Egypts Top 20 Shipwrecks

www.deeplens.com

EGYPT’S TOP TWENTY SHIPWRECKS

by Peter Collings I NT ERNAT I ONAL AWARD WINNING AUTHOR, P HOTOGRAPH ER & WRECK HUNTER

Celebrating 30 years of publishing Forward by John Womack 1

www.deeplens.com

2

www.deeplens.com

EGYPT’S TOP TWENTY SHIPWRECKS

3

www.deeplens.com

FORWARD by JOHN WOMACK I am John Womack Snr, BSAC First Class Diver, Advanced Instructor & owner of Otter Drysuits in Yorkshire, having dived the Britannic, Prince of Wales, Repulse and the Victoria plus many more over the last 40 years I would not go anywhere in the Red Sea without one of Peter's guide books. I have been on numerous successful trips of Peter's including wreck searching in Truk La goon.

Peter's new book is awesome, there are so many wrecks and to give detailed descriptions of all the wrecks themselves is great, it makes you feel like you have dived them already. I remember doing a night dive on the Thistlegorm which was just fantastic it was pitch black with pin points of light from fellow divers lights.In the south, Peter, Tom and myself went looking for the wreck of the Maidan on Rocky Island, we followed the debris trail down to 65mtrs and there before us was the huge sha dow of the wreck hanging over the abyss starting at 80 mtrs. We could only look down in wonder, but we had found what we were looking for after 10 years.

Peter's trips are a must and very much like his trips his books are a must read, Peter is a walking encyclopa edia on all things diving and ship wrecks. A lot of great ships were made in the North East and it comes as no surprise to me that this is where Peter came from too, we have been friends /fellow wreck divers a lot of years and hope to be sharing experiences and books for many more years to come.

John Womack MD Otter Watersports Yorkshire.March 2018 Otter Drysuits, UK This series of guides is respectfully dedicated to this great man. I am proud to have called him friend and shared his last dive.

JOHN MICHAEL WOMACK 23 MARCH 1943- 30 TH NOV.2018

4

www.deeplens.com

I NTRODUCTION The work of the Red Sea Wreck Academy over the last 20 years has propelled Egypt into the “wreck locations of the wo rld” m ajor league, bested only by Truk Lagoon. Since its co nception, the team have been at the forefront o f wreck discovery in the region. Many o f the house hold names in wrecks were discovered, identified and surveyed long before “o thers” m ade farcical claims! International awards and the endorsement o f the Egyptian State To urist Office bear testimony to that.

This publication, our 15th in the eBook series, is not a list o f the “most dived” or most po pula r” wrecks in Egypt’s Red Sea. It is a “must do” list compiled by a panel o f experts, “all” o f whom have dived “all” o f the forty wrecks in the Egyptian Red Sea. Each shipwreck was judged on its merits under several categories, and in some cases m arks were deducted for overcrowding, diver dama ge or diminished visibility. Categories included historical back ground, unique m arine life and all weather access. Depth too was co nsidered, with “square profile” dives losing marks, but co nversely gaining po ints for advanced /technical training o pportunities.

There are some notable omissions. Any purpo se sunk or created wreck (not many), wrecks with a least depth o f 40 metres o r those in restricted areas such as oilfields. The M.V. Al Khafain, T43 Minesweeper, MV Belina and M.V. Hamada and S.S. Scalaria, all came close.

2016-I suspect that after the team have dived the DOMIAT this listing will change.

She is ce rtain of a top five spot….unless we find the P & O SHILLONG.

The E book concept The idea of the E BOOK series came about after seeing so many incorrect publications quoting the wro ng identity of the Tile Wreck at Abu Nuhas in the Red Sea. Despite a plethora of undeniable facts presented by m yself and members o f the Red Se a Wreck Academy, self proclaiming experts still, for reasons known o nly to themselves, continued to

5

www.deeplens.com

quote the MARCUS as the CHRISO ULA K. It was a rchive photographs from Ho ward Ro senstien and the location o f the ships bell, which added weight to Stephan Jablo nski’s accounts of the sinkings’. This new m aterial gave us e nough to produce the first E boo k in 2008.

Being free from restrictions it soon found its way around the world and was passed on from diver to diver. It had the desire d e ffect-Now m o re and m o re reports carry the co rrect identity.

Its success lead to more title s being pro duced a nd published .Initially with an Egyptian them e, the Thistlegorm, Rosalie Moller and the Russian warranted a vo lume to themselves.

To urist autho rities have noticed the im po rtance o f their assets. Wrecks are living underwater m use ums, and co m missions have flo o ded in from Leros, Egypt, Truk, Palau,Sri Lanka Subic Bay, and Busuanga, to name but a few.

Prom o ting tourism through shipwrecks” has become o ur mission statement, and by the end o f 2015 we will have co m pleted 20 titles in the series. We intend to update the guides annually-all free in readable format (72dpi) and in hi res, printable versions from the deeplens website for a small fee.

So no w we have a total of 20 titles available, (and more on the way), yours to enjoy and pass o n-to a nyone who m ay be interested- with m y compliments and don’t forget we run regular e xpeditions a nd safaris to a ll these featured Wrecks…The pro ject has o nly just begun….

PETER COLLINGS SSI PRO 5000

6

www.deeplens.com

7

www.deeplens.com

CONTENTS Chapter 1. S.S. DUNRAVEN

Pa ge 8

Chapter 2. M.V.SARAH

Pa ge 10

Chapter 3. M.V.ABOUDY

Pa ge 12

Chapter 4. M.V. KIMON M

Pa ge 15

Chapter 5. M.V. EL ARISH

Page18

Chapter 6. S.S. KINGSTON

Page 19

Chapter 7. S.S. ZIETIEH

Pa ge 21

Chapter 8. S.S. TURBO

Page 25

Chapter 9. OTTERMAN TRADER

Page 27

Chapter 10. M.V. MARKUS (Tile Wreck)

Page28

Chapter 11. M.V. GIANNIS D

Pa ge 30

Chapter 12. S.S. CARNATIC

Pa ge 35

Chapter 13. S.S. ULYSSES

Pa ge 37

Chapter 14. M.V. MILLION HOPE

Pa ge 39

Chapter 15. MOMA CLASS

Page 45

Chapter 16. S.S THISTLEGORM

Page 46

Chapter 17. S.S. ROSALIE MOLER

Page 49

Chapter 18. EL QAHER

Page 50

Chapter 19. S.S. TURKIA

Page 53

Chapter 20. S.S.NUMIDIA

Page 57

8

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 1

THE S.S. DUNRAVEN

20

Often dism issed and underrated, she takes her place at the bottom of the list. The first Wreck to be found (remember the Thistlegorm was never lost).

This wreck is o ften dism issed a s having little to o ffer, ho wever those who take time to inspect her ca refully will be rewarded with a glim pse into an example o f a shipwreck from a nostalgic perio d in m aritime history, and to the disce rning eye and underwater photographer, she will always be a firm favourite.

