Fifty Years in the Red Sea (Above and Below) Photo Gallery by Howard Rosenstein at pbase.com

Fifty Years in the Red Sea (Above and Below)

Over most of my adult life I have had the pleasure and privilege to live, work and dive the Red Sea. This Gallery is a selection of images taken throughout these past 50 years from a young man fresh out of university in California and barely 20 years old and now a grandfather still diving and loving this amazing sea.
Here is a brief video that also captures some of the spirit, adventure and history of diving in this incredible area at a very special time in its history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8mdOOBy5J6M&feature=youtu.be

Special thanks and appreciation to my wife Sharon, without her it this story would never have happened.
Hope you enjoy,
Would love to hear back from you to howard@fantasea.com

Red Sea Divers poster	Satellite image of the mid east with Egypt left, Sinai, Israel and Saudi Arabia, Mediterranean top and Red Sea bottom	IMG_6863.JPG	Coming to Red Sea first time 1966	First Dive in Red Sea Sept 1966
Opening the Mediterranean Diving Center 1971	Mediterranean Diving Center, Sidna Ali Beach, Herzliya.JPG	First Diving Center Sidna Ali, Israel 1970	Sidna Ali diving Center Mediterranean 1970	Sidna Ali Diving Center 1971
David the fisherman takes divers	First Diving Course Deep Dives Alex on left and Doron Bergman on right.	Howard and Zvika giving course to Wingate 1973	Gaza 1972 b_resize.jpg	Beginning Red Sea diving safaris by land 1972
IMG_7111.JPG	Neviot Diving Center.jpg	Diving course in Neweiba 1972	Long haul to make a dive 1972	Diving course in Neweiba 1972
Diving Course in Neweiba 1972	Big Alex Shell	Micha Peri and Yatza at Marsa Bareka cave 1972	IMG_6898.JPG	IMG_6269.JPG
IMG_6263.JPG	Sharon diving at Dahab 1972	1972 Diving Courses on the Red Sea	1972 First American group from Bay Travel .jpg	Naama bay 1973
Naama Bay 1975	IMG_6860.JPG	IMG_7874.JPG	Signs of War	Ras Nasrani and Tiran Island 1968
Tiran Guns that blocked the Straits preceding the 1956 war	Egyptian tanks found at one of the first dive sites	Egyptian tanks found at Marsa Bareka	Naama Bay 1970's	Sinai Coastline
Mangroves Shurat el Manqeta	Bedouin Woman	Bedouin Fishermen	Sinai Shore between Naama and Ras Um Sidd	Bedouin encampment Wadi Kidd
The old sign	Heading out to dive from the Train Car Diving Center.jpg	Red Sea Diving Center Sharem el Sheikh in Train Car 1973	Red Sea Diving Center Sharem el Sheikh in Train Car 1973	Train car diving center
IMG_6272.JPG	DIVING CENTER SHAREM 1973	Howard and Zvika Naama Bay.Early Diving boats crowded to the extreme	Diving with Doubles with Alex and Zvika	wild days 1970's
Howard and Sharon diving Red Sea 1972	First American Group 1972 with Yehuda Melamend and Danny Popper	Army surplus jeep and Sinai towing service.jpg	Naama Bay 1974	Marta cleaning the rinse tank
Diving on first National Geographic expedition 1974 with Ann and David Doubilet and General Yatza at Marsa Bareka	Sinai Coastline	Sinai Coastline	Sinai Coastline	Dahab
Naama Bay 1982	Ras Um Sidd and Sharem el Sheikh	Ras Mohamed Campground	Exploring the desert	Sharon promoting Red Sea Diving USA 1973
wild days 1970's	Sharon and Ayelet 1974	Baby Ayelet on the Beach	Howard driving the Golden Slipper	With Genie Clark at Ras Mohamed 1974
Ann Doubilet and all their gear.jpg	FullSizeRender.jpg	David and Ann Doubilet with Danny	Danny, Howard and Ann Doubilet	Genie Clark at Ras Mohamed Reserve, Photo by Marjorie Wheaton
