Each of the world’s oceans has laid claim to ships, and each holds mysteries and history in abundance. Egypt’s northern Red Sea is the final resting place for ships of all kinds. Some wrecks are quite intact and their stories are tales from recent history. Others are simply the outlines of once bold and noble ships – now home to fish and small, clinging life forms. Gather your gear – we are about to venture forth and explore some of the Northern Red Sea’s finest shipwrecks.
The SS Thistlegorm
SS Thistlegorm was bombed by German aircraft in 1941, just a year after she was christened. She now lies on the bottom of the straits of Gubal, in a relatively shallow thirty meters of water. Unlike many of the world’s most prominent wrecks, the Thistlegorm, with her cargo of motorcycles, trucks, and even railway locomotives, can be explored by every level diver. Her bow can be accessed at fifteen meters, and her prop, which is an excellent place to take a photo of your diving buddy, is accessible at twenty-seven meters.
The Yolanda
The Jolanda, popularly spelled Yolanda, was carrying a cargo of bathroom fittings, including bathtubs, British standard toilets, pipes, and cases of wallpaper, along with a BMW 320 that belonged to the captain, when she hit the rocks at the location now called Yolanda reef, which is at the tip of Ras Mohammad. Divers not qualified to dive all the way down to the Jolanda, which rests at a very deep 145-200 meters, can see much of her cargo at more comfortable depths of 10-30 meters. This site is subject to strong currents, making it off limits to novices. Still, the reef is home to an amazing array of coral and gorgonians, as well as plenty of jacks and even a stray sea turtle or two. Yolanda Reef is often dived in conjunction with Shark Reef, and both sites offer an opportunity for some excellent drift diving as well as some intriguing underwater sights.
The Dunraven
The Dunraven, a 270 foot-long cargo vessel powered by a combination of sail and steam, was built at Newcastle’s Mitchell yard in 1873. She was used to carry luxury goods, including spices and cotton, as well as hardwood, from Bombay to Newcastle.
In March, 1876, she hit the reef which is now called Beacon rock. Today, Dunraven lies in just thirty meters of water keel up, along the base of the reef that was her demise. When she was discovered in 1979, salvagers found plates and mugs, as well as bottles and jars containing identifiable rhubarb and gooseberries. Divers who explore the wreck find very few artifacts, as much has been recovered over the last thirty years – but the hull of the Dunraven is home to some incredibly valuable sea life, and makes for some great photographs.
Watch for batfish and glassfish, as well as some massive resident groupers. And, while penetrating any wreck should be undertaken with caution, the Dunraven is collapsing faster and faster, so think twice about entering any enclosed spaces. You can still see the anchor chain, the rudder and propeller, and her coral-encrusted crow’s nest. Look for napoleon wrasse, and watch for sharks and rays!
Giannis D
The cargo ship Giannis D was built in Imabari, Japan, in 1969, and went through several owners before finally being sold to the Dumarc Shipping and Trading Company of Piraeus, Greece, in 1980. At 87 meters long, and with a twin hold, as well as a bridge and engine room astern, she was a big, seaworthy ship with a top speed of 12 knots.
In April of 1983, Giannis D was on her way to Saudi Arabia and Yemen with a load of wood from Croatia, when she suddenly smashed into the northwest corner of the Abu Nuhas reef after veering off course for reasons unknown.
Today, this incredible wreck lies in just four to twenty-five meters of water, and is a popular diving destination, along with the nearby wrecks of the Carnatic, Kimon M, Marcus, and Chrisoula K. She was once fully intact and relatively impenetrable, however, she has snapped in two. Her hold has been fairly flattened; however, both her bow and stern are still intact and are home to plenty of reef fish, coral, and larger resident groupers and napoleons. There is a shoal of glassfish in the engine room, and lionfish stalk their prey in the area, as well. Moray eels hide near the midsection, where winches and the derrick are still identifiable, and toward the bow, deck fittings, a massive windlass, and the ship’s anchors are all in evidence.
Even though Giannis D is an easy and relatively safe wreck to penetrate, and while dive operators frequently make excursions to the site, it is important to stay out unless you have experience with overhead environments. There is plenty to see on the outside; including a large pod of curious dolphins that live nearby and which are often encountered near the wreck.
The Carnatic
The Carnatic was built in London, in the 1860’s. She was powered by a combination of sail and steam, and was used to carry mail and passengers, as well as spices and other consumer goods between Bombay and Suez, before the Suez canal came into existence.
Today, the elegant lines of this 90 meter long ship are still recognizable. She lies at an easily accessible depth, with most features being between seventeen and twenty-eight meters. 230 souls were on board on September 12, 1869, the Carnatic smashed into the reef. Twenty-seven of those on board lost their lives.
When Carnatic was lost, she had a cargo of port, £40,000 in gold coin, valuable copper ingots, and consumer goods on board. Soon after the wreck occurred, the British undertook a salvage operation using new technology: an air pump and helmet diving system. They recovered most of the copper and gold, and if any remains at the site, it has long since been covered over by shifting sands.
Diving the interior of this ship is easy, since most of what remains is ribs. You’ll see an amazing array of broken bottles inside, along with plenty of coral, resident fish, and the remnants of her primitive engine.
These are just a sample of the incredible shipwrecks of Egypt’s North Sea. There are plenty of capable dive operators in the area that can arrange an excursion, or multiple excursions for you. You can choose from liveaboards, or make shorter trips – either way; you’ll find these dives to be both fascinating and thought-provoking!