The upturned hull is co vered in so ft co rals and still stands pro ud o f the seabed, reaching up to within 18 m etres o f the surface , although ce rtain sections are now co llapsing in. It is po ssible to enter the wreck at the stern after vie wing her distinctive and colourful prop and rudder, although sadly o ne of the blades has fallen o ff after being use d as a mooring point.

Huge groupers and several batfish often hang o ut here.

Once inside, the huge cathedral like hull allows exploration forward toward a crack in the hull, which allows extra light to penetrate the interior. Recently a large section o f the hull has bro ken away, and indeed the whole hull is in danger o f collapse, her decay accelerated by the extra o xygen trapped in the higher reaches o f the upturned hull by divers using nitro x. A victim o f her o wn po pula rity; large sections of the hull are now sliding do wn onto the seabed and her ballast stones litter the floor.

It is po ssible to swim through the boiler and engine room area, restricted to single file, where her workings are easily identified; fly wheel, gearings, drive shaft and big ends and two huge bo ilers. Forward of this a large shoal of glass fish hover above. Her m asts and cro ws nest lie o n the seabed off her starboard side, making an ideal foreground subject for wide angled shots o f the wreck. The bo w section co mplete with ancho r chains is a do rned in soft co rals bo th inside and out, and is very photogenic, batfish and scorpion fish and crocodile fish reside here.

9

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 2

THE M.V.SARAH

19

In January 2012, while o n board a local day boat out o f Safaga, I was told this wreck didn’t exist, so Charlie Hood imagined it too! Well we saw her floating, and then dived her the next day! I’ll never forget Charles’ face when we saw her name.....bit of a private joke unless you kno w the story of the Sara H. She’s a hidden gem, would m ake a great third dive /night dive/intro wreck dive. Long m ay she be a figm ent of m y imagination.........

It’s the perfect wreck, intact, bathed in sunlight, rarely dived, lots o f interest and loads of life, and the bo nus is no one dives her. All factors which put her into the rankings.

The Sa rah lies close to Safaga Island and on its starboard side in 14 m etres of water, her po rtside awash and her davits breaking the surface. This ca rgo ship sat at anchor abando ned for o ver a year; remains of its last ca rgo of o nions could still be seen in the holds. The hull is covered in a glorious coat o f soft corals, sponges and sea squirts, grown o n the hull as it sa t at anchor. There is little or no damage to the vessel, however it is evident that it was strippe d of its instruments before it was abandoned. The compass binnacle sits on the navigation deck m inus the compass and the electronics have all been rem o ved. Her masts however still support many running lights and the gyro compass is still in pla ce , at the time of writing at least.

My Buddy was none o ther than Charles Hood of DIVE m agazine and we both had the idea o f a great wind up when we saw her name, if only we had some paint –the Sa ra H story co uld have taken o n a new twist………..

10

www.deeplens.com

There is no doubt as to her name at the time o f sinking. SARAH is clearly visible on the hull and her life belts and life ja ckets. A se t of fire plans were found o n the seabed showing her as the DOMA-T in 2000.

A thin film o f sediment co vers the wreck but despite this, the paintwork still looks fresh; she had only been down a few days when we dived her.

Lying o n a sandy bottom in 14 m etres, the superstructure is bathed in sun light a nd the wreck is totally intact. Her central crane and jib have swung do wnward and the maker’s plate is clear to see. Bo th masts run o ut horizontally and are, at the time of writing, adorned in all her navigatio n and running lights. Rigging and aeria l ca bles are still in place.

11

www.deeplens.com

Unique lo g bo ok stickers available from Dive-Logs.com & Deeplens.com

Chapter 3

THE M.V. ABOUDY

18

Described by some as the perfect wreck, although lo w in the rankings, this perfect little ca rgo ship ticked many o f the boxes....great fish life, intact and in o nly 12 metres. A great night dive to bo o t. Her engine room scored many plusses, but the sandy bo ttom and the fact she is subject to swells and thus reduced visibility, dropped her do wn a few places.

12

www.deeplens.com

Built in 1960 as the Ville De Tenes, by Handel Schpsb Kram er &Body o riginally designed to carry wine, she was 76 metres long, 11.4 metre beam, 490 tons, fitted with A 4sa 7 cyl o il M.A.N. engine. In 1962 she became the Captain Saint Jean until 1979 when she was bo ught by Nakhia & Sa do Marine Services (Egypt) and was finally named the Abo udy .

While carrying a general cargo, cargo 120 to ns of a luminium, and livestock The Aboudy sank off Ras Gharib in heavy wea ther on the 7th May 1988. Running agro und into shallow water, she ca psized onto her po rt side and was deemed a total constructive loss. She was lo ca ted Se ptember 13th 2005 by PC a nd mem bers o f Bromley BSAC, inshore of the Scalaria in shallow water. The wreck lies on its po rt side in a north south attitude with the bo ws to the north and her keel to seaward. The bridge and superstructure are located aft and have co llapsed. The holds which run continuously through the ship still contain some o f her ca rgo, hundreds of 120ml bottles of cough medicine lie in the silt and the surrounding sand, a nd lo ng lengths o f aluminium extrusion lie in twisted heaps. Two huge and very photogenic A-frame derricks run horizontal, flanking the holds, served by 4 sets o f twin winches and a radio m ast runs out from the bridge area. The fo’c’sle has evidence of other item s o f cargo stored there. Handrails a nd flag staffs are intact, a nd several bulk head lam ps ca n still be seen.

The prop and rudder are still in place in o nly 7 m etres o f water. Se veral m ast lamps, co m plete with lenses re main in their appropriate place. Given the shallow depth there is plenty o f time to explore this fascinating shipwreck, with the bonus of strong sunlight and varie d m arine life which includes shoaling barracuda and fusiliers, em peror angle fish, cro co dile fish, torpedo rays as well as encrusting corals and sponges on the hull and fittings.

The site is subject to swell as the seabed is sandy and visibility ca n be greatly reduced in po o r wea ther.

13

www.deeplens.com

14

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 4

THE M.V. KIMON M

17

Fo r m any years this wreck was o ff limits, partly due to unstable sections o f the wreck and the further distance re quired reaching her, plus the proxim ity o f 3 “better� wrecks .For those who bo ther to dive her, her immense proportions, and now flo urishing m arine life are just reward. O ur panel a cknowledged her great engine ro om, a lbeit no w so mewhat less intact than before, her resident gla ss fish and jacks and her attitude o n the reef. Another plus was the aft accommodation area which can be explored down three levels

15

www.deeplens.com

The re sulting im pact of the gro unding can still be seen to day. A huge crater o f barren scree surrounds her shattered fo’c’sle, her bo ws high and dry and well dispersed. The aft sectio n lies in 27 m etres, with wea ther deck, companionways, huge pro p and rudder almost intact, though rece nt storms have m ade large sections forward of this very unstable.

The entire wreck lies on her starboard side, with her stern in 27 m etres of water, to within a few m etres o f the surface a t the fore section. Her upper hull has been weakened by a salvage a ttempt and the impact of another vessel, a nd although m uch o f the engine room still remains, recent storms have rendered it inaccessible, even in calm weather. From the aft holds forward the wreck is in a dangerous condition and should be vie wed from the outside o nly. The resident school of batfish are perhaps one of the few highlights of this once great wreck, which has succumbed to the relentless wave action and swell at this exposed corner o f the reef.