IMG_7392.JPG	Myself with David Doubilet .jpg	IMG_7757.JPG	IMG_7387.JPG	IMG_7393.JPG
IMG_7394.JPG	IMG_7395.JPG	FullSizeRender.jpg	IMG_7074.JPG	IMG_6958.JPG
IMG_6896.JPG	Communication center of the Sharm Army base strafed by Egyptian MiG Jets during the 1973 War. .jpg	IMG_6902.JPG	Anchor chain of the Jolanda lying on the reef.jpg	Filming the BBC Documentary �Mystery of the Red Sea Wreck� Illustration by Shlomo Cohen..jpeg
Maestro Leonard Bernstein getting ready for a Dive.jpg	Spotting the Dunraven site in the Suez gulf.jpg	Sunken ship graveyard at Abu Nuhas.jpg	The Lighthouse of Shadwan Island. .jpg	IMG_7882.JPG
IMG_7878.JPG	IMG_7864.JPG	1981 Israeli and Egyptian Ministers of Tourism meeting at Mena House, Cairo.jpg	1976 The new Red Sea Divers Center, Naama Bay, Sharm el Sheikh.jpg	1982 Egyptian and Israeli Naval officers reviewing maps of the diving sites. .JPG
IMG_7863.JPG	IMG_7855.JPG	IMG_7854.JPG	IMG_7808.JPG	IMG_7818.JPG
Genie and Howard 1974 low.jpg	Sharon, Ayelet and Genie Clark 1974	Howard by David Doubilet	Promo cover by Nat. Geo	Cover shot by David of Red Sea Story
National Geo Sept. 1975 Red Sea story.jpg	Camera 35 - June 1974 by Howard	Ras Nasrani.jpg	Yossi and Nir	Baby Ayelet on the Beach Nature Girl
Red Sea Divers and Marina Sharem hotel	Dolphin 9 Red Sea Divers Dive Boats ed_resize.jpg	Dive Boats coming to the jetty at Dolphin 9	Our Glass bottom boat	Naama Bay Red Sea Divers Dolphin 9 + Beach Area HIGH RESOLUTION PICTURE (2)_resize.jpg
Naama Bay 1970's	with Mohamed	Naama Bay 1970's	Naama Bay 1970's	Naama Bay
Marina Sharem Hotel, Naama Bay	Marina Sharem igloos !!	Naama Bay 1970's	Red Sea Divers Center Naama Bay 1976	Red Sea Divers Center Naama Bay
Red Sea Divers staff, L-R Sharon, Howard, Rachel, Yossi, Ayelet, Agadi and Chmeed.	Welcoming a dive group from Caymans	Santa Catherines Monastery, Mt. Sinai	1975 Diving into the Well at Saint Catherine�s monastery .jpg	Diving in Bedouin Well Saint Catherin Monastary Mt. Sinai
IMG_7873.JPG	Hans Hass at Ras Mohamed	Bruno Vailati Friendly Monsters of the Sea 1976	BRUNO Vailati shooting Friendly Monsters of the Sea 1974
Dahab from the air	034_13-.jpg	Ras um Sidd	Straits of Tiran	tiran straits
Ras Mohamed by David Doubiler to National Geographic story Sept. 1975	Head of Mohamed (look in the middle section of the cliff !!)	Ras Mohamed	Divers at Ras Mohamed	Ras Mohamed diving area
Ras Mohamed the Islands	Doubilet image of Howard used by Nat. Geo	Howard by Doubilet book cover	Howard by Doubilet book cover	David Doubilet and Eugenie Clark on National Geo Shark Story
Eugenie Clark on National Geo Shark Story	Shark Story National Geographic 1974	Genie and a Photoblepheron (Flash Light fish) from National Geographic story (by David Doubilet)	Making Imax movie with Chuck Nicklin	Sharon, Howard, Harry Wadsworth and Genie Clark
Leonard Bernstein and Howard.JPG	Ofira from the sea	Ofira aerial	Naama Bay 1982	Flood of 1979
Flood of 1979	Howard and Sharon	never crowd the boat	Red Sea Diver 1 the first real dive boat in the Sinai (1975)	Red Sea Diver 1
Boatful of Hall of Famer's 1977	Naama Bay Jetty with Red Sea Diver "Fleet"	Red Sea Diver 1	The metal boat	when the dive boat becomes a dive site!!
The Tom	Howard and Rick Tegler on Tom 1980	Howard and Rick Tegler on Tom 1980	Nic and Jay Fleming	Red Sea Divers Center Naama 1979
Naama Bay 1970's	Naama Bay 1970's	Naama Bay 1970's	Loading the boats	Loading up for a day of diving
