Red Sea

Advanced Open Water Certification

Year Round

Reefs & Wrecks

UD Rating - 4.5 Star

Golden Dolphin II

Unforgettable Dive Journeys Aboard Golden Dolphin II

Golden Dolphin II offers exceptional Red Sea safari dives aboard a luxurious vessel built for comfort and adventure. With spacious dive platforms and sun decks, it explores classic routes featuring Brother Islands, Daedalus Reef, Elphinstone, and St. John’s. Every trip promises vivid reefs, abundant marine life, and unforgettable underwater experiences.

Golden Dolphin II is a luxury liveaboard safari vessel built for divers who want to combine comfort, style, and exploration. Commissioned in 2006 and refreshed with refurbishments (including an extension in 2016 and further updates in 2025), Golden Dolphin II brings together the latest in liveaboard standards while preserving its safari-spirit.

The yacht accommodates 20 guests in 10 well appointed cabins, with 8 cabins on the underdeck and 2 cabins situated on the sun deck. Each suite comes with private bathrooms (shower & WC), air conditioning, and a minibar, ensuring guests enjoy privacy and comfort between dives.

Golden Dolphin II is designed with divers in mind. It features a spacious dive deck and platform, making gear preparation and entry into the water smooth and safe. Between dives, guests can unwind in the large air-conditioned salon, enjoy media entertainment in the dedicated TV and sound system corner, or sip drinks at the bar. The vessel also boasts two sun decks for panoramic views and relaxing under the sun.

Guests will dine in a separate, air-conditioned dining room capable of seating up to 24 people at two large tables. The salon and media room provide a comfortable atmosphere for socializing, sharing dive stories, or simply enjoying lounges with friends.

All standard Red Sea safari routes are available aboard Golden Dolphin II, and special trips can be arranged on request. Whether exploring well-known reef systems or more remote channels, the vessel offers both comfort and adventure in equal measure.

Double Cabin (Upper Deck)

A generously sized double cabin located on the upper deck, featuring a comfortable queen-style bed, en-suite bathroom, full air conditioning, and minibar. Ideal for couples wanting elevated views and ease of access.

  • Air-conditioning
  • En-suite bathroom and shower
  • Minibar
  • Towels

Twin Cabin (Lower Deck)

A practical and cozy lower deck cabin outfitted with two single (twin) beds, en-suite bathroom, air conditioning, and minibar. Perfect for friends or diving partners.

  • Air-conditioning
  • En-suite bathroom and shower
  • Minibar
  • Towels

Route Options

Discover the best of the Red Sea with dives through the iconic SS Thistlegorm wreck—filled with wartime relics like trucks, tanks, and motorcycles—and the stunning reefs of the Strait of Tiran. Explore Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse, and Jackson reefs, where vibrant corals, schooling fish, and pelagic encounters with sharks and barracudas await. This adventure blends history, color, and marine life into an unforgettable diving experience.

SS Thistlegorm
Located off the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula, the SS Thistlegorm is one of the Red Sea’s most famous wreck dives. This 125-meter British freighter sank in 1941 after being bombed during World War II while carrying military supplies such as tanks, trucks, and motorcycles. Today, the well-preserved wreck lies at 32 meters and offers divers a fascinating glimpse into wartime history.

Ras Mohammed
Ras Mohammed Marine Park is a diver’s paradise known for vibrant reefs like Shark and Yolanda. The plateau ranges from 10 to 20 meters deep and drops to over 200 meters, teeming with colorful corals and marine life. At Yolanda Reef, divers can still see the scattered cargo of the sunken Cypriot freighter Yolanda, including bathtubs and toilets, now beautifully encrusted with corals.

Gotta Abu Nugar South
Part of the Abu Nugar reef system, this sandy-bottom site features scattered coral heads ideal for spotting small fish and critters, offering a relaxing and scenic dive experience.

Abu Nuhas
Known as the “Ship Graveyard,” Abu Nuhas hosts four famous wrecks, including the Giannis D and Carnatic. Resting at depths of around 27 meters, these coral-covered wrecks are accessible to divers and provide unique opportunities to explore inside sunken ships rich with marine life.

