Route Description - North - Straits of Tiran
This itinerary offers a diverse range of exceptional dive sites. You'll explore the iconic SS Thistlegorm, a historic WWII wreck filled with wartime supplies, and the stunning Ras Mohammed marine park, home to the vibrant Shark and Yolanda Reefs. Gotta Abu Nugar South features fascinating coral heads and sand bottoms perfect for spotting small marine life. Abu Nuhas, known for its collection of wrecks like the Giannis D and Carnatic, promises an exciting underwater experience. The Straits of Tiran, with its four reefs—Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse, and Jackson—offer breathtaking coral gardens, diverse marine species, and thrilling drift dives.
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.
Gotta Abu Nugar South
Part of the Abu Nugar , this is a sand bottom with scattered coral heads. Very interesting for seeing little fish and branches since there is enough sand that you can ground yourself without worrying about hitting the coral here.
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.
Straits of Tiran
Starting from the North on the Eastern side of the Sinai Peninsula are the Straits of Tiran, also one of the most famous diving areas in the Red Sea. Situated in the middle of the straits are four coral reefs: Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse and Jackson Reef. The Gordon Reef is marked by the wreck of a large commercial freighter. The reef composition is quite varied, with patchy sections, sand beds and full-fledged coral gardens. In the center of the reef slope, a shark amphitheater or bowl dips to 24 m; with luck a variety of shark species can be seen sleeping on the sandy bottom. The site boasts a very good range of corals, with lots of branching varieties. All of the corals are well preserved, in densely grown patches that often show a remarkable mix of different species. Fish life is not the most profuse in the Straits of Tiran, but there are some notable surprises including a huge moray eel with a body as thick as a small divers waist. Trigger fish abound while surgeons and jacks swim in moderately large schools, and angels, parrot fish and small wrasse are all present in good numbers. Large Napoleons wrasse can often be seen along the reef. The Thomas Reef includes some plateau sections and a very deep canyon running along the reef’s southern section. It is the smallest of the four Tiran reefs. The reef’s upper section is a riot of color, encompassing some of the finest soft coral growth in the Sinai region. Huge, densley packed fields of Dendronephthya of every imaginable hue are spread across the reef, along with antler corals, fine Stylophora, some Acropora and many other stony coral forms. Fish live is also rich, with the greatest concentration in the shallows. Lyretail cod and other groupers grow to great size, and many varieties of rabbit fish and wrasse congregate along the reef face, accompanied by box and puffer fish.