The fleet	Waving goodbye to the dive boat	With Nadav, the training begins	with Maestro Leonard Bernstein
	Dive to Adventure Dunraven by Jack McKenny	Dive to Adventure Dunraven_resize.jpg	Dunraven expedition by Shlomo Cohen 1976	Shlomo Cohen and Howard Dunraven movie_resize.jpg
Yossi Kvashny and Yohanan Shpeir Dunraven Movie_resize.jpg	1976 Spotting Shaab Mahmoud and the Dunraven Shipwreck for the first time	Dunraven Wreck	Dunraven Shipwreck	Jack Mckinney and Sari Gaines visit a shipwreck
FullSizeRender.jpg	Jack McKinney and Capt. Ole Filming "Gods other World"	U.S. Ambassador Samuel Lewis, Chuck Nicklin and Dan Arazi Dunraven movie	Dunraven remains	Skin Diver Mag feature on Red Sea 1979
IMG_7869.JPEG	IMG_7859.JPG	IMG_6871.JPG	FullSizeRender.jpg	Carl Roessler leads yet another Sea and Sea group
The Jolanda and the Salvage vessel Montagne at Shark Reef, Ras Mohamed.jpg	IMG_6856.JPG	The Yolanda Sinks Ras Mohamed 1979	Louella goes aground at Gordon Reef 1981	Loullia On the Tiran reef
Lara on the Tiran Reef	Wreck at Abu Nuhaus 1979	IMG_6891.JPG	The Yolanda Sinks Ras Mohamed 1979	garbage
BMW underwater	Dr. Eugenie Clark finds the Yolanda "treasure"	IMG_6888.JPG	Naama Bay with 2 motels in the early 1970�s.jpg	September 1975 Cover Story .jpg
1976 Expanding the Red Sea Divers Fleet	Loading up the Dive Boats at Red Sea Divers 1982	Loading up the Dive Boats at Red Sea Divers 1982	Bedouin Fishermen advising about the shipwreck.JPG	Dive Sites in Suez Gulf for Fantasea Cruises 1983-1997
Ras Mohamed by air, photo by David Doubilet, National Geographic story Sept. 1975	Ras Mohamed with temporary Israel-Egypt Border marker on top	Red Sea Divers Tshirt at Ras Mohamed	Egyptian Fishing Boat at Ras Mohamed 1981	Sharm el Sheikh, Sharm el Moya, Naama and Tiran Island from the air
Tiran Straits and Island	Naama Bay from National Geographic story 1981	Naama Bay from National Geographic story 1981	Aboard the Tom 1981	Brett Gilliam and Lina Hitchcock on the Tom 1979
Lina and the missile	Family	Sharon and Howard aboard Nirvana off Shadwan island 1979	Shooting in a wreck	Sharon diving
Manta	Howard photographing Oceanic White tip_resize.jpg			Sadat and Begin in Sharem 1981
1981 Begin and Sadat Summit in Sharem.jpg	Sadat and Begin sitting next door to Red Sea Divers using our table and chairs		Peace is in the air	Meeting with Egyptian and Israeli Military officials
Sinai withdrawl story	Egyptian UW Photographer Ayman Taher	IMG_6852.JPG	Egyptian delegation visits Sharem for the First time since the 6 Day war, led by Dr. Eugenie Clark	National Geo Sinai withdrawl story April 1982
Family outing from Nat. Geo. magazine April 1982	Rosenstein family snorkeling from National Geographic April 1982	National Geographic Sinai Withdrawal Story March 1982.jpg	Divers farewell to Ophira	Packing up 1982
April 1982, Lowering the Israeli flag for the last time in Ophira, Sharm el Sheikh .jpg	Leaving Sinai March 1982	1983 A new company - Fantasea Cruises	Navy surplus patrol boat for possible live aboard operation.	Fantasea 1 at Marsa Bareka
With Ambassador Samuel Lewis	U.S. Ambassador to Israel and UN Thomas Pickering	U.S. Ambassador to Israel William Brown	C0B633EC-50E9-4325-BBF1-29DA8B7D865F.JPG	FullSizeRender.jpg
Fantasea 1 at Marsa Bareka		Fantasea 1 with Capt. Yehuda	Briefing a dive	David Doubilet and Dr. Eugenie Clark.jpg
David Fridman, Genie and Yehuda	A joint Egyptian, Israeli, American documentary appeal to keep the Sinai reefs protected..png	John Stoneman filming Red Sea	United States Ambassador Samuel W. Lewis.JPG	Family shot