Straits of Tiran
Situated north of the Sinai Peninsula, the Straits of Tiran feature four spectacular reefs: Gordon, Thomas, Woodhouse, and Jackson. Each reef offers distinct underwater scenery, from colorful coral gardens to deep canyons and drift dives. Divers can encounter sharks, tuna, barracuda, and schools of reef fish amidst vibrant soft corals and dramatic drop-offs, making it one of the Red Sea’s top diving destinations.

Discover the hidden treasures of the Red Sea! Dive into the vibrant wonders of Sataya and the southern Fury Shoals, south of Marsa Alam, where playful dolphins, graceful turtles, and colorful marine life await in this magical underwater paradise.

Marsa Shouna
Marsa Shouna is known for its expansive sand plateau located at the northern outer corner of the site. The area is dotted with table corals of various shapes and sizes along a gentle slope, offering divers the chance to explore different depths and discover marine life hiding beneath each coral head. Blue-spotted rays are abundant, while certain times of the year bring breeding guitar rays and other rare sightings.

Sataya (Dolphin Reef)
Situated within the Fury Shoals south of Marsa Alam, Sataya is a vast reef system famous for its vibrant coral walls and frequent dolphin encounters. The northern and northwestern sides feature colorful drop-offs, while the eastern wall displays striking gorgonian formations between 17 and 22 meters. The eastern plateau, ranging from 18 to 32 meters deep, hosts a variety of marine species including surgeonfish, napoleon wrasse, turtles, and numerous reef fish. Along the southern side, dolphins, sharks, and manta rays can often be seen cruising the blue. The nearby Wadi Gimal area, particularly Shilineat, resembles a natural aquarium—its shallow hard coral gardens, white sandy bottom, and clear sunlight create a beautiful habitat teeming with small reef fish and hidden critters.

Abu Galawa Soraya
Abu Galawa Soraya lies in the western part of the Fury Shoals, about 12 kilometers from Wadi Lahmi. This small, isolated reef—approximately 100 meters wide—is separated from the larger main reef system. Known for its shallow depths, crystal-clear visibility, and gentle currents, it provides ideal conditions for beginner divers.

Shaab Marsa Alam
Shaab Marsa Alam is a large, semi-circular reef shaped like a bean, surrounded by sandy bottoms and scattered coral formations. The northeastern section features an especially rich and colorful coral garden, home to a wide variety of marine life. Reef sharks are commonly sighted, and with favorable currents, divers may also encounter blacktip reef sharks or oceanic whitetips (Longimanus). In the southern lagoon lies a small wreck resting at around 17 meters, adding a touch of history to this vibrant site.

Abu Dabbab
Abu Dabbab is famous for close encounters with gentle Green Sea Turtles that often graze on the seagrass meadows. In the shallows, divers may spot the unusual yet harmless Guitar Shark. The site also offers outstanding macro life, including ornate ghost pipefish, thorny seahorses, and the delicate hairy pygmy pipehorse, making it a favorite for underwater photographers.

Fury Shoals
The Fury Shoals comprise a series of reefs along Egypt’s southwest Red Sea coast, celebrated for their pristine coral formations and diverse marine ecosystems. Hard and soft corals thrive here, creating vibrant underwater landscapes at sites like Fury Shoal Garden. Divers can encounter a wide range of Red Sea reef fish, reef sharks such as whitetips and greys, and occasionally oceanic whitetips. Pelagic visitors like barracudas, giant trevallies, and dogtooth tunas are also frequently seen.

Shaab Maksur
Shaab Maksur is a narrow but elongated reef featuring plateaus to the north and south, with steep drop-offs on the eastern and western sides. The northern terrace often attracts dolphins, barracudas, and reef sharks, while the southern plateau—with its larger coral structures—provides shelter for an array of marine species, making it one of the most rewarding dives in the area.

Embark on a northern Red Sea liveaboard for an unforgettable diving adventure through history and vibrant marine life. Explore Abu Nuhas, the famous “Ship Graveyard,” where iconic wrecks like the Carnatic and Giannis D rest beautifully adorned with corals. Dive into Ras Mohammed National Park, a marine paradise of dramatic drop-offs and dazzling reefs teeming with life. Then, descend into the legendary SS Thistlegorm, a World War II time capsule filled with tanks, trucks, and motorcycles now thriving with marine creatures. This route blends adventure, history, and natural wonder—perfect for divers seeking the best of the Red Sea.

