Egyptian Cruising

Overview

A week or 10 days long diving safari from/to Hurghada to the deep North of the Red Sea where still only few boats can be seen. This itinerary shows the most beautiful world-class dive-sites of the North of the Red sea and Sinai: Shaab Abu Nuhas, Straits of Tiran, Ras Mohamed Marine park, Ras Abu Ghalum Marine Park including visits to Blue Hole, Gabr el Bint, Woodhouse reef, Jackson reef, Thomas reef and Thomas Canyon, Jackfish Alley, Shark Observatory, wrecks of Thistlegorm and Rosalie Moller and dozens of other fantastic dive sites. Magnificent drift, reef and wall diving, caves, coral plateaus and the big blue - a unique virgin underwater world inhabited with pelagic fish, sharks, colorful coral fish, dolphins and turtles.

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Carnatic shipwreck

The Carnatic, a beautiful 90m 19th Century wreck that lies almost intact on Sha'ab Abu Nuhas Reef is accessible and appreciated by all levels of divers. Carrying a cargo of wine, gold and cotton, the ship was sailing the Indien route with a destination of Bombay when it hit the reef and sank. The picturesque dive can be done along the outside of the wreck past giant moray eels and other Red Sea reef fish that have made this wreck their home. In the holds you can see the remains of broken bottles and shoals of glass fish inhabiting them. To finish this fantastic dive you can head back along Sha'ab Abu Nuhas reef where you will be able to find many different types of coral and fish before ascending.
Jackfish Alley

Jackfish Alley, a sheltered reef perfect for drift-diving, cave-diving and underwater photography - the schools of glassfish hiding in multiple caves, jackfish, triggerfish and trevallies in summer, mantas in winter, stingrays and white-tip sharks are outstandingly spectacular.
SS Thistlegorm shipwreck

SS Thistlegorm, one of the most famous wrecks in the world, set sail on her final voyage on 2 June 1941, destined for Alexandria, Egypt. The vessel’s cargo included: Bedford trucks, Universal Carrier armoured vehicles, Norton 16H and BSA motorcycles, Bren guns, cases of ammunition, and 3000 rifles as well as radio equipment, Wellington boots, aircraft parts, railway wagons and two LMS Stanier Class 8F steam locomotives and the cargo for the Allied forces in Egypt. The vessel was hit by a German bomber and sank. The Thistlegorm was discovered in 1956 by Jacques Cousteau. The stern section of the wreck lies almost horizontal to the sea bed; the remainder of the wreck is nearly upright. Inside the wreckage, most of its cargo can be seen. Penetration is possible around the bridge and blast area. The large prop is still in position and the guns on the stern are in excellent condition. Artillery litters the blast area. The sea life around the wreck is impressive and rich.
Dunraven shipwreck

The Dunraven, a Victorian steam and sail-ship was carrying spices, gold and timber from India and sank in 1876 on its way from Bombay to England. Although it was stripped of her cargo by a team of archaeologists in the early eighties, the Dunraven still makes a very interesting dive.
This 72m English wreck lies at the southern point of Sha’ab Mahmoud, amongst the series of shallow lagoons and reefs. The hull lies upside down at a maximum depth of 29m. Completely covered with corals, the wreck has become home for a wide variety of marine life including glass fish, morays, groupers, goatfish and colorful napoleons.
Abu Nuhas

This great reef, also known as the "ships graveyard", streches two miles to the north of Shedwan Island at the mouth of the Strait of Gobal. Abu Nuhas is a wreck divers dream come true boasting seven sunken ships of different eras resting close to each other and within comfortable diving depths of 30 metres or less. On the sheltered south side of the reef there are two beautiful Ergs known as Yellow Fish Reef which offer an excellent night dive.
Giannis D shipwreck

The Giannis D, called by uw photographers "the most photogenec wreck", was built in 1969 by a Japanese shipping company Kuryshima, hit the reef of Abu Nuhas in1983 and slowly sank over six weeks, lying now at a maximum depth of 28 metres. The wreck is broken up in the centre, but the bow and stern remain intact. At the stern on the sea floor you can penetrate and travel up towards the top of the wreck to a pocket of trapped air. Many wildlife has made this wreck their home, where you can find incredible schools of thousands of glassfish occupying the bridge, batfish, lionfish hovering over the wreckage, stonefish, emperor angelfish, wrasses, moray eels, imposing giant parrotfish groups and many antihas. Occasionally bottlenose dolphins appear in the area which gives this wreck a unique aura.
Chrisoula K shipwreck

