SS Carnatic
Ras Mohammed · Egypt
British P&O steam and sail hybrid that struck Sha'ab Abu Nuhas reef on the night of 12-13 September 1869, broke in two after thirty six hours of pounding seas, and sank with thirty one of those aboard plus £40,000 in Indian Mint coins and a hold of fine wines and Royal Mail. Rediscovered in May 1984, the 89-meter iron hull now lies on its port side parallel to the reef between 16 and 27 m, the wooden superstructure long since rotted into a skeletal lattice of iron crossbeams that lets sunlight stream through the stacked decks. Soft coral and gorgonians fur the wreck head to stern; glassfish boil through the broken midships and shoals of bluestripe snapper hover off the bow.
Conditions
Depth
16 to 27 m
Open water and up
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
20 to 30 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
20 to 30°C
3mm wetsuit or shorty
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 21 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 22 |
| Vis (m) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Current | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Glassfish (sweeper)
Last confirmed May 15, 2026 · 130 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Bluespotted stingray
Last confirmed Apr 6, 2026 · 26 records
Very likely
Most dives
Giant moray
Last confirmed Apr 9, 2026 · 31 records
Very likely
Most dives
Scorpionfish
Last confirmed Mar 10, 2026 · 3 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Scalefin anthias
Last confirmed Jan 24, 2026 · 7 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Crocodilefish
Last confirmed Apr 6, 2026 · 7 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Bluestripe snapper
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear