Eclipse 2027 · 5 min read
The eclipse of the century: 2 August 2027 from the Red Sea
On 2 August 2027 the Moon will cover the Sun for more than six minutes over Egypt. It will be the longest total solar eclipse of the 21st century visible from land, and half the world is already packing. We will experience it on board, in the middle of the Red Sea.
Why is it called “the eclipse of the century”?
That day the Moon’s shadow will cross southern Spain, North Africa, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. In Egypt, totality will last up to about 6 minutes and 23 seconds, something that will not happen again over accessible land until 2114. To put it in perspective: most total eclipses last between two and four minutes.
Egypt, the best place on the planet to see it
The path of totality crosses the country from west to east, passing over Luxor, where the total eclipse will last about 6 minutes and 22 seconds, and reaching the Red Sea coast around El Quseir and Marsa Alam. What’s more, in August the Egyptian sky is almost always clear, so the chances of seeing it without clouds are very high.
One night in Luxor or a week at sea
As expected, Luxor has become the epicentre of the eclipse, and prices reflect it: some hotel rooms are already selling for around €1,500 a night.
For the same money you can spend a whole week on board with us: 7 nights in a double cabin with full board, up to 20 dives at the best sites of the northern Red Sea and the Brothers Islands, and the eclipse as the grand finale. Our base cabin costs €1,200, plus €300 for marine park fees and tips: €1,500 in total. One hotel night versus a week of diving.
How we will see it from the boat
On the day of the eclipse we will be diving at the Brothers Islands, in the open sea, far from the lights and noise of the coast. You will experience the eclipse of the century from the boat’s deck, surrounded by sea, with an atmosphere you can only find offshore.
Protect your eyes throughout the eclipse
Keep your eclipse glasses on for the whole event. Looking directly at the Sun, even when it is almost covered, can permanently damage your eyes.
- Certified eclipse glasses (ISO 12312-2 standard). Ordinary sunglasses are not safe.
- Don’t look at the Sun through your phone, camera or binoculars without a dedicated solar filter in front of the lens.
- If you want to photograph it, use a solar filter for your camera or phone.
A week to remember
The expedition departs from Hurghada on 31 July and returns on 7 August 2027, on a special 12-cabin boat, on the North & Brothers route: a full day at the Brothers, the wrecks of Abu Nuhas, Ras Mohammed and the SS Thistlegorm. Places are limited and only a few are left.