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Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Ras Mohammed location page.
Overview
Greek cargo ship that slammed into the northwest corner of Sha'ab Abu Nuhas reef at full speed on April 19, 1983, en route from Croatia to Jeddah with a hold full of softwood timber. The 99.5-meter hull split into three sections and now lies on her port side, with the mast reaching to 4 m below the surface and the propeller at 27 m. The 45-degree tilt of the intact stern superstructure — engine room, pilothouse, crew quarters — is the most photographed angle of any Red Sea wreck after the Thistlegorm. Shafts of light cut through the slanted portholes onto schools of glassfish packing the lower decks, and scorpionfish, crocodilefish and the occasional Napoleon wrasse work the broken midsection.
Briefing note
Advanced Open Water with wreck experience strongly recommended; full penetration into the engine room and crew quarters requires PADI/SSI Wreck Diver certification. The sideways orientation disorients first-time wreck divers — practise neutral buoyancy and trim before going inside. Three Abu Nuhas mooring buoys serve different wrecks; confirm with the dive guide which wreck the line drops on, as currents can prevent reaching another. Strait of Gubal winds frequently force itineraries to swap Abu Nuhas for sheltered sites. Nearest hyperbaric chamber is in Hurghada.
What you'll see
6 species curated- year-roundGlassfish (sweeper)Peak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundScorpionfishPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundCrocodilefishPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundBluespotted stingrayPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundGiant morayPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- rareNapoleon wrassePeak: Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Sep · Oct · Nov
Sightings evidence
1 record on file- high confidenceGlassfish (sweeper)
- Last confirmed
- May 2026
- Recent records
- 130 within 10 km
- Cluster months
- Year-round
Sources & methodology
How we summarise this
We aggregate confirmed occurrence records from GBIF and OBIS within a fixed radius of each dive site. Occurrence records confirm presence and reveal seasonality clustering, but they DO NOT measure per-dive probability — there is no eligible-effort denominator. We deliberately do not publish a numeric '% chance of sighting' from this data.
Sources
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility — GBIF Secretariat
- Ocean Biodiversity Information System — IOC-UNESCO
- OBIS-SEAMAP — Duke University Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab / OBIS
- iNaturalist — California Academy of Sciences & National Geographic Society
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — International Union for Conservation of Nature
- WoRMS — World Register of Marine Species — Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
- FishBase — FishBase Consortium
- Atlas of Living Australia — CSIRO / GBIF Australia
- REEF Volunteer Fish Survey — Reef Environmental Education Foundation
The wreck
Ship history- No formal protection
Freighter · Greece
Giannis D
- Built
- 1969
- Sunk
- Apr 19, 1983
- Length
- 100 m
- Tonnage
- 2,932
- Diveable depth
- 4–27 m
- How she sank
- Accident
Greek-flagged cargo ship hit Sha'ab Abu Nuhas reef in the Red Sea and sank after three days of slow flooding. Broken into three sections — the stern and bridge are the photogenic parts.
Notable features
- leaning stern section
- bridge swim-throughs
- engine room with telegraph
Vessel histories sourced from the Naval History and Heritage Command (DANFS), NOAA ENC Direct, and editorial research. Bathymetry per GEBCO. See the methodology for limits.
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 21–23 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Feb | 20–22 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Mar | 21–23 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Apr | 22–24 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| May | 24–26 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Jun | 26–28 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Jul | 27–29 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Aug | 28–30 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Sep | 27–29 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Oct | 26–28 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Nov | 24–26 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
| Dec | 22–24 °C | 20–30 m | moderate |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Gear for this site
Beyond the basic kit- Primary plus backup torch — The most rewarding parts — engine room and crew quarters in the stern — are dark interior penetrations even on a sunny day.
- Reef hook or SMB — Surface currents on Abu Nuhas can build through the morning; an SMB is essential for ascents off the mooring line.
Next step
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