Mini Safari Abu Nahas Ship Wrecks -Hurghada

Situated approximately 65 kilometers southeast of Hurghada, on the northern coast of Shadwan Island (considered to be the largest island in the Red Sea), in the Shadwan channel, lies Shaab Abu Nahas.

The submerged Shaab Abu Nuhas has brought passing ships more than a fair share of bad luck.

This dive site is well known for the famous ship wrecks on the bottom of the Red Sea and just waiting to be explored.

The offshore reef offers a total of 7 wrecks, but only 5 are accessible for recreational divers.  There are 5 magnificent cargo shipwrecks on the northern slopes of this dive site, so if you enjoy wreck diving then Shaab Abu Nahas is definitely a dive site you should consider exploring.  But don’t forget that Shaab Abu Nahas is also home to a great marine life and beautiful hard and soft corals.

The following wrecks are accessible to recreational divers.

The Giannis:

The Giannis is a 100 meters general cargo vessel built in Japan, but under Greek ownership. The Giannis hit Shaab Abu Nahas at full speed on 19 April 1983. The ship, full of timber sank to a depth of 24 meters with the stern and bow still intact. The engine room at a depth of 13 meters offers an easy penetration as well as a superb view through clouds of glassfish. In the multilevel rooms and the passageways, you can encounter giant moray eels and octopus. The bow mast, horizontally extending from the boat, creates a great spot to search for scorpion fish, gobies, and nudibranch. To end your dive, you can just climb up the main mast to perform your safety stop at about 4 meters depth from the surface.

The Carnatic:

This British built ship is one of the oldest wrecks in the Red Sea and is a favorite for many divers at Shaab Abu Nuhas. It was a 90 meters long cargo steamship. The Carnatic hit the reef on September 12^th, 1869. The cargo consisted of gold, wine, and cotton, while the ship was on its way to India. The ship snapped in two and sank, parallel to the reef at a depth of 24 meters. The crew and passengers were able to escape on lifeboats to the Shadwan Island, from where they were rescued. A few months later the British were able to recover the gold. The Carnatic is still in good condition and offers fantastic picture opportunities. Soft coral is covering the entire wooden hull and you will find a great variety of marine life. This wreck is also suitable for all divers.

Chrisoula:

The Chrisoula is a 98 meters long Greek cargo ship and sunk in 1981 at Shaab Abu Nuhas. This ship was transporting tiles from Italy. It broke into 2 parts. The stern lies at a depth of 28 meters on a sandy bottom. The bow, on the contrary, lies in shallow waters at a depth of 4 meters. Penetration inside the engine room is not easy but possible. For this, you need to be an experienced wreck diver. The rest of the wreck is suitable for all divers.

Kimon:

The Kimon was a former 120 meters long cargo vessel than sunk on December 1978 after hitting Shaab Abu Nahas. The Kimon was carrying lentils and beans.  It lies completely on starboard side, with its stern at a depth of 32 meters (its deepest point).