16

www.deeplens.com

17

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 5

THE M.V .EL ARISH

16

Despite the history of the Salem Express, this wreck fared better in o ur poll. She is a rece nt discovery and gained vo tes due to her intact condition, amazing coral growths and fish life, and the fact that she is divable in all weathers. Slightly reduced visibility in her lower depths lo st her marks, but disproving a would-be expert wrong m ust have been a big plus!

This 105 m etre roll-on, roll-off passenger & car ferry was built in No rway in 1981. She underwent several name changes over the ye ars but eventually was sold to Sayed Nasr Navigatio n Lines (Cairo, Egypt) and renamed El- Arish.

The ships final vo yage was from Jeddah to Safaga in 2001. During this trip she was badly dam aged by a fire in her e ngine room. She lay at anchor near Safaga fo r several years, beco ming a lo cal landmark, passed every day by lo ca l fishermen and charter boats. I rem ember seeing her in the o ld days when we had to travel to Ras Gharib by coach, often thinking to m yself: - "that would make a great wreck!" Then o ne morning she was gone. Did anybo dy notice, did anybody care? Most pro bably assumed she had sailed away.

I (Peter Collings) was sure that the El-Arish had sunk, but every tim e I m entioned the pro bable location of the wreck to a skipper, the response was always the same "No we can’t go there , we’ll get arrested”.

Fina lly, o ne day, a willing skipper took m e to where I thought she was. It was not difficult to find 105 metres of ship lying on its side, just 12 metres below the surface.

The diving gossip co lumns said I had invented this wreck, an 'expert' novelist claimed it didn’t exist, and ye t there she was, a very real intact car ferry lying on her side 12 metres belo w the surface, unto uched, bell and compasses still in place, and located right under the noses of several local dive centres. Now this “non existent” wreck is visited o n regularly by the lo ca ls .Proved wrong again eh Neddy??????

18

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 6

THE S.S. KINGSTON

15

The wreck of the 'Kingston' is co mmonly referred to as the Sa rah H (or Sa ra H). This was the nam e that the wreck had historically been called before it's true identity was known, and it has proved quite difficult to dissuade people from using it even many years a fter it has been po sitively identified as the Kingston. There is no ship wreck called the Sara H. (Although in 2007 we found the SARAH)! It received this name from the group of divers that disco vered the wreck sometime in the m id 1990's. The wreck was named 'Sarah H' after the skipper of the dive boat’s wife, Sarah Hillal, who was also a dive m aster as the tim e. Often relegated to the 3rd dive of the day, but this is a superb coral covered wreck o n an equally vibrant reef in only 14 metres of water. A surprisingly high vo te for a less than substantial wreck, the depth, vibrant ma rine life and historical clues scattered around the site earned her a pace in the top 20.

Chip off the old block; Martin Collings encounters a moray on the wreck

19

www.deeplens.com

20

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 7

THE S.S. ZIETIEH

14

A hidden gem , lying in o nly 12 metres of water, this small 1900 steamship, reminiscent of a Clyde Puffer, ticked many o f the boxes in our survey. She is a veritable haven of marine life and could re write m any a Red Sea m arine guide bo ok. Alive with m any shoals of fish and co vered in corals and sponges, the wreck also supports a vast array of invertebrates.

Those looking for nudibranchs should go no further. Here they thrive, as if on steroids, and we have reco rded no less than 7 species on one dive. The only negatives demoting her to 14th was the inco nsistent visibility and often strong currents, plus larger groups tend to m ake this small wreck somewhat crowded.

THE SINKINGS On 26th August 1914, the Zietieh was alongside a quay at Suez loading with spares for the oil fiel ds of Ashrafi , Quisum and Ganim, when she sank. By the 21st of September she was once again in service, carryi ng out her duties as a general supply vessel. The Zietieh was at anchor close to Ras Ziet on January 29th 1915, when she caught fire during an oil burner change over. Her boiler and deck cargo shi fted and she began to ship water, finally capsizing with a li st to port

She has a straight rake bo w and a fantail stern, typical of the 1890-1900 type of hul l. .

The raised fo’c’sle is accessible with only iron framework remaining, with lamps and other artefacts lyi ng in the chain locker. The starboard anchor chain runs out along the sand to anchor. A weather deck runs aft from the engine room to the steering quadrant and she has high running boards, almost tug li ke. All the wooden decking has gone, revealing iron framework, heavily encrusted with sponge and sea fir. Com panionways run alongside the bridge and engine room, starboard accessible, port in sand.

21

www.deeplens.com

THE SHIP The Zietieh was built at Maryport at the yard of Willia m Walker, Shipbuilders in 1911. She was the la st vessel to be la unched bea m on at the yard. She was a steel screw steamship, machinery aft, fitted for liquid fuel-oil burning, with a through hold and suspended bridge. She was 291 tons, 121ft long, with a 22ft beam.

She was powered by a 2 cy 15", 32" 27" stroke 42hp, fed by a single scotch boiler supplied by J RITCHIE & Co. Her owners were the EGYTIAN OIL TRUST, la ter the ANGLO EGYPTIAN OILFIELDS LTD.

She has a single ho ld forward served by a deck winch just behind the fo’c’le, although there are no signs of a m ast. In the ho ld is a cargo of prefabricated narro w gauge rail way track in straight lengths of 6metres, some of the cargo lies 20m etres away fro m wreck. A sm all compact bridge straddles the aft secti on of the hold and has a single door forward. Above this is an open navigation bridge and wheelhouse. The helm is in place but oddly facing the stern.

The tall straight funnel is broken off and lying on the sea bed, hom e to a fam ily of snapper. One blade of the prop is missing, the rudder still in place but the keel is bent below the rudder assembly, otherwise there is no sign of any damage to the wreck Hard corals encrust the upper port side of the hull, which is made of overlapping plates whi ch are beginning to rot away, allowing an eerie light to filter through into her single ho ld. The wreck is a haven for m arine life; large groupers, shoals of red sea snapper, free-swimming sno wflake morays, and m any large pyjama nud ibranchs grazing off red spo nge. Unusually there are spi nney urchins out during the daytime, with fish colonies. Batfish and m ap of Africa angel fish too are found patro lling the wreck. Lies on its port side 11.8 m etres, starboard side in 4 metres.

This maker’s plate was located in the ships engine room by Andy Aston, who cleaned, photographed and then returned it deep inside the wreck.

Without this vital piece of evidence the identity of the wreck may never have come to light, without hours of painstaking research.

22

www.deeplens.com

23

www.deeplens.com

24

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 8

THE S.S. TURBO

13

.

Ohhh if only she wasn’t half a wreck.....she’d probably be in the top 5.........never the less her story and perhaps the mix up with the S.S. Atlas helped her score, but it was her engine room that fired the imagination of our panel, and the fact that m ost o perators do not feature this “none existent wreck” in their itineraries. Having a wreck all to yourself each tim e you dive her speaks vo lumes.