The Chrisoula K, a 90m freighter got underway from Italy with a cargo of floor tiles destined for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and hit the reef of Abu Nuhas in 1981. The wreck now sits in an open, sandy space with the main body being upright and the cargo of tiles still in place. There is a straightforward penetration with plenty of easy swim-throughs and access to areas worthy of exploration but deep inside the stern, the engine room offers some serious penetration diving for the experienced wreck divers. At the seabed, the large propeller and rudder are still virtually undamaged. The wreck now covered with hard corals and being a home for the reef fish offers a variety of different dives for all levels of experience.
Kimon M shipwreck

The Kimon M, a cargo ship, departed for India in 1978 laden with a cargo of 4,500 tons of lentils for her final voyage. On December 12th 1978, with engines at full speed the Kimon M drove hard onto the northeast corner of Sha'ab Abu Nuhâs Reef and came to rest at the base of the reef. Through the hole in the port side it is possible to access the engineering compartment with an easy swim-through viewing the piping and gauges, following the hull of the ship aft to the stern at 30-32 meters where the propeller and rudder are found on the bottom and continuing forward to the rear of the superstructure there is access to the bridge and accommodation areas.
It is also impressive to dive around the massive wreck from outside in the company of batfish and napoleons.
Rosalie Moller shipwreck

The Rosalie Moller wreck, a 108m sister ship of the famous Thistlegorm wreck, was hit by a German bomber and sank in October 1941 during the World War II. It is a perfect deep dive for experienced divers. She rests now upright as if parked at 55m depth on a sandy seabed. The main deck is 35m deep and the mast raises at 18m. You can still see on the deeper part of the wreck the huge rudder, propeller, ladders, handrails along the main deck. Penetration is also possible through the holds and the bridge.
The corals covering the hull and thousands of fishes make it a great underwater scenary: glass fish, groupers, snappers, jacks, tunas, barracudas, trevallies, reef sharks.
The funnel at the port side is bearing a large "M" on it, it is the emblem of the shipping company Moller.
Straits of Tiran

The Straits of Tiran with its famouse reefs - Gordon, Jackson, Laguna, Thomas and Woodhouse is one of the most spectacular and impressive dive sites in the Red Sea with mild to strong currents. A magnificent canyon, shipwrecks, numerous caves, full-fledged coral gardens, oceanic fish, dolphins, turtles, groupers, tunas, barracudas and white tip sharks will accompany your dive here.
Yolanda and Shark Reef

Yolanda and Shark Reef, two pinnacles originating from a single one which rises almost vertically from the depth of 800 metres, is an amazing dive-site of the Ras Mohamed National Marine Park where all the beauty of the underwater world sparkle in millions of colours: turquoise crystal-clear waters, coral drop-off, coral gardens sparking red with Anthias, thousands of schooling barracuda, tuna, jackfish, batfish, all kinds of stingrays, giant morays, hammerheads, reef sharks, turtles, dolphins. Yolanda pinnacle has been named after the Cyprian freighter which hit the reef and sank in 1980; its cargo still lies on the western side of the reef.
Ras Mohamed National Marine Park

The Marine Park spans an area of 345 km² over the sea. Untouched reefs located 50-100cm below the sea surface are home to more than 220 species of corals, 1000 species of fish, 40 species of star fish, 25 species of sea urchins, more than a 100 species of mollusc and 150 species of crustaceans. Ras Mohamed called a "God's Garden" is a treasure of Egypt protected by law.
Alternatives

A chain of shallow fringing reefs with a large lagoon, small walls, amphitheaters, numerous large pinnacles, luxuriant coral heads, abundance of fish life, resident leopard sharks and a Stingray Station. Night dives are very popular here as well.
Small Crack

