Diving the Abu Nuhas ship graveyard

Mariners’ curse is the divers’ fortune and some of the most popular dive sites in the Red Sea’s fringing reefs are located at those places where ships have met tragic ends. One such popular site is Sha’ab Abu Nuhas (‘father-of-bad-luck reef’), which has for long been considered a nightmare by seafarers, who lost direction while navigating the Straits of Gobal at the entrance of Gulf of Suez. Sha’ab Abu Nuhâs is a large triangular shaped reef located about two miles north of Shadwan Island.

Abu Nahas is home to as many as four wrecks that have been found suitable for recreational diving as well as few more that are still to be discovered.

Noted shipwrecks in Abu Nuhas:

• The Carnatic

  This cargo vessel ran aground here in September 1869. The wreck today is an easy and safe diving site with several open spaces between the two levels of iron framework. Beginners should remain in the shallower parts as advanced skill is required to reach the seabed.

  

• The Tile Wreck (The Chrisoula K or the Marcus)

  The cargo freighter, launched in 1954, collided with Abu Nuhas reef in 1981 while going from Italy to Saudi Arabia. The real identity of the Tile Wreck is still debated. Some say the wreckage belongs to Chrisoula K while some say it is of Marcus that sunk in the same location in May 1978. Several interior parts of the wreck can be visited by the divers including the engine room while the cargo of tiles still lies intact. Visibility in this area is quite good and the divers can spot the entire wreck at once. The abundance of coral in the wreck also makes it a great subject of photography. Snorkelling can be undertaken when the sea is very flat.

  

• The Giannis D

  The Japanese cargo ship ran aground in April 1983 while on its way from Croatia to Saudi Arabia and Yemen. The crew could not spot the Abu Nuhas plateau since the weather was too calm and no wave broke on the plateau. Later, the ship broke into two parts during a storm. The wreck of Giannis D is found in three detached parts: the bow, the remains of damaged amidships and the stern. The stern section features a engine room that is well preserved ands is relatively easy to access. Some of the wood cargo that the ship was carrying during its last journey is still visible, hence giving the shipwreck the name of ‘timber wreck’. An average dive in the wreck features tours up and around the stern. A good site for the beginners.

  

• The Lentil Boat (The Kimon M or the Seastar)

  The cargo vessel became a wreck in 1978 while on its way from Turkey to Mumbai after she rammed with e reef. Kimon M is sometimes confused with the Seastar, another Greek cargo also met a fatal consequence in Abu Nuhas. This wreck has unstable metal sheets and can collapse anytime and hence is considered dangerous to penetrate. Kimon M is not dived often. Divers need to depend on waves upon entry and exit.