Built in Sunderland (England) in 1912 by J.D. Laing for the Anglo Saxon Petroleum Co, the 4900 ton, 374 ft, S.S. Turbo was fitted for ca rrying liquid fuel in bulk and m achinery aft. The re co rds show her e ngine specification, built by Dickinson’s at the Deptford Yard, as a 3 cylinder triple expansion engine. She was a typical 'Ce ntre Island' vessel with sealed holds fo re and aft of the Island. Her engine room was situated at the stern o f the ship.

Having survived WW1 she co ntinued her trade until 1940, the start of WW2, when she was put under Adm ira lty Service. Her weather deck, above the steering quadrant, was adapted into a gun deck. She was armed with a 4” gun and 4 Hotchiss. She carried out numerous missions between Po rt Sa id, Haifa, Pira eus, Aden and Istanbul.

On August 20th 1941 the Turbo was a ttacked by German aircraft while en ro ute from Haifa to Alexandria with a ca rgo of 7500 tons of Admiralty fuel. The crew included 3 naval and 7 m ilitary gunners. The ship had left Haifa just before dark on the 19th August 1942 The Turbo had survived the a ttack, at slo w speed she co ntinued the voyage, a nd the ca ptain found that by increasing her speed to 6 knots she stopped rocking, and they safely arrived at Po rt Sa id o n the 21st August. Here part o f her ca rgo was discharged and she co ntinued through the Suez Canal to offload her remaining cargo.

25

www.deeplens.com

Llo yds

war

lo sses

reco rds.

“While proceeding towards Aden, a s a hulk, SS TURBO broke her back in a heavy sea. Gladys Moller stood by, stern could no t be boarded, during the night o f the 5th all co ntact with the stern was lo st and the bow section sunk by gunfire o n the night o f the 5th by an unknown vessel under instruction form the Admiralty at Po rt Suda n."

Credit for the disco very of this wreck goes to the Skipper o f Lady M live-aboard. They ca lled it the half wreck because it consisted of a stern and superstructure and one very large ho ld. At first we thought this was the Hadia, which had been described as a tanker in some reco rds, but entering her engine room revealed a large single triple expansion steam engine, not a diesel as in the Hadia. Inside the engine ro o m a plate with R.C. CRAGGS em bossed and a works number wo uld if fact prove to be something o f a red herring in her identification, but without this knowledge to hand we set abo ut lo oking for the m issing sectio n of the very close to the reef face o n its port side.

The starboa rd side is in about 18 metres while the port side almost touches the sand. The stern face s northwest. The break in the hull is from the rear of the ce ntre island which sank with the fore section.

The raised walkway runs aft to the e ngine roo m

and

acco mmodation island and the cro ss members are co vered in corals and hom e to multitude o f fish.

The helm direction indicator is intact and stands proud on her aft deck and although her rudder was removed the pro p can still be seen partially buried in the sand.

A highlight o f o ur So uthern wreck safaris.

26

www.deeplens.com

Chapter

9

THE OTTOMAN TRADER

12

If history a nd uniqueness were the key factors this would rank as number 1! The oldest wreck found, dating back to c1700.Those who have dived her often are speechless when they surface.

As yo u de sce nd it lo oks like a pile o f coral scree, but o n appro ach her 7 a ncho rs and woo den spars defy belief. The scree reveals itself as piles o f intact pottery, porons, jugs, wine vats and o ther vessels designed to hold liquids. The land slide o f sand reveals horizo ntal beams from the ship’s hull. Several of the vertical spars are covered in sponge and co ral, suggesting that these have been exposed for some tim e. An archaeological repo rt da tes this site a s 1700c; from the days o f the O ttom an Em pire and recovered artefacts marry up with Turkish styled designs of that era.

Fo r o bvio us reasons the lo cation of the wreck site is a well guarded secret. The fact that all these artefacts are still in place tells us the site is unknown to locals. The historical value o f this site ca nnot be overstated.

27

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 10 THE M.V. MARKUS (Tile Wreck)

11

The fact that this wreck has produced a book on its true identity has gained it lots of vo tes.......and still a small group of uneducated provo cateurs will not accept the true. “There is no 5th wreck”, yes there is and we’ve dived them all.

Irrelevant o f the co ntroversy (which scored her many po ints), the wreck proved to be a firm favo urite with o ur panel. Her engine room alone is a m ust do; an entire dive ca n be spent explo ring her workshops, plant rooms and mezzanines and all in less than 20 metres.

Her pro file too gained points, lying from 30metres up to within 4 m etres of the surface, it allo ws for long safe dives, although ca re should be taken when a swell is present.

Wo uld be wreck detectives can explore the wreck, sifting out the clues, such as two bows and two sets of forward derricks, pro ving beyond a doubt her true identity.

Peter Collings comments: "In 1978 I was part of a BS-AC group visiting the Red Sea for the first tim e. The skipper o f our bo at, Sa leem Hussan, took us to Abu Huhas - he wanted to recover some tiles from a recent wreck. During o ur dives the ships bell was reco vered and retained by Saleem. As well as bearing her o riginal name, the date and po rt o f registry, were marked clearly. The painted name on her hull and wooden boards reading Marcus. We were totally unaware that o nly 200 metres along the reef lay the Carnatic - it would be 7 years before she was to be found."

28

www.deeplens.com

Fo r years the Marcus had been mistaken for the Chrisoula K, which, by coincidence, arrived on the same reef three years later - a similar ship, similar cargo and a similar journey.

The bro ken-off bow of the Chrisoula K sitting o n top of the reef next to The Tile Wreck simply added to the confusion - deliberate o r coincidence?! The Marcus however, never did break in two - her bo w section still lies in pla ce.

THE FULL STORY OF THIS WRECK IS AVAILABLE FROM PETER CO LLINGS (WWW.DEEPLENS.COM) AS AN E BOOKABSOLUTL Y FREE. .READ AND BEL IEVE.

DEEPLENS CONTACT DETAILS TEL 07518161970 deeplens@aol.com 29

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 11

THE M.V. GIANNIS D

10

I’d have been surprised and upset if this wreck hadn’t made it into the top ten! My perso nal invo lvement in her “discovery” has been well documented in Sport Diver, H20 etc, but she ranked high due to her superb engine roo m, swim throughs and kind depths. The subject o f “Malice in Wonderland”, a David Attenburgh pro ductio n, The Giannis D is no t only one of the m o st popular but m ost heavily dived wrecks in the regio n. She lost points due to the damage being ca use d by local guides tying o nto her kingpost, which at the tim e o f writing is in danger of collapsing and there nothing we ca n do to stop the inevitable.

The ico nic image (LEFT) will soon be a vision o f the past.

Discovering" the Wreck At 04.00 hrs on the 19th April 1983, Lawson Wood and myself (Peter Collings) were woken by the very excited skipper of the Lady Jenny 3 liveaboard. He had just listened in to an S.O.S. and subsequent rescue of the crew o f the Greek cargo vessel Giannis D. The crew had abandoned the vessel, which is listing, and had been taken by an Egyptian tug to an o il platform and then by helicopter to the mainland.

