News
Barbados – Diving the Stavronikita
The Stav, as it is affectionally known here, was a 120m long Greek freighter. She had a fateful end. On the 26th August 1976, when crossing from Ireland to the Caribbean, she caught fire and 6 of her crew perished, while 24 others drifted for four days before eventually being rescued. The ship was towed to Barbados where she remained for two years, before being bought and stripped by the Parks and Beach Commission to be sunk as an artificial reef. She lies in 40m of water, with her forward mast, at 18m, looming out of the blue as you descend.
We had one dive on this magnificent wreck, but really you need at least 3 dives to do her any justice. The first thing you notice, as you drop into the clear blue water, is just how big she is. There is just so much to explore, and having been underwater for nearly 40 years, she has an incredible abundance of growth and just teems with colourful marine life. One of the highlights is the forward mast, which is caked in coral, sponges and some of the sea fans appear to reach out to you, to embrace you. As this part is relatively shallow, this is where many divers spend a lot of their dive-time. You could spend a whole dive just on this mast, as we mostly did, photographing the owner of our dive centre, Barbados Blue.
We did, however, also venture to the bow, and completed a quick tour along the port side to get a feel for what else there was to see. Huge sponges and black gorgonians adorn every feature on the deck, and we would have loved to drop down to the bottom to photograph the props, but there is only so much you can do on a single dive.
But there can be no doubt, this is a fantastic wreck, and one we hope to get the chance to dive again before too long; it is right up there with some of the top great Caribbean wreck dives.
For more from Nick and Caroline, visit www.frogfishphotography.com.
Gear News
Scubapro Free Octopus Promotion 2024
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Blogs
Northern Red Sea Reefs and Wrecks Trip Report, Part 3: The Mighty Thistlegorm
Jake Davies boards Ghazala Explorer for an unforgettable Red Sea diving experience…
Overnight, the wind picked up, making the planned morning dive a bit bumpy on the Zodiacs to the drop point on Thomas Reef. There, we would dive along the reef before descending through the canyon and then passing under the arch before ascending the wall with a gentle drift. The site provided great encounters with more pelagic species, including shoals of large barracuda, tuna, and bigeye trevally.
Once back on the boat, it was time to get everything tied down again as we would head back south. This time, with the wind behind us, heading to Ras Mohammed to dive Jackfish Alley for another great gentle drift wall dive before then heading up the coast towards the Gulf of Suez to moor up at the wreck of the Thistlegorm. This being the highlight wreck dive of the trip and for many onboard, including myself, it was the first time diving this iconic wreck. I had heard so much about the wreck from friends, and globally, this is a must on any diver’s list. Fortunately for us, there was only one other boat at the site, which was a rarity. A great briefing was delivered by Ahmed, who provided a detailed background about the wreck’s history along with all the required safety information as the currents and visibility at the site can be variable.
Kitting up, there was a lot of excitement on deck before entering the water and heading down the shoreline. Descending to the wreck, there was a light northerly current which reduced the visibility, making it feel more like the conditions that can be found off the Welsh coast. At 10m from the bottom, the outline of the wreck appeared as we reached the area of the wreck which had been bombed, as our mooring line was attached to part of the propeller shaft. Arriving on deck, instantly everywhere you looked there were many of the supplies which the ship was carrying, including Bren Carrier tanks and projectiles that instantly stood out.
We headed around the exterior, taking a look at the large propeller and guns mounted on deck before entering the wreck on the port side to take a look in the holds. It was incredible to see all the trucks, Norton 16H, and BSA motorcycles still perfectly stacked within, providing a real snapshot in time.
Overall, we had four dives on the Thistlegorm, where for all of the dives we were the only group in the water, and at times, there were just three of us on the whole wreck, which made it even more special, especially knowing that most days the wreck has hundreds of divers. Along with the history of the wreck, there was plenty of marine life on the wreck and around, from big green turtles to batfish, along with shoals of mackerel being hunted by trevally. Some unforgettable dives.
The final leg of the trip saw us cross back over the Suez Canal to the Gobal Islands where we planned to stay the night and do three dives at the Dolphin House for the potential of sharing the dive with dolphins. The site, which included a channel that was teeming with reef fish, especially large numbers of goatfish that swam in large shoals along the edge of the reef. These were nice relaxing dives to end the week. Unfortunately, the dolphins didn’t show up, which was okay as like all marine life they are difficult to predict and you can’t guarantee what’s going to be seen. With the last dive complete, we headed back to port for the final night where it was time to clean all the kit and pack before the departure flight the next day.
The whole week from start to finish on Ghazala Explorer was amazing; the boat had all the facilities you need for a comfortable week aboard. The crew were always there to help throughout the day and the chefs providing top quality food which was required after every dive. The itinerary providing some of the best diving with a nice mixture of wreck and reef dives. I would recommend the trip to anyone, whether it’s your first Red Sea liveaboard in the Red Sea or you’re revisiting. Hopefully, it’s not too long before I head back to explore more of the Red Sea onboard Ghazala Explorer.
To find out more about the Northern Red Sea reef and wrecks itineraries aboard Ghazala Explorer, or to book, contact Scuba Travel now:
Email: dive@scubatravel.com
Tel: +44 (0)1483 411590
Photos: Jake Davies / Avalon.Red
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