Draped in a vibrant mix of soft corals and sponges, and patrolled by an array of pelagic predators, the shipwreck of the cargo vessel Numidia, embedded into the north point of Big Brother Island since 1901, endlessly captivates, from its shattered bow in the shallows to its enormous intact stern section, which disappears into the depths. Only one of the stars during our week on board Red Sea Aggressor, the wreck will vie for our attention with some of the world’s most pristine coral growth found off nearby Little Brother.

The Brothers, two islands known as El Akhawein in Arabic, offer our merry liveaboard posse a smorgasbord of underwater adventures. The two pinnacles of rocky reef, which protrude out of the Egyptian Red Sea some 60 miles offshore, rise up from the depths and lie about a mile apart. They’re a magnet for fish of all shapes and sizes, and have been designated as marine parks for many years. Most of the dives take place on Big Brother, a cigar-shaped spit of land approximately 2,600 feet long. Favored stops include the north point, where the Numidia lies; down the western side, the final resting place of a second, deeper wreck, the Aida; and the undulating plateaus that drop off the southern end, which is a popular hangout for thresher sharks. Sites on small, circular Little Brother feature sheer walls and deep plateaus, with the north end a particular hot spot for shark action and the southern wall boasting a magnificent forest of gigantic gorgonian sea fans.

We’re certainly on the right boat to explore these islands. After a 10-year hiatus, the Aggressor Fleet is back in Egyptian waters, and the 120-foot-long Red Sea Aggressor features comfortable en-suite cabins, a spacious, air-conditioned salon and dining area, a large dive deck, huge dual sun decks and two inflatable tenders equipped with ladders to make exiting the water a piece of cake. Even better, the boat offers four dives a day out at the offshore marine parks instead of the usual three run by its rivals, which means that we’re often the only divers in the water on our second afternoon dive. You’ve got your choice of four itineraries: north to the Brothers and fellow offshore marine park reefs Daedalus and Elphinstone (known by Red Sea aficionados as “simply the best”), south to St. John’s and Fury Shoals, the best of both, or all of the above. Whether you want to be blown away by the Numidia and the Aida or astounded by the sheer weight of marine life surrounding these two small specks of land, the Brother Islands — and a trip on Red Sea Aggressor — deserve a spot on your bucket list. aggressor.com

A typical weeklong itinerary on Red Sea Aggressor will cost you $1,899 for a deluxe room, including up to 22 dives; crew tip is not included.

THE BOAT

Red Sea Aggressor

Total passengers: 20

Cabins: 10

Total crew: 12

Length: 120 feet

Number of decks: 3

BRING THIS

Ikelite Housing for Sony Cybershot RX100 III

You’ll want a camera to record all the action you’re sure to find in the Red Sea, and the hugely popular Cybershot comes with a super-sharp 24-70mm Zeiss lens (it retails for about $800) and is a sweet little camera for both still and video. Wrap it up in Ikelite’s housing and all you need to do is add water. The housing provides access to all the camera’s functions, and the front port has 67mm threads, which works with most macro and wide-angle wet lenses. $550; ikelite.com

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