30

www.deeplens.com

From the transmissions we were able to locate where the ship had struck and at dawn we were face to face with an amazing site; that of a freighter listing to port, hard and fast into the northern face o f Abu Nuhas, her deck cargo of mahogany being to ssed up into the air like matchsticks.

To day she is a playground for divers in a max depth 24 metres broken into 2 parts and great to explore. Often visited by the resident dolphins.

31

www.deeplens.com

32

www.deeplens.com

33

www.deeplens.com

34

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 12

THE S.S. CARNATIC

9

Rightly place d in the top ten, although heavily dived, the iconic P&O vessel ranks high in o ur po ll. Colourful in bo th historical and visual a spects, her m o derate depths, ease of penetration and lack of current in co nsistently clear water (the autho r has never dived this wreck in less than good viz, even in stormy conditions), gained her many points. Due to some rece nt damage to her stern she dropped a couple o f spots in the pecking order.

In total contrast to the other wrecks o n Abu Nuhas, the Carnatic is adorned with nearly 150 years of coral growth of splendid colours and variety. The story of her demise is almost as co lourful. The P&O passenger mail ship was use d between Bo mbay and Suez, in the days before the canal, when passengers had to complete their journeys overland to and from Alexandria. This journey was affectionately known as the Spice Run. It is from these jo urneys that the term posh was derived (port out starboard home). Her o rnate design can still be recognized to this day .She ranks as one of the prettiest wreck in the area.

It is interesting to note that she was not discovered until several years after we had found the Giannis D sinking. Had we known it, only a few hundred metres away way a fabulous find, which would have made that first ever livaboard even more memorable.

35

www.deeplens.com

36

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 13

THE S.S. ULYSSES

8

Surprisingly lo w in the rankings, but never the less in there, The Ulysses scored high due to her pro file, 27 metres to 2metres, her vibrant life and her historical value. The so m etimes in consistent visibility and strong current cost her a few points, but she is rightly place d in the top ten.

37

www.deeplens.com

Fo r m any years the wreck's identity rem ained o bscure, known o nly as "the old cargo boat at Gobul Segeira". Gradually the list of 'suspects' was reduced as contenders such as the Kingston, Carina and indeed the Carnatic were identified. (The Dunraven had already been po sitively identified). In the late eighties I (Peter Collings) obtained a set of books affectio nately known as DODAS; The 'Dictionary of Disasters at Sea' during the age o f steam. Therein was a record of the Ulysses "aground at Gobul". It took several more visits to the wreck before she finally confirmed her identity to us; the steamship companies nam e o n a piece o f crockery, confirmed along with close inspection o f the drive system and po wer unit as well as the remains o f the cargo. DODAS also to ld us where she was built; in the No rth East o f England, where more e vidence of her identity was to come to light.

So m e 10 years later a self pro claiming expert laid claim to finding and identifying the Ulyssses.This is a stunning wreck, isn’t o ften dived as most dive m asters can’t find her!

Covered in co ral, vibrant fish life and often visited by Dolphins max depth is 27 m etres.

38

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 14

THE M.V. MILLION HOPE

7.

This levia than, the Led Zeppelin o f the diving wo rld, ranked high for all the right reasons; she typifies local attitudes; a great diving asset mainly ignored. This wreck has everything; a day’s diving in her engine room and workshops alone, scintillating fish life, luxuriant coral growths and all in less than 25metres o f water and then there is an additional feature just o ff the wreck, there by accident o r design..................

She has the honour of appearing twice as a major feature in the sadly now defunked DIVE Magazine.

SALVOR S GIFT TO SHARM/ SHIPWRECK’S REVENGE. Fo r some time rumours surrounding the purchase of the wrecks in the Egyptian Red Se a has fuelled speculation over their future. I had been approached by a salvage co m pany to reveal the location of several wrecks, first by deception then by the o ffer o f financial reward.

The wrecks o f the Aboudy, Scalaria, Birchwood and Turkia showed signs of recent salvage but this was o n a small scale and was the work of locals armed with scuba gear!

Then a salvage barge moved into the Straits of Tiran and work commenced o n the Millio n Hope and Zingara (aka Ko rmoran). The superstructure was cut and ended upside do wn in num ber 5 ho ld. The cranes were removed and it seemed all that was do ne was for cosmetic reasons; a new hotel and complex appeared on the adjacent shore.

The wreck was now more open and easier to explore despite the confusing “upside do wn” bridge. So ft corals continued to flourish and the resident and transient m arine life appeared unaffected by the recent disturbance to their home.

Nine m o nths later the salvers returned in earnest and began removing large sections 39

www.deeplens.com

o f wreckage. So large in fact that the jib on the crawling crane snapped on more than o ne o ccasion!

Then they le ft as quickly as they had arrived and the wreck was left in peace once again. Local rumours said there was nothing left but 16500 tons (displacement 27000tons) is a lot of m etal to remove.

At the first o ppo rtunity I returned to find out for m yself, having seen the ship hit the reef in “bad visibility” from 5 m iles away in June 1996! Like the Giannis D and the Al Kafhain, I had been there at the “birth” o f the wreck and needed an update o n it’s co ndition.

I was no t prepared for the scene below!As I headed down from the surface towards the stern I glim psed a large shape off toone side, expecting it to be no more than a large chunk o f twisted metal. It wasn’t; itwas the reason the salvage had ce ased so abruptly!

Sitting upright o n the seabed, with half o f its jib pointing sky ward was the crawling Crane, o ver a ¼ million pounds worth; the other section of the jib lying close by!

40

www.deeplens.com

Apa rt from a slight collapse to the control cab, the m achine appears quite intact.

Already it has been claimed by a rather important looking grouper, hydroids have co vered all the available metal and soft co rals, although at this tim e quite small, establishing a foothold o n the new structure. The antheas have arrived to o.

This is also a great o pportunity to observe and record the establishment o f a new eco system .

Left alone this will very soon become a much photographed underwater image. I ca n already envisage the glorious soft corals decorating the crisscross jib structure, the vibrant fish life, schools of ja cks corralling the gla ss fish and resident giant morays.

Fingers cro ssed - Sharm’s gift from the salvo rs will be left as she is. Unless o f course they co m e back with ano ther crane to salvage the salvage crane.

In nearly 40 yea rs of diving I’ve se en some amazing sights but for me this has to be the funniest.

The cra ne was positioned at o ne end of the barge “Al Ahram 1” and she had just reversed back and deposited a large piece o f metal on the barge floor behind, then m o ved forward again, this time slightly too far and over she went; the driver/operator jum ping clear as she sank below the waves.

Operation over!

So what abo ut Million Hope?

Well her co ral covered pro p has gone, the superstructure from number 5 ho ld has been rem oved and all but o ne of her o wn cranes have gone too.

The hull between holds2 and 4 have now co llapsed and her massive, o nce upright bo w, now lie s o ver towards the reef, lying o n its port side fo‘c’sle submerged.

The stern has been levelled of any superstructure, leaving the engine room exposed, a tangled mess of pipes, valves and gratings but her m assive diesel 6 cylinder engines are still in place.

