north - wrecks - salem express

north - wrecks - salem express

Itinerary Highlights

  • north - wrecks - salem express

Dive sites in this itinerary

  • SS Thistlegorm

    The Thistlegorm, on the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula and 40 km from Sharm El Sheikh, is the best known and most popular Wreck dive in the Red Sea. The 125m long British army freighter sank after just 18 months of her launch in April 1940. Her last voyage commenced on the 2nd of June 1941 as she sailed to Alexandria and was loaded with wartime supplies during World War II. A long list of inventory includes armored tracked vehicles, aircraft, armored vehicles, Jeeps and Bedford trucks. In spite of being privately owned and operated, the HMS Thistlegorm was nevertheless fitted with a 4" anti-aircraft gun and a heavy caliber machine gun when she was drafted for war duty. But it was never to be. In the early hours of 6th October 1941 the Thistlegorm was split in 2 and sank almost instantly after being hit by 2 bombs from a German long range bomber. The hit only blew a hole in the port side of hold number 5 but then cargo tank ammunition ignited, causing the bulk of the damage.

  • Ras Mohammed

    The marine park Ras Mohamed offers dreamlike diving spots. For example SHARK REEF and YOLANDA REEF. Both reefs are standing on a plateau, which is between 10 m to 20 m deep. The edges of the plateau fall down to more than 200 m. At the reef you will find nice hard and soft corals, plenty of fish in all kind of sizes. With luck you can see sharks during your early morning dive. At Yolanda Reef you can see the cargo of a Cypriot freighter YOLANDA which ran aground in 1980. Loaded with sanitary equipment, toilet bowls and bathtubs, the YOLANDA was on its way to Aqaba. Storms caused the wreck to slide into the depths of the sea, but large parts of the cargo are still scattered around the reef and beautifully overgrown, making it a popular photo spot.

  • Abu Nuhas

    The reef at Abu Nuhas is famous for Wrecks. There are 4 Wrecks, which are today an attraction point for divers all around the world. For example the Greek cargo ship GIANNIS D, which ran aground the reef on 19th April 1984 and sank a short time afterwards. It is now lying in a maximum depth of 27 m and is overgrown with hard- and soft corals. The ship cracked down in the middle. The better part of the two halves is the stern section. Here it is easy to dive inside the Wreck, because there are a lot of entry and exit points. Because the wreck is leaning on a 45° angle you will find yourself swimming up a stairwell which your mind tells you are heading down. This effect is very special. The steamship CARNATIC struck the reef in September 1869. She sank the following day as the weather worsened.

  • Salem Express

    In the night of December 14, 1991, while on route to the Egyptian port of Safaga, the Salem Express ran aground on Shaab Sheer reef during a storm and struck a leak. The ship had large open decks and sank in minutes. The passengers, mostly pilgrims returning from their Hajj to Mecca, were caught sleeping. It is still unclear why the captain deviated from the safe shipping route. <br/>The Salem Express is now about 1.5 boat hours southeast of Safaga at a depth of between 11 m and 32 m on the starboard side. The Wreck can be dived from the outside. Since not all bodies could be recovered from inside the ship, the Salem Express was officially declared as a grave. In the meantime, the tailgate has been opened to dive in, but the cabins are still not allowed to be entered. <br/>

  • safaga-egypt

    The most famous dive sites in Safaga: Abu Kufan legendary for hammerhead sightings in late spring and manta rays in wintertime. This 300 m long and narrow reef offers a plateau in both north and south tips. Panorama Reef: one of the largest reefs in Safaga, featuring numerous grottos and overhangs, where gorgonians and soft corals thrive with the frequent nurturing currents. Due to the size of the barrier, there are at least three different dives to be done here: the south plateau and the east and the west drop- offs Tobia Arbaa: Named the "seven pillars" after the small pinnacles rising from a sandy bottom. One of the best dives in Safaga, despite the shallow bottom, sometimes cause of not perfect visibility. Soft corals cover all the seven ergs, glass fish, gorgonians, giant puffer fish, octopus, blue spotted rays, morays, lion fish, sergeant majors, nudibranchs and many more.

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