Book Review: Treasures, Shipwrecks & the Dawn of Red Sea Diving By Howard Rosenstein

As a youth who spent considerable time in the Red Sea, witnessing firsthand the transformation of Eilat and Sinai, and even earning my Advanced Open Water certification in Taba, I was thrilled to learn that Howard Rosenstein had penned a memoir detailing his pioneering adventures in Red Sea diving. This book, Treasures, Shipwrecks & the Dawn of Red Sea Diving, is a compelling must-read chronicle of the birth of Red Sea scuba diving and the incredible journey of a diving legend.

Eager to get my hands on a signed copy, I reached out to Howard before a trip to Israel. To my delight, he invited me to his home, where we chatted about diving in the Red Sea, and he graciously signed my copy of the book. His living room, brimming with artifacts salvaged during those early days, provided a tangible connection to the stories within his memoir.

The book unfolds chronologically, starting in the late 1960s when Howard, originally from the USA, was in Israel for a one-year university program. During his free time, he snorkeled in the Mediterranean Sea and stumbled upon Roman gold coins. These discoveries helped fuel his passion for diving and the rich cultural heritage of Israel and eventually led him to emigrate to the country, where in 1970 he opened a scuba diving school and club in Herzliya, a small beach town just north of Tel Aviv. Here, he honed his skills as a diving instructor and laid the foundation for his future endeavors.

In the early 1970s, Israel offered incentives for Israelis to move to the Sinai Peninsula, newly annexed after the Six-Day War in 1967. Seizing the opportunity, Howard opened a branch of his diving center in the oasis of Neweiba, one hours drive south of Eilat along the Sinai Red Sea shoreline. After a year of operation there he moved to the southern Sinai where the diving was better and Israel was starting the small settlement of Ofira. It was a very isolated and barren area topside but with some of the greatest coral reef diving in the world. His diving center was a WW1 vintage wooden railroad car sitting on the water’s edge with beach sand as a floor. It was from here he operated until the 1982 Peace Treaty between Israel and Egypt.

Rosenstein's tales of navigating conflicts with the Israeli Navy, who initially restricted his diving activities, are particularly riveting. He argued that to attract tourists, he needed the freedom to explore beyond Na’ama bay, which led to the discovery and naming of many dive sites around Sharm-El-Sheikh that are now well-known.

One of the book's highlights is Howard's recounting of his invitation to speak at the Boston Sea Rovers, the oldest dive show in the USA, following the iconic Jacques Cousteau. In the audience were a young photographer, David Doubilet, and shark scientist, Eugenie Clark. Their subsequent visit in 1974 to the Red Sea for a National Geographic cover story (September 1975 issue) marked the beginning of lifelong friendships and collaborations.

The book is filled with thrilling stories, including one particularly humorous and daring episode. After discovering one of his dive boats had sunk, Howard conducted a daring raid to procure Hawk missile canisters (used as decoys), intending to use them as lift bags. He attached these canisters to the sunken boat underwater and filled them with air, successfully refloating the boat. However, when the Military Police noticed a couple of Hawk missile canisters on the beach, they questioned Howard about their presence. Howard, with a shrug, feigned ignorance but wittily indicated that he would be filing a complaint against the military about these missile canisters messing up his pristine beach.

The book also includes accounts of discovering several wrecks such as the Emir Farouk, the flagship of the Egyptian navy sunk off of the Gaza coast in the 1948 War between Egypt and Israel. It covers the Dunraven, the first diveable wreck in the Sinai region of the Red Sea, which sunk in 1876, and recounts the first dive on the Jolanda wreck at Ras Mohammed which went aground atop one of the most popular diving locations in the world. The latter highlighting the struggle to save Ras Mohammed’s reef from destruction by crews trying to salvage the ship. These stories, alongside his interactions with notable figures in the diving world, make for a captivating read.

In 1979, following the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt, Howard became involved in discussions that helped the Egyptians recognize the Red Sea's potential. His advocacy was instrumental in establishing the Egyptian scuba diving industry and securing the protection of Ras Mohammed, a move that preserved its underwater treasures for future generations.

Treasures, Shipwrecks & the Dawn of Red Sea Diving is richly illustrated with over 200 images, mostly by Howard and his friend and colleague David Doubilet, premiere photographer/writer for National Geographic magazine, providing a visual feast that complements Rosenstein's engaging narrative. With forewords by Sylvia Earle and David Doubilet, the memoir is not only a testament to Howard's pioneering spirit but also a valuable historical record of the development of Red Sea diving.

For anyone passionate about scuba diving, underwater exploration, or simply a well-told adventure, Howard Rosenstein's memoir is a must-read. It captures the essence of exploration, the thrill of discovery, and the beauty of the underwater world, all through the eyes of a true diving pioneer.

The book can be ordered directly from the author’s company at www.olympusdive.com or through most other platforms like Amazon, eBay, and Goodreads.