So a great wreck, the largest diveable in these waters lives on, ready for the next chapter o f her story. She may have lost weight but the equipment intended to remove her now shares her watery grave, H’am Dullah!

Built in Ko yo Dockyard, Mihara-Hiroshima, Japan, as a Bulk Carrier, the Million Ho pe was launched as the "Ryusei Maru" in 1972. She displaced 26,181 tons gross and measuring 174.6m x 24.8m with a draught o f 10m. with 5 cargo holds served by four m assive cranes positioned forward of the bridge. Two 6 Cylinder diesel engines ca pable of pro ducing 11,600 bhp gave her a top speed of 17 knots.

So ld in 1975 when she was renamed Pacific Royal. In 1981 she was sold on and renam ed the Linngsbon until 1987 and then became the Feng Shun. In 1991 she

41

www.deeplens.com

was renam ed the Ho pe and then sold o nce again to the Aksonas Shipping Company Ltd. Limassol. Cyprus, in May 1996 and being finally renamed Million Hope She was reinsured for ÂŁ4.1 The ship departed Aqaba, Jordan on 19 June 1996, en route to Taiwan with a ca rgo of 26,000 tons o f po tash and phosphates. Early the following m orning, 20 June, I was at Gordo n Reef some 5 miles away when she came down the Straits, with smoke billo wing aft o ut of her superstructure. She ran headlong onto the reef at Nabq.

The o fficial report however tells of bad visibility!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

42

www.deeplens.com

43

www.deeplens.com

44

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 15 THE “RUSSIAN WRECK” MOMA CLASS

6.

Again, such is the interest and controversy surrounding this Russian Intelligence gathere r, that it ticked all the boxes and has merited an E BOOK publication of its o wn. A fishing bo at? A cargo ship? - according to some experts, but o ur team members kno w o therwise.

The wreck has everything; intrigue, kind depths, no crowds, clear water free from currents, and great exploration opportunities .With her stern upright in 24 m etres ofwater and her co m ms mast in only 4 mtrs, she o ffers a great dive even for the less experienced , while her interio r becons those with advanced wreck diving skills. A wreck worthy o f m ay dives with lo ts of still unanswered questions. It wa said I watched too m any James Bo nd movie s, but a swim deepthrough her survellience rooms is a scene right o ut of Dr No!The bow too on its side has some secrets to reveal, but will the “experts” who think this is a fishing boa t, please tell me how they used 10” m agnetic tape reels tocatch fish??????????.

45

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 16

THE S.S THISTLEGORM

5

Well it had to be in there, ranking highly due to its wartime history and cargo, kind depths and penetration opportunities, pegged back due to the relentless destruction inflicted o n her, over cro wdedness. Inconsistent visibility and sometimes viscous currents were additio nal negative m arks. Full details of the wreck appear in 75YEARS UNDERWATER; THE STORY OF THE THISLEGORM. They say a picture speaks a thousand wo rds...the image below says it all..........

46

www.deeplens.com

47

www.deeplens.com

48

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 17

THE S.S. ROSALIE MOLLER

4

Had this chart been compiled prior to the o pening of El Gouna, and the arrival o f tourist day bo at dives, the Rosalie Moller would have gained the number one spot. Those who rem embered her upright funnel, aft gantry and festooned stern m ast, her current state gained her negative po ints. Like the Thistlegorm she has been subject to the thoughtless actio ns of local dive masters. The removal o f many of her portholes didn’t help her rankings either.

Never the less she is a magnificent wreck, with challenging conditions, amazing m arine life and an engine roo m to fire the im agination. A wreck worthy o f a bo o k in its o wn right-and we’ve pro duce d one; available free from deeplens.com.

49

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 18

THE EL QAHER

3

There a re few, if any WW2 British warships a ccessible to sports divers (although the co astline of Libia and No rthern Egypt m ight yet change this).This wreck scored highly in o ur po le, as she is rarely dived, kind in depths, easy to find and brimming with history from 2 not 1 warS!.

Built by Vickers-Armstrong on the RiverTyne, in England and launched in 1943, HMS MYNGS (R06) was a 'Zambesi' Class destroyer which saw action off the No rwegian co ast during the closing stages of WW2. These were fast, manoeuvrable vessels designed prim arily a s subm arine chasers. She was fitted with turbine engines a nd drum bo ilers, ca pable o f some 35 kno ts. She had a displacement o f 1710 tons a nd was 360ft lo ng.

Arm ament included: 4 x 114mm guns (4Ă—I-DP), 3 x 40mm cannon, 20 x 40mm pom-pom and 8 to rpedo tubes.

In 1955 the Ro yal Navy decommissioned several of its Zambesi class destroyers. While m any o f the vessels were scra pped, fo ur were so ld; two to Egypt (HMS Myngs to beco me the Al Qaher & HMS Zenith to become the Al Fatha), and two to Israel (HMS Zealo us and HMS Zo diac to be renamed Elath and Yaffa respectively). Renamed the El Qaher after her sale to Egypt, she entered service with the Egyptian Navy in 1956.

In 1969/70 she was refitted with upgraded electronics (Russian) and had returned to her base at Po rt Berenice to continue her duties. This was the period of the 'phoney war'; the hostilities between the '6 day war' and the 'Yom Kippur' wars between Egypt and Israel.

In May 1970 a wing o f French-built Dassault Mirage fighters attacked the vessel while it was at ancho r. Bristling with anti aircraft guns and a new firing tracking system, she held 50

www.deeplens.com

o ff several attacks despite being hit by sidewinder missiles and countless rounds from the planes' wing ca nnons. With a range of 800 miles, the aircraft could sustain a prolonged attack o ver the target. Fires spread throughout the vessel and internal explosions ripped through the ship. Eventually the destroyer settled by the stern, her entire superstructure ablaze. As she sank she swung round o n her anchor and grounded o n a coral shelf ripping her bo w plates open.

51

www.deeplens.com

The wreck sits perched on a large rock, her bow and fore guns sticking out of the water. It is possible to swim under her aft keel and view the twin props and rudders adorned with soft corals with a m aximum depth 27 m etres. Endless dives can be made swimming through her accom modation area, control rooms and view the twin torpedo tubes and stern guns, submerged, com plete with shells in the breech, barrels pointed skyward... she went down fighting.

Want to dive her? Contact us for the latest dates...we don’t send you there....we TAKE you there............................. www.Deeplens.com

52

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 19

THE S.S. TURKIA

2

Piped at the po st! The new Thistlegorm ticked all the boxes.....

THE SINKING T wo conflicting reports

“ Bom bed off Zafarana Light 2 m iles SE May 14 th 1941” - " Destroyed b y fire and explosion near Zafarana Light Gulf of Suez, after b eing ab andoned b y her crew when on passage from New York to Piraeus with general cargo and explosives."