SS Thistlegorm
Located on the west coast of the Sinai Peninsula, about 40 km from Sharm El Sheikh, the SS Thistlegorm is one of the Red Sea’s most famous wrecks. This 125-meter British army freighter sank in October 1941 after being hit by German bombs during World War II. Today, divers can explore her fascinating cargo of wartime supplies—motorcycles, trucks, and ammunition—now beautifully encrusted with marine life.

Ras Mohammed
Ras Mohammed National Park offers some of the Red Sea’s most iconic dives, including Shark Reef and Yolanda Reef. These reefs sit on a plateau between 10 and 20 meters, dropping sharply beyond 200 meters. The site teems with vibrant coral, abundant fish, and occasional sharks. At Yolanda Reef, divers can see the scattered cargo of the Cypriot freighter Yolanda, including bathtubs and toilets, now overgrown with corals and sponges.

Gotta Abu Nugar South
This site features a sandy seabed scattered with coral heads, creating a peaceful and colorful landscape. Ideal for macro lovers, it’s a great spot to observe small reef fish and invertebrates while safely exploring the sandy areas between coral clusters.

Abu Nuhas
Known as the “Ship Graveyard,” Abu Nuhas hosts four famous wrecks, including the Giannis D and the Carnatic. The Giannis D, a Greek cargo ship, lies at a depth of 27 meters, split in two and richly covered with coral. Divers can easily penetrate the wreck, experiencing the unique tilted passageways. The Carnatic, a 19th-century steamship, struck the reef in 1869 and now rests gracefully on the seabed, offering a glimpse into maritime history surrounded by marine life.

Vessel Details

Year Built / Refurbished 2005/ 2006 - 2016 refurbished - extended 2025
Length 38 metres
Width 8 metres
Speed 10 knots
Cabins In total 10 air-conditioned cabins with bathroom (shower/ WC), mini bar, 8 cabins on under deck and 2 cabins on the sun deck
Engine 2 Cummins K19, each 750 PS
Generators 2 x 80 KW (230 V) Perkins
Water 2 x 8 t per day
Connectivity VHF, DSC (Area I and II), Satellite EPIRB and AIS, WIFI
Safety Life jackets and 2 life rafts, oxygen and first aid, fire extinguishers in every cabin and in salons, fire fighting and alarm system, smoke detectors, defibrillator
Dive deck Spacious dive deck with individual gear storage
Compressors 2 x L & W 280 EC; 1 x Mattei LP ERC 507 l
Nitrox up to 32 % free of charge
Zodiac 2 zodiacs with outboard engine
Tanks 12l aluminum- tanks DIN/INT, 15l tanks on request
Rental equipment and spare parts There is no rental equipment stock on board available, only spare equipment for the worst-case scenario. If you need complete rental equipment or only some items of the equipment, please inform us/or your agency should inform us at least one week before arrival, including the sizes if necessary. A short-term obtaining is possible, but this takes time and could delay the trip start!!! Please do not forget the most important spare parts for your equipment, such as: mask and fin straps, repair kit for regulator and batteries, film and spare bulbs for your torch.

Available Experiences

ITINERARIES AVAILABLE IN THIS DESTINATION

Marcelina

Wednesday, 10 April 2019

Sunrise Marina Resort & Emperor Divers in Marsa Alam

The overall holiday was excellent value for money. Emperor Divers provided an outstanding dive experience on day boat trips to provide some of the most relax dives I have ever encountered at reasonable depths.

Sunrise Marina Resort & Emperor Divers in Marsa Alam

What Our Customers Have To Say

Reviews from our Clients, Journalists, Photo Pro's and our own Experts

Our reviews and blogs are an additional guide to evaluate of the holiday is exactley what you are looking for or not. Some love an Eco-Resort, some love air-con and a flat screen TV, we aim to ensure you get what you are looking for, at great value for money.

Jackson Reef

Sharm El Sheikh , Red Sea

Most northerly of the reefs of Tiran and the northern limit of day boats from Sharm El Sheikh. The wreck of the Lara lies at the northern end. There is superb wall diving along its entire perimeter, with numerous buttresses and gullies. Sightings of sharks, turtles and other big fish are not uncommon and you will find a huge diversity of different corals and sponges as well as clouds of trigger fish, masked puffers and banner fish. At the point you may be lucky and spot a Hammerhead in summer.