The site is formed by two ergs with a small gap between them that is filled and emptied by the tide creating good currents to drift on. The dive is very pretty, with plenty of soft corals, inhabited with octopuses and pelagics.
Eel Garden

Eel Garden is a nicely sheltered sandy plateau inhabited by Garden Eels. It's situated near Sharks Observatory reef in Ras Mohamed National Marine Park. In the central part of the plateau there is an impressive cave streaming with the sandflow.
Shark Observatory

The high steep cliff with chimney shaped walls scattered with soft corals, anemones and sea fans, going down below the sea surface into the blue abyss hosts schools of glassfish and hatchetfish, jacks, trevallies and groupers. Predator fish and sharks are often guests here at this reef.
Shag Rock

Shag Rock, a large rounded reef, offers perfect drift diving along its sloping walls with a wide range of hard and beautiful soft corals as well as observing schooling yellow goat fish, sweetlips fish, pelagics, turtles and grey reef sharks. In the northern part of the reef just below the surface the 80m Kingston wreck found eternal peace in 1881.
Anemone City

One of the nicest spots of the Ras Muhamed National Marine Park is of course Anemone City. The steep slopes, cut by deep bays with a number of large shelves covered densely with pinnacles, coral heads and a huge amount of anemones with attendant clownfishes. In crystal-clear waters, near the surface, barracudas and silvery needlefish hover slowely.
Shaab Mahmoud

Sha'ab Mahmoud, a small reef partially rising up over the water surface, is marked by a light-house. Table corals, turtles, shoals of sweetlips and double-bar brims make this reef interesting to dive. The Dunraven ship sank here in 1876 and is a famous wreck to visit.
Ras Abu Galum

Ras Abu Galum National Park with its Northern and Southern parts is a pristine underwater world which spans over a huge coral garden. Northern shallow part called Ras Mamlah is formed by large ergs densely populated with shellfish, scorpionfish, turtles, nudibranches and Spanish dancers. Night dives here are amazing. Southern part with its fan and table corals, colourful soft corals covering a steep wall going down to 100m depth is a world of walls, caves, hills, labyrinths and chimneys.
Blue Hole

Blue Hole, the world-famous underwater vertical crater in the reef rock, is considered to be one of the most dangerous and interesting dive sites in the world attracting thousands of divers every year. The depth of the crater is more than 130m. There are only two outets from the cave: at 7m and at 56m in the shape of a huge arch - an attraction of technical divers. Recreational divers make a drift dive along the outer wall of the Blue Hole entering the cave at 7m or vice-versa. The outer wall of the Blue Hole is a luxury garden of Gorgonians, Anemones and black corals inhabited by clownfish, angel fish, parrot fish, triggerfish, tuna, barracudas.
Canyon

Canyon reef is a very famous huge, narrow cleft in the bottom of the Red Sea opening at 16m as a scenic grotto-fishbowl full of morays, octopuses, groupers, napoleons, glassfish. The canyon goes down to the depth of 54 meters with two exits at 18m and at 52m. First exit is forming a beautiful gazebo and leading to a luxury coral garden home to a diverse marine life. Techno-divers make it to the maximum depth and exit at 52m outside the canyon and go down along the wall to 75 meters to the Neptune's Grotto.
Bells

The Bells, a stunning dive-site of amazing beauty which is just 100 metres north of the Blue Hole is a natural open chimney of 30 metres opening on a drop off at 48m. The beautiful reef covered with hanging corals inhabited with many kinds of fish offers to recreational divers to make it along the chimney to a depth of 26 metres and pass through a natural arch to the blue and further to the south until the Blue Hole saddle entry at 15m.
Gabr El Bint

Gabr El Bint is one of the most spectacular pristine dive sites in south Sinai with its right dark area famous for the steep drop off reaching a depth of 110 metres with many crevices, sandy hangings and beautiful corals and the left side, a colourful forest of huge fan corals.
Million Hope shipwreck

Million Hope, a ship with a surprizing history was as a bulk carrier built in Japan in 1972. In June 1996 this large ship loaded with 26000 tons of chemicals sailed from Jordan and next day struck the reef 3 miles north of Sharm El Sheikh. A big concern of Egyptian authorities was to save the reefs from chemicals and a salvage company was successfully carried out. With some of her superstructure out of the water, the Million Hope is standing upright, decks underwater, keel at 25m depth. The vessel is almost intact. When exploring the wreck divers are amazed to discover another wreck which is squashed underneath. This is the Hey Daroma sunken in 1970. The Million Hope sank directly on top of another sunken ship! Many divers believe that in the near future Million Hope wreck will fall over onto her port side and sink completely. If it happens Million Hope will become one of the largest shipwrecks a diver can visit underwater.

