
Zainab Wreck
Dive site
The MV Zainab is a 48-metre supply vessel intentionally sunk off Abu Dhabi in 2005 as part of the emirate's artificial reef programme, resting on its keel at 22 m in the calm Arabian Gulf. It is the most intact and least dived of the UAE's purpose-sunk wrecks, giving it an undisturbed quality rarely found in Gulf diving — the wheelhouse is still largely intact, and hawksbill turtles have established a multi-year residency on the stern deck. Large schools of yellowfin goatfish carpet the sand around the hull, and the cooler months bring whale sharks to the general area around the Abu Dhabi coastal wrecks, visible from the surface when conditions are clear.
Conditions
Depth
8 to 25 m
Open water and up
Current
Variable
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
4 to 8 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
21 to 34°C
shorty
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 21 | 21 | 22 | 25 | 27 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 22 |
| Vis (m) | 8 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 8 |
| Current | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
Field journal
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