DIVING ROSENSTEIN'S	Apollo Astronaut James Irwin	At Brothers Lighthouse Egyptian Red Sea	Buying Fantasea 2 in Palma	Fantasea 2 Daedalus Reef
Fantasea 2	Zabbergad Island	Owners cabin Fantasea 2	Fantasea 2 wheelhouse	Lovers Fantasea
Merv Adelson and Barbara Walters on Fantasea 2	Barbara Walters on Fantasea 2	with NY group	First group on Fantasea 2
Sharon	Fantasea 2 crew with Capt. Eran	filming with French TV Nicolas Hulot	Nicolas Hulot of Ushuaia	Ariel
Diving Routes of Fantasea 2 from Israel to Madigascar	Entire Red Sea from North to South for National Geographic 1992 by David Doubilet on Fantasea 2	Skin Diver Article	Promoting with Sylvia Earle	Promoting with Stephen Frink
Chuck Nicklin	Sharon, Genie Clark and Howard	Ayelet at Dolphin Reef	Sharon and Daria	Photographing
Photographing in wreck at Brothers island	Another day on the job		Leading a group	Being Harassed by Egyptian Helicopter
Daedalus Reef	Big Brother island	Daedalus reef	Stan Waterman in the Red Sea Fantasea	Stan Waterman
Enjoying a cigar and brandy with diving legend Stan Waterman	Sudan rescue	Rescue of Fantasea 2 guest off the Sudan coast by the Israeli aiforce 1991	Sudan Shipwreck with Air Force Helicopter rescue	Fantasea 2 towed off the reef Sudan 1991
early Fantasea Poster20020_0014.jpg	Entire Red Sea from North to South by David Doubilet on Fantasea 2	Fantasea 2 at Mahe Seychelles	Fregate Island, Seychelles 1992	Seychelles
La Digue Island Seychelles	Aldabara Exploration	Seychelles President plane at Assumption island	the presidents plane.jpg	Fantasea 2 in Aldabra Lagoon
Aldabra Lagoon from air Aldabara Story National Geographic, David Doubilet 1995	Snorkeling off Fantasea 2, Assumption Island, Aldabra group, Seycheclles	Boobies in Aldabara Mangroves.	Giant Tortoise, Aldabara Story National Geographic, David Doubilet 1995	Astove Atoll, Aldabara Story National Geographic, David Doubilet 1995
Aldabra Island	Aldabra Lagoon	Fantasea 2 crew	National Geographic Aldabra expedition 1992.jpg	Aldabra expedition
Aldabra Lagoon	Aldabra Lagoon	David Doublilet and gear on Fantasea 2	National Geographic Aldabra Expedition 1992	Aldabara for Nat. Geo
Fantasea 2	Aldabra Lagoon	Duke of Westminster family Aldabra	Duke of Westminster family Aldabra	Aldabra Mangroves Seychelles
Assumption Island, Seychelles	Madagascar	Hellsville, Madagascar Harbor Master	Madagascar BBC Film with Nadav	Madagascar
Madagascar	Joanna Lumley BBC shoot in Madagascar	Joanna Lumley, BBC movie Madagascar	Ocean Realm feature on Red Sea	Explorers Oct. 2004
Howard on book cover			Sunset in Aldabra Lagoon	Ayelet and Nadav in Palau
Family and Friends trip	Naama 1980	Naama 1979 Red Sea Divers Center	Naama 2009	Naama Bay Dec. 2008
Ras Um Sidd 1980	Ras Um Sidd 2010		settling down 2000's	ProEar project
at DEMA for Fantasea Line	With son Nadav dive testing housings for Fantasea Line	settling down 2000's	2014	Howard and Buzz Aldrin Diving in Eilat 2015
U.S Ambassador and Undersecretary of State Thomas Pickering, David Pilosof, Howard and David Fridman diving in Eilat.	With Dr. Sylvia Earle and Amos Nachoum Eilat 2017	diving with Sylvia Earle in the Red Sea.	"Her Deepnes" Dr. Sylvia Earle Eilat 2017	new images22020_0001.jpg
Some of the Books and Magazine articles relating to our business	My Memoir	Member of the International Scuba Diving Hall of Fame.jpg	Becoming a Diving Dinosaur