The Carnatic, a beautiful 90m 19th Century wreck that lies almost intact on Sha'ab Abu Nuhas Reef is accessible and appreciated by all levels of divers. Carrying a cargo of wine, gold and cotton, the ship was sailing the Indien route with a destination of Bombay when it hit the reef and sank. The picturesque dive can be done along the outside of the wreck past giant moray eels and other Red Sea reef fish that have made this wreck their home. In the holds you can see the remains of broken bottles and shoals of glass fish inhabiting them. To finish this fantastic dive you can head back along Sha'ab Abu Nuhas reef where you will be able to find many different types of coral and fish before ascending.
Jackfish Alley, a sheltered reef perfect for drift-diving, cave-diving and underwater photography - the schools of glassfish hiding in multiple caves, jackfish, triggerfish and trevallies in summer, mantas in winter, stingrays and white-tip sharks are outstandingly spectacular.
SS Thistlegorm, one of the most famous wrecks in the world, set sail on her final voyage on 2 June 1941, destined for Alexandria, Egypt. The vessel’s cargo included: Bedford trucks, Universal Carrier armoured vehicles, Norton 16H and BSA motorcycles, Bren guns, cases of ammunition, and 3000 rifles as well as radio equipment, Wellington boots, aircraft parts, railway wagons and two LMS Stanier Class 8F steam locomotives and the cargo for the Allied forces in Egypt. The vessel was hit by a German bomber and sank. The Thistlegorm was discovered in 1956 by Jacques Cousteau. The stern section of the wreck lies almost horizontal to the sea bed; the remainder of the wreck is nearly upright. Inside the wreckage, most of its cargo can be seen. Penetration is possible around the bridge and blast area. The large prop is still in position and the guns on the stern are in excellent condition. Artillery litters the blast area. The sea life around the wreck is impressive and rich.
The Dunraven, a Victorian steam and sail-ship was carrying spices, gold and timber from India and sank in 1876 on its way from Bombay to England. Although it was stripped of her cargo by a team of archaeologists in the early eighties, the Dunraven still makes a very interesting dive.
This 72m English wreck lies at the southern point of Sha’ab Mahmoud, amongst the series of shallow lagoons and reefs. The hull lies upside down at a maximum depth of 29m. Completely covered with corals, the wreck has become home for a wide variety of marine life including glass fish, morays, groupers, goatfish and colorful napoleons.
This great reef, also known as the "ships graveyard", streches two miles to the north of Shedwan Island at the mouth of the Strait of Gobal. Abu Nuhas is a wreck divers dream come true boasting seven sunken ships of different eras resting close to each other and within comfortable diving depths of 30 metres or less. On the sheltered south side of the reef there are two beautiful Ergs known as Yellow Fish Reef which offer an excellent night dive.
The Giannis D, called by uw photographers "the most photogenec wreck", was built in 1969 by a Japanese shipping company Kuryshima, hit the reef of Abu Nuhas in1983 and slowly sank over six weeks, lying now at a maximum depth of 28 metres. The wreck is broken up in the centre, but the bow and stern remain intact. At the stern on the sea floor you can penetrate and travel up towards the top of the wreck to a pocket of trapped air. Many wildlife has made this wreck their home, where you can find incredible schools of thousands of glassfish occupying the bridge, batfish, lionfish hovering over the wreckage, stonefish, emperor angelfish, wrasses, moray eels, imposing giant parrotfish groups and many antihas. Occasionally bottlenose dolphins appear in the area which gives this wreck a unique aura.
The Chrisoula K, a 90m freighter got underway from Italy with a cargo of floor tiles destined for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia and hit the reef of Abu Nuhas in 1981. The wreck now sits in an open, sandy space with the main body being upright and the cargo of tiles still in place. There is a straightforward penetration with plenty of easy swim-throughs and access to areas worthy of exploration but deep inside the stern, the engine room offers some serious penetration diving for the experienced wreck divers. At the seabed, the large propeller and rudder are still virtually undamaged. The wreck now covered with hard corals and being a home for the reef fish offers a variety of different dives for all levels of experience.