“ 17/5/1941 she had a fire in no. 3 hold where explosives were stored (she was carrying explosives and general cargo) and the fire was b eyond control so the vessel was ab andoned. 10 minutes later there was a large explosion and the vessel sank in 12 fathoms. Nothing was b eing done (later that is) as no com petent salvage service was available at Port Said.”-Anne Crowe Lloyds

T his would explain why she is not in Lloyds War Losses as it sounds like an accident rather than enemy ac tion. In deed the hull would appear to be intact (from initial dive) and she looks as if she h as settled slowly an d upright.

Due to the Straits of Gib raltar being closed off by axis forces, her journey entailed entering the Red Sea at its southern end. She entered the Gulf of Suez and was proceeding north when, just off the lighthouse at Zafarana , fire broke out in number 3 hold and due to the nature of her cargo she was aband oned. Ten m inutes later she was rocked by an explosion and settl ed upright in 12 fathom s. Due to the lack of facilities at Suez, no salvage was attem pted. Due to the nature of her sink ing she does not appear as a casualty of war, m erely a warti me loss.

53

www.deeplens.com

THE DISCOVERY Browsing thro ugh the wartime records I cam e across two separate entri es for the sinking. One stated she had been attacked and bo mbed by enemy aircraft the other stated that she had sunk due to an internal explosion. Both agreed about her position, near Zafarana Lightho use in the Gulf of Suez, a lo ng way no rth of Ras Garib, our most northerly exploration of the Gulf of Suez so far.

A fisherm an claimed to know her position. I decided to enlist the help of my good friend Basim ……… and put together a road trip. At Zafarana the onl y means of putting to sea available was a di sused gl ass bottom boat, lying on the beach at the Zafarana Hotel. A ten minute journey took us to the target area and with the shall ow seabed of sand (24 m etres), the shadow of the wreck was soon located, rising up to within 10 metres of the surface.

Diving Details The wreck sits upright on sand in 24 m etres, with the bo w facing towards the shore. The hull is intact, although some sections have ho les appearing in the upper sections. Both masts have been cut bel ow the water line and lie off to the side of the wreck. The surrounding seabed is littered with debris from the wreck and is patro lled by jacks and trevallies.

Sitting proud and straight the bow appears out of a cloud of circling fish. The fo’c’sle hatch allows easy access into the crew’s accommodation. The frames of the crew’s bunks can still be seen.

54

www.deeplens.com The bow sits proud bathed in sunlight and is straight raked-same vintage as the Rosalie Mol ler.

Clouds of fairy basslets swarm over the fo’c’sle head with its access hatches, hawse pipes, panama eye, triple cleats and windlass. Three deck houses sit at the aft section of the fo’c’sle and there are coils of wire and vehicle tyres littered around. Mussel s encrust most of the raised structures.

Entry into the fo’c’sle head can also be accessed fro m the main deck and leads to the seamen’s quarters where bed frames can still be found.

Holds 1 and 2 have two ‘tween’ decks with large numbers of tyres on the upper shelves. The deeper secti on of the holds contain wooden crates some containing hundreds of brass detonator caps.

There is also hundreds of heavy rubber bases, their purpose as yet not defined. Winches flank the ho lds and in the second hold there are several vehicles, heavily encrusted, but appear to be cabs with extend ed chassis, possibly tank transporters.

The superstructure has external companionways, all wood having long since gone, the rooms are easil y entered. The saloon sits below the chart ro om with a corridor running port- starboard.

Flank ing the engine house, running aft on the starboard side are the 1st m ates room, bathroom, 2nd & 3rd m ates accom modation, chief engineers quarters and finally the cooks quarters.

On the port side are the stewards quarters followed by the pantry, galley 2nd & 3rd engineers quarters. All are easy to enter and explore. The accommodation areas are littered with crockery and bo ttl es; various inscriptions help to confirm her last port of call:“FLORIDA WATER, MURRAY & LANMAN, DRUGISTS, NEW YORK” “SLO ANS LINIMENT MADE IN THE USA” “POISO N VERGIF 8oz TALANA

They flank the engine room and her triple expansion steam engine is easy to explore although the lower levels are fil ling with dead mussel shells and sand . The repeater telegraph is still in place. A platfo rm of grating walkways forms a gallery around the cylinder head, with an auxiliary boiler aft.

55

www.deeplens.com

The engine room, located amidships is easy to access through several openings, the skylight above allowing natural light to filter down into the interior. Experienced divers can descend two flights of stairs, passed the triple cylinder heads.

In the deepest part of the engine room (24mtrs) are the repeater telegraphs and gauges, their dials obscured by years of concretion. Silt is slowly building up covering the floor in a layer over a foot thick.

Bhind the engine ho use there is access into the no. 3 cargo hold, again with 2 ‘tween’ decks with m ore of her general cargo in view. Num ber 4 ho ld is totally ful l of mortar shells, which have totally concreted into the hold, still in their cases, the outl ines of which can still be made out. Behind this ho ld is a narro w hold, giving access to the stern store rooms, and steering house. The steering quadrant is located on the poop deck and nearby a coral encrusted compass binnacle stands proud.

The cruiser/ fantail ed stern lead down to her rudder and prop shrouded with a fishing net at the tim e of writing,the blades are covered with soft corals.

The wreck is covered in a unique eco system of soft fan corals, nudibranchs and schooling reef fishes. Large schools of juvenile yellow tailed b arracuda swarm over the wreck, cascading in an endless waterfall over the sid es of the ship, down to the sea bed and back over the deck, often blotting out the sunlight.

Authors footnote;It would seem that aGerm an operator has just claimed the wrecks discovery- in Novem ver 2013!

56

www.deeplens.com

Chapter 20

THE S.S.NUMIDIA

1

THE VESSEL. A British cargo shi p, built in Glasgo w in 1901 by the Henderson Co. who operated her under the Anchor

Line

Shipping

Com pany. At 6399 tons and 140 m etres long she was a large vessel , powered by a 3-cyl inder tri ple expansi on steam engine.

This gave her top speed of 10

Lying at the very northern tip of the island,

Knots. On 28th February 1901

the wreck is swept by strong daily currents,

the Num idia left her homeport on

attracting a host of large fish. This huge

her

Napoleon wrasse patrols the wreck as if

uneventful

her guardian, often giving the visiting diver

Calcutta. This was to be her

Maiden

voyage,

return

onl y completed voyage THE CARGO. For 7 weeks the cargo was rem oved from the ship until she finally slipped down the reef. All that now rem ains are iron rails, minus their sleepers, which have slid down into the stern, and several replacem ent boilers, scattered on the reef som e in 60 m etres next to her starboard hull.

57

tri p

an to

www.deeplens.com

FI NAL VOYAGE On 6th July 1901she set o ut from Liverpool carrying a general ca rgo of 7,000 tons and a crew o f 97, under the command of Mr John Craig, bo und for Calcutta. By the early hours of 19 July she had cleared Suez, passing Shadwan Island that evening around 1900 hrs. Just be fore dawn next da y Big Brother Island was sighted off the po rt bo w. The Captain altered co urse thinking is would take the ship over o ne mile to the west o f the Island. He then left the Bridge leaving instructions to be called when the Light was abeam. At about 2.10am the ship ran aground on Big Brother Island – north o f the Lighthouse!