comment |

Dan Greenberg		12-Aug-2024 22:34
Very cool Howard. I always wanted to dive there but only got the chance to snorkel and only in Eilat. Congratulations on your memoir. ~V~

anuschka		02-May-2022 07:59
So interesting to see all the changes over the years, wonderfull.

Wintermeer		24-Sep-2019 13:37
Breathtaking imagery! Pictures like that are what got me into diving in the early 90es. Thanks for bringing back tons of wonderful memories! ~V~

Guest		05-Sep-2018 16:27
Amazing. Thanx for having the foresight to memorialize a truly awesome lifetime... and warmest wishes for many more years. Mahalo nui loa Sharon and Howard ... you guyz are truly inspirational!

Antonio Outis Colacino		15-Jul-2017 12:37
I've been there first time in the 74, then as an MFO navy eod diver from the 82 to the 86, I'm very disappointed and sad by the actual destruction and natural offence of the paradise I knew. Thanks Howard o share those wonderful as painful memories of a lost golden age. Antonio

Matthew Jarrett		31-Mar-2017 22:35
Dear Howard, I can barely begin to tell you how wonderful it has been to stumble across your archive of so many years. I have been diving all over the world for getting on for 35 years, but long before that at the age of 19 I spent 6 months on kibbutz and twice travelled down into the Sinai in 1979, snorkelling out of Nuweiba and Na'ama Bay. Going through your fantastic photographic record has brought memories flooding back. We built a little shelter from beach trash and palm leaves just over that little hill at the southern end of Na'ama, on the beach just south of your pier. We hired mask, snorkel and fins which must have come from you, and what we saw over those days is one of the reasons I'm now a seasoned old diving instructor! I later joined London Branch of the British Sub-Aqua Club. I know that they used to do safari trips to the Red Sea in the 70's and 80's; you probably had dealings with them at Na'ama! Flicking between photos of then and now it's sobering to realise how much has changed. I've been diving in the Red Sea many times since but nothing quite recaptures those first moments of astonishment and wonder I experienced back in 1979... Thankyou, thankyou and I wish you and your family well, Regards, Matthew Jarrett

Owen J Burke		01-May-2015 01:51
Hi Howard, I'm an editor and writer at The Scuttlefish, an ongoing ocean almanac that does a feature called "Life in Salt" in which we interview inspirational people doing inspirational things at sea. Any interest in a quick chat for the site? Cheers, Owen

Long Bach Nguyen		07-Jan-2013 06:41
fantastic documentary of your visit and creating so many memorable images.

PJ Probert		05-Oct-2012 15:34
I'm almost speechless....fantastic memories and images......

Luigi Carta		16-Oct-2011 09:37
Absolute fantastic memories and historical records. Great job. Thanks for sharing. V

Peca Radifkovic		12-Oct-2011 19:08
It was a journey through time and water. Thank you for sharing this unique photos and stories

Guest		26-Feb-2011 19:41
I'm so happy I stumbled on to your pages. I am fascinated by your story as told by these wonderful photos. Thank you for sharing.

joseantonio		30-May-2010 05:51
Impressive gallery

Jean Paul Machico		28-May-2010 07:38
Wonderful pictures. Beautiful memories. Thank you.

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