The Kimon M, a cargo ship, departed for India in 1978 laden with a cargo of 4,500 tons of lentils for her final voyage. On December 12th 1978, with engines at full speed the Kimon M drove hard onto the northeast corner of Sha'ab Abu Nuhâs Reef and came to rest at the base of the reef. Through the hole in the port side it is possible to access the engineering compartment with an easy swim-through viewing the piping and gauges, following the hull of the ship aft to the stern at 30-32 meters where the propeller and rudder are found on the bottom and continuing forward to the rear of the superstructure there is access to the bridge and accommodation areas.
It is also impressive to dive around the massive wreck from outside in the company of batfish and napoleons.
The Rosalie Moller wreck, a 108m sister ship of the famous Thistlegorm wreck, was hit by a German bomber and sank in October 1941 during the World War II. It is a perfect deep dive for experienced divers. She rests now upright as if parked at 55m depth on a sandy seabed. The main deck is 35m deep and the mast raises at 18m. You can still see on the deeper part of the wreck the huge rudder, propeller, ladders, handrails along the main deck. Penetration is also possible through the holds and the bridge.
The corals covering the hull and thousands of fishes make it a great underwater scenary: glass fish, groupers, snappers, jacks, tunas, barracudas, trevallies, reef sharks.
The funnel at the port side is bearing a large "M" on it, it is the emblem of the shipping company Moller.
The Straits of Tiran with its famouse reefs - Gordon, Jackson, Laguna, Thomas and Woodhouse is one of the most spectacular and impressive dive sites in the Red Sea with mild to strong currents. A magnificent canyon, shipwrecks, numerous caves, full-fledged coral gardens, oceanic fish, dolphins, turtles, groupers, tunas, barracudas and white tip sharks will accompany your dive here.
Yolanda and Shark Reef, two pinnacles originating from a single one which rises almost vertically from the depth of 800 metres, is an amazing dive-site of the Ras Mohamed National Marine Park where all the beauty of the underwater world sparkle in millions of colours: turquoise crystal-clear waters, coral drop-off, coral gardens sparking red with Anthias, thousands of schooling barracuda, tuna, jackfish, batfish, all kinds of stingrays, giant morays, hammerheads, reef sharks, turtles, dolphins. Yolanda pinnacle has been named after the Cyprian freighter which hit the reef and sank in 1980; its cargo still lies on the western side of the reef.
The Marine Park spans an area of 345 km² over the sea. Untouched reefs located 50-100cm below the sea surface are home to more than 220 species of corals, 1000 species of fish, 40 species of star fish, 25 species of sea urchins, more than a 100 species of mollusc and 150 species of crustaceans. Ras Mohamed called a "God's Garden" is a treasure of Egypt protected by law.
A chain of shallow fringing reefs with a large lagoon, small walls, amphitheaters, numerous large pinnacles, luxuriant coral heads, abundance of fish life, resident leopard sharks and a Stingray Station. Night dives are very popular here as well.
The site is formed by two ergs with a small gap between them that is filled and emptied by the tide creating good currents to drift on. The dive is very pretty, with plenty of soft corals, inhabited with octopuses and pelagics.
Eel Garden is a nicely sheltered sandy plateau inhabited by Garden Eels. It's situated near Sharks Observatory reef in Ras Mohamed National Marine Park. In the central part of the plateau there is an impressive cave streaming with the sandflow.
The high steep cliff with chimney shaped walls scattered with soft corals, anemones and sea fans, going down below the sea surface into the blue abyss hosts schools of glassfish and hatchetfish, jacks, trevallies and groupers. Predator fish and sharks are often guests here at this reef.
Shag Rock, a large rounded reef, offers perfect drift diving along its sloping walls with a wide range of hard and beautiful soft corals as well as observing schooling yellow goat fish, sweetlips fish, pelagics, turtles and grey reef sharks. In the northern part of the reef just below the surface the 80m Kingston wreck found eternal peace in 1881.