After two hours of trying to get off the rocks the engines were stopped. By this tim e the ship was taking o n co nsiderable water, but the situatio n was getting worse although the pumps were coping. By no w the sea was building. At 7.30am the S.S. Rhipe ns cam e in answer of the Num idia’s distress call, fo llowed by other vessels in an attem pt to salvage the ship. The crew abandoned, the vessel and although o ther ships arrived to help refloat the Numidia, she was beyond help. For the next seven weeks most o f the cargo was removed, John Craig supervising the operation, before the Numidia finally sank.

D IVING THE WRECK

The vessel lies on a very steep slope at the very north o f the Big Brother plateau, starting a t 10 m etres and plummeting down out o f reach of sports divers, her keel digging deep into a rocky ledge, preventing her from slipping away into the depths below. Strong currents o ften swee p the wreck but there is a lways shelter within the wreck in which to o bserve the patrolling grey reef and hammerhead sharks.

58

www.deeplens.com

A diver hovers over the pressure cham bers of the Num idia’s huge triple expansion steam engine.

Intact and bathed in an eerie blue light, the engine room plummets down to 46 m etres. Evidence of her working life is everywhere; tools, gauges valves and switches.

This downward pointing shot belies the steep angle of the wreck.

The intact hull o ffers protection from the currents and it is possible to enter the starbo ard side companionways, adorned with soft corals. Po rtholes are barely discernible due to the ca rpets of coral. Descending do wn through these corridors to the aft o f the bridge superstructure is often halted by the wrecks resident lionfish, which reluctantly m o ve to allow the decent to continue. The open deck ahead marks the safe limit of diving depths although holds and deck fittings below beckon the unwary. Snapper, jacks and trevallie s hover in the company of barracuda and the aforementioned sharks patrol the perim eter. Antheas add a haze o f orange, hovering over every coral covered structure such as the haunting lifeboat davits and the upright supports.

At this po int, 40m etres, the re turn journey to the surface begins; it is possible to enter the engine room, blue light filtering through the skylights above, illuminating an intact and fascinating engine room. The steam cylinders sloping ever upward as if still driving the ship ashore! Stairs beckon down into her lower engine room adorned in an eerie light where gauges still remain in place and doors lead off in several directions, some leading back to the co m panionways o thers to accommodation areas and eventually the bridge. Overhead a large shoal of gla ssy sweepers are disturbed by ascending bubbles.

At the deepest point o f the engine room a doorway allowing fo r an easy exit point and overhead the galley straddles the width of the superstructure. The range still holds pot and pans!

Most o f the wo oden floors have long been eaten by m arine worms allowing more access and light into the interior as the tour continues ever upward, out through the funnels po rt at 20m etres and back into the brilliant sunlight, an am azing co ntrast to the e ngine roo m’s relative gloom. The colours and fo rmations o f soft co rals are rivalled nowhere else 59

www.deeplens.com

in the Red Se a, save for the neighbouring wreck of the Aida. The m etal structures of her fram ework, a t such a steep angle o ffer some unique photo o pportunities and there are always local inhabitants to fill the frame!

60

www.deeplens.com

61

www.deeplens.com

62

www.deeplens.com

OTHER FREE EBOOKS TO DOWN LOAD THE TILE WRECK-HER TRUE STORY 63

www.deeplens.com

EGYPTIAN SHIPWRECKS – A PREVIEW SUEZ SHIPWRECKS THE RUSSIAN SPY SHIP THISTLEGORM REVEALED SHIPWRECKS OF THE MALDIVES SHIPWRECKS OF TRUK LAGOON SHIPWRECKS OF MALTA & GOZO PACIFIC SHIPWRECKS THEY NEVER CAME BACK SCAPA WRECKS SHIPWRECKS OF SOUTHERN EGYPT THE ROSALIE MOLLER AN IN DEPTH GUIDE WRECKS OF THE ABC AND SPICE ISLANDS LEROS SHIPWRECKS SHIPWRECKS OF TIRAN SAFAGA SHIPWRECKS PETER COLLINGS .

Peter began diving in 1970. In 1983 he wrote the first of 12 diving related books and has won several international awards for his publications and underwater photography. His articles and photographs have appeared consistently thought the international diving press, including DIVE, DIVER MAGAZINE, S PORT DIVER, S COTTIS H DIVER and H20.

A BS AC Advanced Instructor, (Red Sea Wreck Academy) S S I PRO 5000 DIVER and TDI Advance Trimix diver, Peter has led over 500 wreck and photo safaris around the world, logging over 6700 dives, and along with his regular team of experts has located and identified many of the shipwrecks in Egyptian waters. To date Peter has written and published 27 diving related guide books.

The E book concept The idea of the E BOOK series came about after seeing so many incorrect publications quoting the wrong identity of the Tile Wreck at Abu Nuha s in the Red Sea. Despite a plethora of undeniable facts presented by myself and members of the Red Sea Wreck Academy, self proclaiming experts still, for 64

www.deeplens.com reasons known only to themselves, continued to quote the MARCUS as the CHRISOULA K. It was archive photographs from Howard Rosenstien and the location of the ships bell, which added weight to Stepha n Jablonski’s accounts of the sinkings’. This new material gave us enough to produce the first E book in 2008.

Being free from restrictions it soon found its way around the world and was passed on from diver to diver. It had the desired effect-Now more and more reports carry the correct identity.

It was also an opportunity to give something back to diving –and promote the forthcoming “EGYPTIAN SHIPWRECKS.”The release of these books also marks 25 years in publication Of cours e there was also controversy over the identity and purpose of the RUSSIAN WRECK at Zabagad, and this lead to the second title. THISTLEGORM REVEALED is a leader for the new publication “SUNDERLAND TO SUEZ THE STORY OF THE THISTLEGORM”, out now. “SUEZ WRECKS” highlights the achievements of our regular wreck hunting trips up into the Gulf, and “EGYPTIAN SHIPWRECKS” gives a glimpse of the forthcoming book featuring over 200 wrecks in Egyptian waters.

Tourist authorities have noticed the importance of their assets-wrecks are living underwater mus eums , and commissions have flooded in from Leros, Egypt, Truk, Pala u and Busuanga, to name but a few “promoting tourism through shipwrecks” has become our mission statement, and by the end of 2015 we will have completed 20 titles in the series. We intend to update the guides annuallyall free in rea dable format (72dpi) and in hi res , printable versions from the deeplens website for a small fee.

So now we have a total of 15 titles available, (and several more on the way), yours to enjoy and pass on-to anyone who may be interested- with my compliments and don’t forget we run regular expeditions and safaris to all these featured Wrecks…The project has only just begun….

PETER COLLINGS SSI PRO 5000

65

www.deeplens.com

PETER COLLINGS BIBLIOGRAPHY-PUBLICATIONS 19862015

1986

2000

2005

1988

1991

2001

2002

2008

66

1996

2002

2008

www.deeplens.com

2009

2010

2009

2010

2013

2011

2013

2015

2009

2011

2013

2015

2015

67

2009

2012

2014

2104

2015

2013

www.deeplens.com

68