The Marsa Alam Tourism Investors Association reported that 95 percent of the city’s hotels have shut down, with only four out of 72 hotels and tourist villages are currently operating.

I spent the Eid vacation between Hurghada and Marsa Alam. It was my first vacation since the January revolution broke out, and was badly needed. It was strange though being in the south without Ismail Marzouk. He’s been on my mind a lot.

You can find some of the pictures I took during the trip here in this Flickr set.

Ismail Marzouk, one of Egypt’s leading technical diving instructors, has died today in Daedalus, during a wreck dive. He was 33. His body was never recovered.

As a young Cairo law student, Ismail was active with the socialist movement, before moving to the Red Sea where he worked in eco-tourism, learned diving and quickly became one of the most prominent IANTD instructors in the Red Sea.

I spent weeks with Ismail last winter in Hurghada, where he introduced me to technical diving. His hospitality, sense of humor were unmatched.

His home in Hurghada, I felt, was mine too thanks to his warm fraternal personality. Ismail, who passionately supported the revolution, has also been active in the ongoing efforts to unionize Egypt’s divers.

He is survived by his wife, Jude, and baby daughter, Aisha. He will be terribly missed by his family and friends. Rest in peace, Ismail.

Tourism workers at Hurghada’s Sunrise Hotel went on strike, demanding salary raises, housing and transportation allowances.

Divers in the Red Sea stage protest in support of the revolution.