One of the nicest spots of the Ras Muhamed National Marine Park is of course Anemone City. The steep slopes, cut by deep bays with a number of large shelves covered densely with pinnacles, coral heads and a huge amount of anemones with attendant clownfishes. In crystal-clear waters, near the surface, barracudas and silvery needlefish hover slowely.
Sha'ab Mahmoud, a small reef partially rising up over the water surface, is marked by a light-house. Table corals, turtles, shoals of sweetlips and double-bar brims make this reef interesting to dive. The Dunraven ship sank here in 1876 and is a famous wreck to visit.
Ras Abu Galum National Park with its Northern and Southern parts is a pristine underwater world which spans over a huge coral garden. Northern shallow part called Ras Mamlah is formed by large ergs densely populated with shellfish, scorpionfish, turtles, nudibranches and Spanish dancers. Night dives here are amazing. Southern part with its fan and table corals, colourful soft corals covering a steep wall going down to 100m depth is a world of walls, caves, hills, labyrinths and chimneys.
Blue Hole, the world-famous underwater vertical crater in the reef rock, is considered to be one of the most dangerous and interesting dive sites in the world attracting thousands of divers every year. The depth of the crater is more than 130m. There are only two outets from the cave: at 7m and at 56m in the shape of a huge arch - an attraction of technical divers. Recreational divers make a drift dive along the outer wall of the Blue Hole entering the cave at 7m or vice-versa. The outer wall of the Blue Hole is a luxury garden of Gorgonians, Anemones and black corals inhabited by clownfish, angel fish, parrot fish, triggerfish, tuna, barracudas.
Canyon reef is a very famous huge, narrow cleft in the bottom of the Red Sea opening at 16m as a scenic grotto-fishbowl full of morays, octopuses, groupers, napoleons, glassfish. The canyon goes down to the depth of 54 meters with two exits at 18m and at 52m. First exit is forming a beautiful gazebo and leading to a luxury coral garden home to a diverse marine life. Techno-divers make it to the maximum depth and exit at 52m outside the canyon and go down along the wall to 75 meters to the Neptune's Grotto.
The Bells, a stunning dive-site of amazing beauty which is just 100 metres north of the Blue Hole is a natural open chimney of 30 metres opening on a drop off at 48m. The beautiful reef covered with hanging corals inhabited with many kinds of fish offers to recreational divers to make it along the chimney to a depth of 26 metres and pass through a natural arch to the blue and further to the south until the Blue Hole saddle entry at 15m.
Gabr El Bint is one of the most spectacular pristine dive sites in south Sinai with its right dark area famous for the steep drop off reaching a depth of 110 metres with many crevices, sandy hangings and beautiful corals and the left side, a colourful forest of huge fan corals.
Million Hope, a ship with a surprizing history was as a bulk carrier built in Japan in 1972. In June 1996 this large ship loaded with 26000 tons of chemicals sailed from Jordan and next day struck the reef 3 miles north of Sharm El Sheikh. A big concern of Egyptian authorities was to save the reefs from chemicals and a salvage company was successfully carried out. With some of her superstructure out of the water, the Million Hope is standing upright, decks underwater, keel at 25m depth. The vessel is almost intact. When exploring the wreck divers are amazed to discover another wreck which is squashed underneath. This is the Hey Daroma sunken in 1970. The Million Hope sank directly on top of another sunken ship! Many divers believe that in the near future Million Hope wreck will fall over onto her port side and sink completely. If it happens Million Hope will become one of the largest shipwrecks a diver can visit underwater.

Important
Note

The time, sites and ports of this itinerary are subject to change at any time without prior notice due to weather conditions or other factors. Direct transfers to/from the yacht are always included. Egyptian Cruising Company reserves the right to cancel the booking for the safety of passengers if it is not possible to change the time and route due to poor weather conditions.

North - Ras Mohamed - Tiran - Dahab

Overview

Dive Sites