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Overview
British steam-sail merchantman that struck the southern reef of Sha'ab Mahmoud in April 1876 carrying spices and cotton home from Bombay. She capsized within hours of the impact and sank in two pieces, settling upside-down on a sandy slope outside the Ras Mohammed park boundary; local fishermen kept her location secret for a century before sport divers rediscovered her in 1977. The 80 m hull rises from 29 m at the broken stern to 15 m at the bow, with the propeller shaft and a single boiler still in place. A long swim-through runs the inverted hold, exiting where the ship snapped in half, and the rusted plates host glassfish clouds, lionfish, blue-spotted stingrays, moray eels and Dendronephthya soft corals.
Briefing note
The wreck sits just outside the Ras Mohammed National Park boundary, so park fees and permits may apply depending on operator routing. The hull is inverted and dark inside — a primary dive light is essential, and the central swim-through past the boiler is a true overhead environment best done with wreck or AOW training. Maximum depth is 29 m at the stern; plan for deco awareness and Nitrox if available.
What you'll see
6 species curated- year-roundGlassfishPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundCommon lionfishPeak: 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
- year-roundKlunzinger's soft coralPeak: 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
Sightings evidence
1 record on file- high confidenceGlassfish
- 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 We deliberately do not publish a numeric '% chance of sighting' from this data.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- Underwater cultural heritage
Freighter · United Kingdom
SS Dunraven
- Built
- 1873
- Sunk
- Apr 25, 1876
- Length
- 80 m
- Tonnage
- 1,613
- Diveable depth
- 15–30 m
- How she sank
- Accident
British steamer carrying cotton, spices, and timber from Bombay to Newcastle. Struck Sha'ab Mahmoud reef south of Ras Mohammed and sank within an hour. Upside down with the stern intact.
Notable features
- upturned hull
- engine room glass roof
- propeller
- glassfish schools
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 | mild |
| Feb | 20–22 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Mar | 21–23 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Apr | 22–24 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| May | 24–26 °C | 25–35 m | mild |
| Jun | 26–28 °C | 25–35 m | moderate |
| Jul | 27–29 °C | 25–40 m | moderate |
| Aug | 27–29 °C | 25–40 m | moderate |
| Sep | 26–28 °C | 25–35 m | mild |
| Oct | 25–27 °C | 25–35 m | mild |
| Nov | 23–25 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Dec | 22–24 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Next step
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