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The Alternatives
About 30 minutes north west of Ras Mohammed is system of flat
top ergs, with names like “lonely mushroom, stingray station
and sometimes known as the ‘seven pinnacles’. Best dive
is around the third or fourth erg from the east where the current
sweeps through feeding pristine corals with bright vivid colours,
however, the visibility can be effected in rough weather. ‘Stingray
Station’ lies at the western extremity of the Alternatives;
this is an irregular reef and owes its name to the gathering
of stingrays in March and April. The whole area is known as home
to large groupers, turtles and leopard shark.
The Wreck of the Dunraven
At the southern extreme of ‘Shab Mahmoud’, a series
of shallow reefs and lagoons among which lies the wreck of the
72m English steamer sunk in 1876 on its from Bombay to England
loaded with timber and spices. The hull lies upside down and is
totally covered in corals (max. depth 29m), the prop and rudder
lies at 19m. The wreck is home to a wide variety of marine
life, morays, napoleon, groupers and schools of glass fish and
goat fish inside the wreck.
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Small Crack (Small Passage)
Small split in the middle of Shab Mahmoud’s barrier. The
tide empties and fills the inner lagoon twice daily, thus creating
strong currents that promote an impressive explosion of life.
Brilliant soft corals and resident flashlight fish also make it
a premier night dive location - weather permitting.
Wreck of the Thistlegorm
This World War II wreck is famous around the world. In October
1941 she was at anchor behind Shab Ali and awaiting orders to
move up through the Suez canal to deliver a cargo of munitions
to the British troops in north Africa when German aircraft bombed
the 129m British freighter. The cargo is still virtually intact
and includes railway locomotives, bren gun carriers, trucks motorcycles
and a host of ammunition of all sizes. You need to do at least
two dives on this wreck to even get a feel for the site. Dive
the deeper stern section first and the bow for the second dive
of the day. The wreck is home to bat fish, jacks, barracudas,
surgeon fish, nudibranchs and rabbit fish graze the hull.
The current here can be strong and the visibility reduced so ensure
a full briefing from you dive guide and enjoy your visit to this
part of British history.
Shag Rock
Being so close to its neighbour, the Thistlegorm, this large circular
reef is often overlooked. It offers excellent diving on
pristine coral from any location on its perimeter. The sheltered
southern point is the most dived location offering the opportunity
for drifts along the west or east sides. Weather permitting the
northern point hosts the wreck of the Kingston (‘Sarah H’)
just below the surface (max. depth 12m). Large schools of yellow
goat fish, sweet lips abound here and the area regularly patrolled
by grey reef sharks.
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Wreck of the Rosalie Moller
This wreck lies in the channel north of Gubal island and is a
dive only for the more experienced as the visibility can be
reduced and the wreck swept by strong currents on occassions.
She was on her way to Alexandria with a cargo of coal when she
was sunk by German aircraft on the 7th October 1941, just two
days after the Thistlegorm. Originally named the Francis she was
launched in 1910, she was then purchased by the Moller Line in
1931 and renamed after the grandchild of one of the company directors.
The wreck is in pristine condition,and home to prolific
fish life and a magnificent array of hard and soft corals,
she is 108mts long and sits upright on an even keel with the bow
at 39mts and the keel in 50mts. The top of the mast is at 17mts.
She is rarely dived due to her position and can only be accessed
in the best of weather.
Bluff Point
At the gate of the Straits of Gubal, ‘Bluff Point’ draws
its name from the turbulence created by strong currents that beat
the eastern most wall of the island. Huge fan corals cover an
impressive drop off with caves and glass fish. Sightings of turtles
and napoleon fish are not uncommon. An unknown wreck lies on the
reef 300m north of the lighthouse, starting at 5m depth and sloping
to 25m. Rumor has it that this is the wreck of an Egyptian patrol
boat sunk in the 6 day war.
Abu Nuhas
Also known as the ‘Ships Graveyard’, this reef is dangerously
positioned close to the busy shipping lanes of the Gulf of Suez.
This reef has claimed more ships than any other in the area.
On the north side are four wrecks laying on a sandy seafloor at
the bottom of a steep sloping reef layered with table corals.
The wrecks are sometimes inaccessible in anything other than a
RIB or inflatable due to the heavy swell driving down the length
of the gulf. On the south side is a safe anchorage for liveaboards
and two beautiful ergs, known as Yellow fish reef that make an
excellent third dive or night dive or an alternative if the weather
is extremely bad.
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Giannus D
This Greek freighter hit the reef in April 1983 and over the course
of two weeks slowly broke in two and sank. She is the most dived
wreck here, Laying in 28m and leaning to port with a fully intact
stern section and an impressive engine room packed with glass
fish. Locally known as the ’wood’ wreck for the
cargo it was carrying when it sank. The bow is also very interesting
but is a long swim out. She is a great wreck for penetration but
beware of disorientation due to the angle at which she lays. Be
weary of the many lion fish and scorpion fish that call this wreck
home. and watch out strong surges in and around the wreck in rough
weather.
Carnatic
A British P & O steamer which struck the reef in 1869.
and sank the next day as the weather worsened. She was a
passenger and mail ship and is sometimes known as the ‘wine’
wreck for the numerous bottles once found in the holds, sadly
not many now remain to be seen. Rumor has it that she sank with
forty thousand pounds sterling of gold bullion, much of which
was never recovered. She lays in 29m and now the whole hull is
draped in multicoloured soft corals and the inner areas are full
of glass fish complete with red mouthed grouper sentinel.
One davit supports a beautiful table coral. The wreck is now home
to large grouper, octopus and morays and jacks and tuna cruise
overhead.
Chrisoula K
Another Greek ship which sank in 1976, now laying in 30m is fully
laden with stone floor tiles and sometimes called the ‘tile’
wreck for obvious reasons. Early morning divers may find a white
tip reef shark sleeping under the rudder at the stern. Be weary
of very limited and small entry/exit points into the engine room,
however, penetration of the wreck is not recommended due to the
unstable nature of the wreck.
Olden
Not a lot is known about this wreck except that it struck the
reef in 1981 and is locally known as the ‘lentil’ wreck
for the cargo she carried. Lying in 31m and completely on
its starboard side exposing its huge hull on one side and gaping
cargo holds on the other. Growth on the hull is fairly sparse
due to the position and current. Large morays live in the scattered
remains of wreckage on the starboard side and bat fish circle
the topside. Most of the fish in the vacinity of the wreck are
overweight from dining on the lentils leaching from the sacks
once contained in her holds.
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Shab Umm Usk
A large horseshoe shaped reef that shelters a shallow lagoon and
offers good shallow diving on coral gardens at either point. Further
around the southern reef exterior provides a steep coral encrusted
wall sloping to 40+m. Playful bottlenose dolphins are found inside
the lagoon at times.
Blind Reef
An Isolated reef south of Siyul Island, with good diving on its
north side. Soft coral, sea whips, many ergs home to glass fish
and turtles can often be found here.
Siyul Kebira
This reef extends around the Island of Big Siyul and has a varied
profile, in some areas sand chutes (wadis) split the reef face,
in others there are overhangs and gullies to explore. The coral
growth is abundant as is the fish life. Most diving here is in
swift currents on the drift but the north eastern point offers
a plateau which slopes gently from 10m to 30+m. Sharks and large
rays are often sighted in the deeper water, with schools of sweet
lips and masked butterflies in the shallows.
Siyul Seghira
Despite it Arabic name Little (seghira) Siyul is the largest reef
in the area at over 4km long. It is usually dived as a drift due
to the strong currents along the sloping reef. The depth range
is 20-25m, the corals are lush and vibrant and the fish life is
dense and varied. The best dive here is along the north side but
can only be done in moderate weather due to the exposed nature
of the reef.
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