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Deptherapy’s Red Sea Wrecks – Part 5
Part five of Gary Green’s account of the Deptherapy Red Sea Military and Forgotten Wrecks liveaboard expedition.
Days 7 & 8: SS Thistlegorm (Four Dives)
And so it was on to the Thistlegorm, a shipwreck that had been built up so skilfully in the medium of presentation by Dan Phillips, another of the programme members who suffers with PTSD. Regarding his injuries though, he refuses to be defined by them. He does, however, not mind being defined as a self-proclaimed geek. I am not but I did have a sense of real enthusiasm injected into me by his presentation; I think we all did as he amazingly built this picture up in our minds. He produced videos of the original launch, from the early forties, showing the ship being pulled from harbour; it was fascinating that this original footage was available, especially as the ship in front of our eyes was now beneath us.
The Thistlegorm is a war grave and to us veterans it hit a nerve. We all share that bond of war that stretches back to the first soldiers that fought for freedom. It would be the same as someone in fifty years returning to Afghanistan to places where I had lost friends in war; it puts a lump in my throat. The story was told of the sinking and I could see it in my head. I took a step outside and could picture myself standing on board as the bombers flew over, the chaos, death and fear that then ensued.
The wreck did not disappoint. The current was strong and we held tight to the shot line to avoid being lost in the water. The dive was incredible; the wreck itself had so many mysteries. The guns were still intact on the ship and it was incredible to think that at some point in time these would have had to be used to defend themselves. How unfortunate that they were not used when they were needed most; now they lay inert, a living submerged museum piece.
There were parts of the wreck we could penetrate. The WWII cargo still on board – motorcycles, trucks etc. – all still in the same place as when the ship sank. At the bottom of the shot line stood a big shell of ammunition, which I would guess was for the anti-aircraft weapons on board. However inert it may be, wet or damaged, it’s still not something you would want to be tampering with. The lads obviously made jokes about striking the percussion cap underwater, which certainly was a no-no. In total we completed four dives on the Thistlegorm, which you could say was still not enough to uncover all of its mysteries. We carried out two on day seven and another two on day eight before moving on to Abu Nuhas. To finish off the Thistlegorm, the most apt way to sum it up would not be my words, but the words of the newfound historian and enthusiast, Dan Philips, who says…
“The S.S. Thistlegorm is almost as it was before it was sunk (apart from the blast damage) which makes it easy to put yourself in the shoes of the men that were aboard. No museum or battlefield tour on land could bring you closer to the history of the era.”
A note from Richard Cullen, Founder & Chairman Deptherapy & Deptherapy Education:
ACT OF REMEMBRANCE
So two days on the famous SS Thistlegorm wreck. This amazing wreck never fails to impress. All those who had never dived it before were moved by the BSA motorbikes, the trucks, rifles, engines, munitions etc in lines as they were when the ship was sunk whilst at anchor by a German bomber in World War II. For most of the time we have been the only boat moored on the site and those that wanted were able to penetrate the decks of the ship.
Before we departed SS Thistlegorm we held a very poignant and emotional Service of Remembrance on the top deck of the Princess Diana. The programme members and the dive team formed a hollow square. The hollow square was lined by the ‘troops’ on three sides with the fourth side empty to represent those departed brothers in arms. Dickie Henderson called the square to attention.
We named and remembered the four crew members who died that night: Alfred Keen, aged 68, Joseph Munro Rolfe aged 17, Karl Sankando aged 49, Alexander Watt aged 21 and the five members of the Royal Navy gun crew, Arthur Cain aged 26, Archibald Gethin 19, Donald Masterson aged 32, Christopher Todds aged 25 and Thomas Woolaghan aged 24. We also remembered the friends and brothers in arms of our programme members who did not return home from recent conflicts. The majority of our programme members had lost friends and comrades in Iraq, Afghanistan, Northern Ireland and other conflicts.
Gary Green delivered Binyon’s Poem for the Fallen:
“They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old, age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.”
The Last Post echoed eerily across the empty Red Sea. As the notes faded away on the wind, Chris Middleton repeated those famous lines inscribed at Kohemi:
“When you go home tell them of us and say for your tomorrow we gave our today.”
The ceremony ended with the Gaelic Blessing:
“May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back
May the sun shine on your face and the
Rains fall soft upon your fields and until
We meet again may your God hold you safe in the palm of his hand.”
Day 8: Abu Nuhas – SS Markus
After five dives on the Thistlegorm, we headed to the reef of Abu Nuhas. There are quite a few wrecks on this reef and many different stories. Some say that the reef had taken ships over the years, that the reef was notorious for sinking boats when the captain was caught off guard. The story that we were told was slightly different, in fact three of the wrecks had belonged to one man who had sunk them to claim back money from his insurance. I certainly am not informed enough to make a judgement either way but it was pointed out that we were out of the way of any commercial shipping lanes, which does induce some doubt into the nature of the ships sinking from any natural disaster.
