On 2 August 2027, a total solar eclipse will sweep across parts of North Africa and the Middle East, including Egypt, creating what is already shaping up to be one of the major travel events of the decade.
For divers, there is another way of experiencing it.
Boreas Cruises is planning a dedicated week-long Red Sea voyage that combines some of southern Egypt’s best-known diving areas with an offshore position selected for the eclipse itself.
The voyage is scheduled to run from 31 July to 7 August 2027, departing from Port Ghalib and travelling south through the Egyptian Red Sea.
According to Boreas, the itinerary will cover more than 600 kilometres during the week and include locations such as Daedalus Reef and Sataya, before positioning the vessel for the eclipse on 2 August.
Taking The Eclipse Offshore
The significance of the voyage is not simply that an eclipse will be visible from Egypt.
NASA confirms that the path of totality for the 2 August 2027 total solar eclipse crosses Egypt before continuing across Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Somalia. NASA lists Egypt within the path of totality.
Boreas says its planned observation position is at approximately 23.719006°N, 35.661164°E, offshore in the Red Sea and close to the eclipse centreline.
At that position, the operator expects approximately six minutes and 20 seconds of totality.
That offshore positioning is an important part of the concept. Eclipse duration varies considerably according to location, meaning simply being somewhere along Egypt’s Red Sea coast does not provide the same experience.
Boreas says the approximate duration increases as travellers move south, with Quseer expected to experience around 2 minutes 31 seconds, Port Ghalib around 4 minutes 33 seconds and Marsa Alam around 5 minutes 30 seconds, while locations farther north such as Hurghada sit outside the totality experience described for the voyage.
The precise position of the vessel on the day will, of course, remain subject to marine conditions and operational requirements.
Diving Before And After Totality
Rather than building an entire trip around several minutes of astronomy, Boreas is incorporating the eclipse into a full Red Sea itinerary.
The vessel is expected to travel more than 230 kilometres south of its departure point, with the week covering more than 600 kilometres in total.
Among the planned destinations are Daedalus Reef, one of Egypt’s best-known offshore diving locations, and Sataya, an area of the southern Red Sea particularly associated with spinner dolphins.
The result is effectively two experiences running alongside each other: a week-long Red Sea voyage for divers and non-divers, with the eclipse becoming the centrepiece of the itinerary on 2 August.
A Different Kind Of Eclipse Trip
Much of the attention surrounding the 2027 eclipse has understandably centred on land-based viewing in Egypt.
Boreas is taking a different approach by using the mobility of a liveaboard-style vessel to build the event into a wider Red Sea journey.
The company describes Boreas as a floating resort rather than a conventional dive liveaboard. The 50-metre vessel has 20 private cabins and accommodation for up to 48 guests, alongside diving, snorkelling and other water-based activities. Those vessel specifications are also currently listed by Boreas on its website. More information about Boreas and the vessel is available here.
The eclipse voyage is being offered both to guests booking individual accommodation and groups interested in chartering the vessel.
For groups in particular, that creates the possibility of combining a dive trip, private Red Sea charter and one of the most significant astronomical events visible from Egypt in the coming years.
Looking Ahead To August 2027
There is still almost a year to go before the eclipse, and operational details surrounding an offshore event of this scale may evolve as the date approaches.
What is already certain is the astronomical event itself.
NASA lists the next total solar eclipse after August 2026 as taking place on 2 August 2027, with totality crossing southern Spain, North Africa and onwards through parts of the Middle East.
For Boreas, the plan is to meet that path from the Red Sea.
The voyage departs 31 July 2027, placing guests aboard ahead of the eclipse on 2 August before continuing through the southern Red Sea until 7 August.
Further information and booking enquiries are available directly from Boreas Cruises.
