News
New shipwreck discovered for Technical Divers in the Red Sea
A team from Red Sea Explorers has been the first to dive on a newly located wreck in the Northern Red Sea.
Following a lead from a trusted local fisherman, Faisal Khalaf and Michel Salsmans ventured into the deep waters near Gubal Island in search of this unknown wreck on 21 and 22 January. A combination of heavy currents, poor visibility, the estimated depth of the wreck and heavy ship traffic made access difficult. After arriving at the suggested coordinates, the team spotted the wreck on the depth sounder and after a battle to hook onto the wreck due to poor surface conditions and the current, they managed to descend.
Upon arriving at depth they found lots of pipes but no wreck. However, after 10 minutes of searching, they came upon a massive structure which was a magnificent sight to see. The wreck appears to have been a cargo ship carrying pipes. It is about 100m in length and approximately 15m wide. With two long masts, one at the stern and another at the bow, they discovered one life raft under the davits on the starboard side.
The following day, they went back to the location to conduct further exploration and identify the wreck. Again, the surface conditions and currents meant they needed to moor some distance away from the wreck itself. The pipes around the wreck make it easy to hook at the wrong spot. They spent 15 minutes reeling out to the wreck, which left only a short time to dive her. They recorded the dive on a GoPro but hope to return soon to get better quality shots.
So far the wreck is unidentified but the Red Sea Explorers team have named it Persistence: The Angle Pipe Wreck.
What is known so far:
- Location: In the middle of the Traffic Separation Scheme North of Gubal Island, in the Northern Red Sea at the mouth of the Gulf of Suez.
- Ship Type: Cargo
- Cargo: Pipes
- Ship Design: Twin Masts: One aft of the super structure and another towards the bow.
- Dimensions: Length approx. 80-110m; beam approx. 15-20m wide.
- Condition: The ship seems to be completely covered with growth, suggesting she has been there for a while, anywhere from early 1950s to 1970s.
- Orientation: Sitting on her starboard side with her bow pointing north.
- Topography: The wreck is sitting in a flat sandy patch with all the pipes and beams scattered to her east.
- Depth: From 62-76m.
Dive Conditions:
- Difficult/Advanced – Hypoxic Trimix Dive.
- Lots of current, both on the surface and on the wreck.
- Windy surface conditions make it tricky on the surface.
- Expect difficulty hooking the wreck due the current and its orientation.
- Visibility is 15m; 10m at depth.
- A lot of fishing lines all around the wreck, divers must take cutting equipment.
- Returning to the up-line is a must as drifting divers will be in the way of the massive cargo ships coming up and down the channel.
Life on the wreck:
The wreck itself is covered with glassfish. Groupers hide inside and giant trevally followed the divers around the wreck. Schooling Barracuda also showed up. The rich murky water makes it an excellent feeding and breeding ground.
The Red Sea Explorers team will be diving on her again soon, so stay tuned for more news!
Find out more at www.redseaexplorers.com.
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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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