Another story about this wreck that was strange was that one wreck was actually on top of another. The Markus has over the years been mixed up with the Chrisoula K. The maps that you pull for the Chrisoula K are in actual fact the Markus, which is also known as the tile wreck, named this because the cargo was tiles, which can still be seen on the wreck itself. The Chrisoula K was actually 55m below the Markus, so we were not actually diving it at all. Available information on both of these wrecks is misleading.
Inside the wreck of the SS Markus there is a tool room where the working areas are still visible. A pillar drill can still be seen, the drill itself still intact but the framework deteriorated over time by the salty seawater. The wreck, like all the wrecks, had been eaten away over time, the water eroding away the history, giving way to the marine life that has spawned an underwater circle of life; as the wreck dies, the sea life emerges. The wreck itself was easy to navigate. Holes in the wreck structure gave way to light which illuminated the passageways. A tool box still has tools in the open drawers; a reminder of the work – and life – that once used to take place on the ship.
Day 8: Abu Nuhas Reef (Night Dive)
The second dive at Abu Nuhas was a reef dive conducted as a night dive. The reef itself was actually in quite poor condition, which was a shame, although at night some of the colour seems to fade away until your torch beam lights up the way. The life on the reef given its condition was impressive. One of the Red Sea’s convicts gave me a fright; as I hovered a few inches off the sea floor I narrowly missed a scorpion fish. It could have left me with a nasty reminder of an absolutely once in a lifetime trip. Amongst the life that we saw was an absolutely stunning emperor angel fish My favourite fish has to be the clown fish (sorry, Red Sea anemone fish) but the sight of this emperor fish was close to taking the podium. We won’t include sharks in this as the competition becomes slightly one sided…
Read more next week: Gary’s blog concludes on Monday / Tuesday with Parts Six & Seven.
Donate to Deptherapy or find out more about their work at www.deptherapy.co.uk
Thanks to Dmitry Knyazev and Steve Rattle for the incredible photographs.
In this series, the Shark Trust will be sharing amazing facts about different species of sharks and what you can do to help protect them.
This month we’re taking a look at the Dusky Shark, a highly migratory species with a particularly slow growth rate and late age at maturity.
Dusky sharks are one of the largest species within the Carcharhinus genus, generally measuring 3 metres total length but able to reach up to 4.2 metres. They are grey to grey-brown on their dorsal side and their fins usually have dusky margins, with the darkest tips on the caudal fin.
Dusky Sharks can often be confused with other species of the Carcharhinus genus, particularly the Galapagos Shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis). They have very similar external morphology, so it can be easier to ID to species level by taking location into account as the two species occupy very different ecological niches – Galapagos Sharks prefer offshore seamounts and islets, whilst duskies prefer continental margins.
Hybridisation:
A 2019 study found that Dusky Sharks are hybridising with Galapagos Sharks on the Eastern Tropical Pacific (Pazmiño et al., 2019). Hybridisation is when an animal breeds with an individual of another species to produce offspring (a hybrid). Hybrids are often infertile, but this study found that the hybrids were able to produce second generation hybrids!
Long distance swimmers:
Dusky sharks are highly mobile species, undertaking long migrations to stay in warm waters throughout the winter. In the Northern Hemisphere, they head towards the poles in the summer and return southwards towards the equator in winter. The longest distance recorded was 2000 nautical miles!
Very slow to mature and reproduce:
The Dusky Shark are both targeted and caught as bycatch globally. We already know that elasmobranchs are inherently slow reproducers which means that they are heavily impacted by overfishing; it takes them so long to recover that they cannot keep up with the rate at which they are being fished. Dusky Sharks are particularly slow to reproduce – females are only ready to start breeding at roughly 20 years old, their gestation periods can last up to 22 months, and they only give birth every two to three years. This makes duskies one of the most vulnerable of all shark species.
The Dusky Shark is now listed on Appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species (CMS), but further action is required to protect this important species.
Scientific Name: Carcharhinus obscurus
Family: Carcharhinidae
Maximum Size: 420cm (Total Length)
Diet: Bony fishes, cephalopods, can also eat crustaceans, and small sharks, skates and rays
Distribution: Patchy distribution in tropical and warm temperate seas; Atlantic, Indo-Pacific and Mediterranean.
Habitat: Ranges from inshore waters out to the edge of the continental shelf.
Conservation status: Endangered.
For more great shark information and conservation visit the Shark Trust Website
Images: Andy Murch
Diana A. Pazmiño, Lynne van Herderden, Colin A. Simpfendorfer, Claudia Junge, Stephen C. Donnellan, E. Mauricio Hoyos-Padilla, Clinton A.J. Duffy, Charlie Huveneers, Bronwyn M. Gillanders, Paul A. Butcher, Gregory E. Maes. (2019). Introgressive hybridisation between two widespread sharks in the east Pacific region, Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 136(119-127), https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2019.04.013.
3rd AUGUST 2024 – 1 or 2 WEEK PROGRAMMES
Daily water programme with Snorkelling & Scuba Diving.
Beginners or qualified, something for all.
Leave the kids with the Splash Team for days of Excitement, Fun & Adventure!
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
There are various options for accommodation with options for 2, 3, 4 or 5 guests.
