visit did not prescribe a universal dive profile. Currents, conditions, the group’s qualifications and the actual entry point shaped the dive. Offshore wildlife encounters were possibilities, not promises; even a voyage through renowned southern reefs could miss a hoped-for sighting.
Travelling with a non-diver?
Nouran no longer takes passengers; current companion fares and activities therefore do not apply to this vessel.
What Nouran’s guests remembered
The accounts below are historical travel reports, not a representative rating of a boat operating today. They provide different views of the vessel: a group wreck-diving holiday, a southern safari and a repeat visitor’s long association with the fleet.
What guests loved
Tor Inge Leidland’s September 2016 account describes a week with Norwegian diving friends, including the Giannis D and Thistlegorm wrecks. Vehicles inside Thistlegorm were among the photographic attractions, and his enthusiasm for returning gives the account the character of a shared diving holiday rather than a cabin inspection.
Scott Bennett’s 2021 voyage report appreciated the food and the practical dive-deck setup, including charging provision. Its southern journey also records the different reef and island stops that made this a much broader trip than a northern wreck week.
In a July 2025 retrospective, Jesper Kjøller described feeling at home after more than forty weeks aboard Tala and Nouran combined. That familiarity is useful context for the fleet’s appeal, but it is not forty weeks on Nouran alone or evidence about a present-day replacement vessel.
What could be better
Bennett’s account shows the limits of wildlife expectations: dolphins were not encountered at Sataya, and the warm-water trip did not deliver abundant hammerhead sightings. These are observations from one voyage, not defects in the boat or a forecast for other dates. The available accounts do not support a broad claim about recurring cabin or service complaints.
Choosing a Red Sea liveaboard today
Nouran’s photographs and older fares should not be used to select a 2026 cabin. For a trip combining wrecks with technical-diving support, Tala’s separate profile explains its own cabins and documented programme. The boat, itinerary and inclusions on a new booking need to match the vessel actually sailing.
A view from Nouran before her loss
Red Sea Explorers published “View from MV Nouran on the Red Sea” in May 2023. This short historical film offers context from her operating years; it does not show a boat available to book today.
Video: Red Sea Explorers — View from MV Nouran on the Red Sea.
Questions about MV Nouran
Can I book MV Nouran for 2026?
No. The Red Sea Explorers vessel was lost following a fire on 6 November 2024. This is a historical profile.
Was anyone injured in the fire?
The operator’s statement said all guests and crew were evacuated without injury. The boat could not be saved.
What caused the fire?
No verified cause has been established in the sources used for this update. This profile does not speculate about responsibility or the origin of the fire.
Is MV Nouran the same as Miss Nouran?
No. Miss Nouran is a different vessel. Similar boat names must not be treated as proof of shared identity, facilities or operational status.
How many cabins did Nouran have?
The boat accommodated 24 guests in 12 en-suite cabins with air-conditioning. Four cabins were listed on the upper deck and two had double beds.
Did Nouran offer only technical diving?
No. Recreational wreck and reef safaris were part of her programme, alongside technical-diving equipment and specialist expeditions.
Are the routes on this page current offers?
No. They are historical voyages or dated advertised programmes. The maps distinguish verified geographic references from missing stops and unconfirmed sailing order.
Do the photographs show Nouran in 2026?
No. They show the vessel during her operating years. They cannot represent current condition or a replacement boat.
Did you travel aboard Nouran? Share your memories, including your trip date and route.
Status and historical information checked 23 October 2026. This is a researched update preserving the original profile’s useful descriptions, not a new onboard inspection.
Where does this liveaboard dive boat go?
Check out the fabulous places where this dive boat travels to.
Note: some destinations may not be listed below, please enquire for more details.
Hamata
Hamata gives land-based divers access to Fury Shoals: coral gardens, small wrecks and exposed outer reefs, with outings matched to experience and sea conditions.
Eilat
Eilat offers mainly shore-based Red Sea diving, with coral gardens, the Satil wreck and sites for different experience levels. Check recent-dive and insurance requirements before arrival.
Aqaba
Aqaba combines coral gardens and shore diving with the Cedar Pride, aircraft wrecks and underwater military displays. A land-based stay can also include Petra and Wadi Rum.
Marsa Alam
Marsa Alam combines shore-access bays such as Abu Dabbab with boat trips to offshore reefs including Elphinstone. Choose the base and dive profile to suit your experience; wildlife sightings vary.
Nuweiba
Nuweiba suits unhurried shore diving and underwater photography, with coral gardens and small marine life to explore with a local guide.
Dahab
Dahab combines shore-access reefs and training sites with advanced profiles at the Canyon and Blue Hole. Choose the dive to match your experience.
Hurghada
Hurghada combines day-boat reefs, beginner training and longer wreck excursions. Match the site, transfer and dive profile to your experience.
Sharm El Sheikh
Sharm combines local reef diving with Ras Mohammed, Tiran and separately planned wreck excursions. Match the route and dive profile to your experience.
Red Sea
Red Sea diving ranges from shore reefs and northern wrecks to exposed offshore walls. Choose the base and route around your experience and travel plans.
- If you have been diving on board this liveaboard dive boat in Red Sea, please share your review and let us know what you thought. Please post your comments in the review section below, by doing so you will help fellow divers to plan their next diving trip
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