Eco Huts provide accommodation for families of up to 4. The best option to enhance the adventure and closest to camping with basic facilities. For August we will provide central air cooling for all the Eco Huts.
Deluxe Chalets are only suitable for 2 guests. Fully air conditioned rooms with private bathroom and other facilities.
Boutique Rooms are available for families of up to 5.
Individual bespoke rooms fully air conditioned with private bathroom and other facilities.
Eco Huts: £675 per adult / £425 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
Deluxe Chalet: £830 per adult / £505 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
Boutique Room: £925 per adult / £550 per child / Under 8 FREE of charge
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
This is a truly unique opportunity to have a Family Desert Adventure totally away from it all! You will be based at the remote Roots Red Sea on the coast of the Egyptian Eastern Desert, 140km south of Hurghada city.
Red Sea Splash main focus is Snorkelling & Scuba Diving but that’s not all, we provide a rounded week of activities in support.
Pool& Field Games – Arts & Crafts
Marine Biology Workshops
Cultural Activities – Orienteering Adventures
Roots Red Sea have established strong links with the local communities of Hamerwain & El Quseir affording our guests to have a true taste of the local culture, SPLASH CAMP embraces this opportunity and bring in the local children to join in the fun with our adventure seekers.
During the day, families are welcome to take part in all activities together or the kids can be left with the SPLASH CAMP team while the parents enjoy the facilities or go diving themselves!
At the end of the day, its family time while the SPLASH CAMP team take a break. For those with the energy, there are family evening activities planned a few evenings.
Open Air Movie Night – Desert Star Gazing Walk & Talk
El Quseir Evening City Tour
The second week is very special, we head off on the Big Blue for a liveaboard safari around Fury Shoals.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
U-8 Splash Club
Sadly we can’t offer Scuba Diving to the Splash Club but we can have lots of fun Snorkelling & Free Diving!
Splash Club includes:
Certified Snorkel Course – Marine ID Games – Intro to Free Diving
Arts & Craft Sessions – Adventure trails – Cultural Playtime – Pool Games
U-12 Explorer Club
In addition to an exciting snorkelling and Free Diving Programme in the Splash Club we can take you under the water on SCUBA to a whole new world of fun and wonder. If you are under 10 your first breath under water will be as a Bubblemaker and continue with daily Seal Team Missions. From 10 we will complete a Discover Scuba Diving experience in the amazing Red Sea. Alternatively we offer a full junior certification programme to become an international qualified Scuba Diver.
U-16 Adventurer Club
For qualified Scuba Divers regardless of age it’s the Adventurer Club and exploration of the local reefs and marine life. There will be 2 dives every day with the Open Ocean marine field station team who will introduce you to Red Sea marine life and workshops on marine research. Alternatively there are opportunities to continue your scuba diving certifications with our instructional team.
Parents are welcome to join the club activities and join the courses.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
Big Blue might seem like the new kid on the block, but the team behind the highly acclaimed liveaboard is far from that. They have been running Red Sea safaris since the late 1980’s and were in fact part of the early pioneers who ventured out to the unknown on vessels that in today’s world, really shouldn’t have left the harbour! It’s that experience and the years of operating the award-winning Roots Red Sea resort which truly set Big Blue apart from the crowd!
Large lounge area, spacious sun deck and terrace deck.
Airy restaurant with five tables with up to six chairs per table, serving a varied and delicious menu with special dietary requirements catered for.
The spacious cabins have side by side beds and a large walk in wet bathroom.
Ample dive deck for divers & snorkelers.
Safety is everyone’s priority, whether you are relaxing on board, swimming, snorkelling or diving.
On board Big Blue is fitted with smoke alarms, emergency lighting and a fire alarm system. The lower corridor has a full-size door fire exit at the bow and open stairs to the stern. There are evacuation plans in each room along with life jackets, glass breaker tool and a fire extinguisher.
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
Red Sea Splash at Fury Shoals is a very rare opportunity to get involved with marine biology expedition for children and adults. Open Ocean biologists are on board to provide fascinating and entertaining facts about the marine life you will see. The team will provide workshops on marine life identification and survey methods both of which, should you wish, you will have the chance to put into practice during your safari.
The week is open to snorkelers, scuba divers and non divers too!
Fury shoals is perfect for first time mariners as it offers plenty of protection from the weather.
We board at Port Ghaleb on Saturday evening and prepare to set sail early on Sunday morning.
Heading south, our first day will be diving the reefs of Abu Dabbab before sailing overnight to reach our ultimate destination the Fury Shoals.
Here we will spend four days swimming, snorkelling and scuba diving amazing reefs. This includes guaranteed DOLPHIN encounters at Sataya Reef! After the last dive we haul anchor and head back to Abu Dabbab for our final two dives before disembarking our boat BIG BLUE.
Camp Extension Cost*
Adult £650 per adult
Under 16 £350 per child
BOOK NOW: INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM / TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
FURTHER INFORMATION – INFO@PHARAOHDIVECLUB.COM
TEL: +44 7598 329059 or +20 100 6822000
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