  • Dive Type: Drift Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 25m

Thomas Reef

Sharm El Sheikh , Red Sea

Between Gordon and Woodhouse reefs, smaller round reef with walls plunging deep and fully covered with soft coral, gorgonians and colourful fish life. It is almost possible to circumnavigate this reef in one dive. The east wall plunges dramatically to great depths with a mass of brightly coloured soft corals. The west wall is darker with overhangs and caves but is a great drift dive with sightings of Trevally and Tuna in the blue and schooling reef fish close to the reef.

  • Dive Type: Drift Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 20m

Ras Mohamed

Sharm El Sheikh , Red Sea

Ras Mohammed peninsula separates the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba. Currents flow out of both gulfs and bathe Ras Mohammed in rich nutrients, which assure plentiful and varied marine life. At Shark Reef and Yolanda wreck, many fish species can be found: groupers, barracuda, batfish, Napoleon wrasses, blue-spot stingrays and a special treat, crocodile fish. It's an amusing and memorable site to see groupers swimming around a huge mountain of toilets at the bottom of the sea.
Really several dive sites, Ras Mohammed has earned itself a reputation as one of the top diving areas in the world, here at the tip of the Sinai where the vast bodies of water, the Gulf of Suez and the Gulf of Aqaba meet has created an ecosystem like no other and wall diving is at its very best.

  • Dive Type: Drift Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 18m

Shab Abu Nugar

Hurghada , Red Sea

This “T” shaped reef has a shallow plateau to the west with numerous small ergs and two small sub reefs Gota Abu Nigar and Shab Iris. Some parts of this reef system are positively dull while others are stunning. If you can dive the stem of the “T” on the north side you will find three small ergs and the diving there is almost virginal. You will find broom tail wrasse here as well as parrot fish and unicorn fish.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

Abu Dabab

Marsa Alam, Red Sea

A collection of 7 reefs. Offers sheltered diving in rough weather conditions. Popular overnight location due to close proximity to the famous Elphinstone reef with a very good chance to see Spanish dancers on the night dive. Many swim caves. Often sightings of reef sharks on the southern outer reefs.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

Abu Galawa Soraya

Marsa Alam, Red Sea

The northern edge of the 'Fury Shoal' group, this reef has a fantastic hard coral garden, and a wreck of a private sailing boat on the western side which is packed with glassfish.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

Thistlegorm

Sharm El Sheikh , Red Sea

The Thistlegorm was discovered in 1956 by Jacques Cousteau and is probably the most famous wreck in the world. It sank in 1941 when it was hit by a German bomb that blew a hole in the port side, igniting tank ammunition that was in the hold. The explosion ripped the roof of the ship backwards, rather like opening a tin of sardines.
The stern section of the wreck lies almost horizontal to the sea bed; the remainder of the wreck is nearly upright. Inside the wreckage, tyres, tanks, motorbikes, Bedford trucks, waders and wellington boots can be seen. Penetration is possible around the bridge and blast area. The large propeller is still in position and the guns on the stern are in excellent condition.
Artillery litters the blast area. A bath tub can be seen towards the bow and a toilet near the stern. The sea life is impressive with possibility of seeing tuna overhead the resident turtle. Expect this to be very busy, especially once the day boats have reached it; it is likely to be chaos both on the surface and under the water.

  • Dive Type: Drift Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 31m

Abu Nuhas

Hurghada , Red Sea

Also known as “Ships Graveyard”, Abu Nuhas is located close to the busy shipping lanes of the Gulf of Suez. Four wrecks are lying in a chain on a sandy bottom of a steep sloping reef covered with table corals. The following wrecks are found there;

Ghiannis D was on the way from Rijeka to AI Hudayda at the southern end of the Red Sea, when the bow ran aground on the reef on April 19, 1984. The rear half of the wreck lies on the port side. At the front the funnel is the large letter “D” signifying the name of the shipping company, Danae. In front of the funnel is the bridge deck with different areas, an enormous winch and the bollard. Narrow portholes lead into the engine room. The mid-ship area resembles a scrap heap where steel girders are bent and torn up, and the side panels lie caved in on the bottom. Crocodile fish, scorpion fish, parrotfish, and groupers call the vessel home. This wreck is at 30 - 88 feet/10 - 27meters depth.

Carnatic was on the way from Liverpool to Bombay with 27 crew members, 203 passengers as well as a cargo of cotton, copper, and 40,000 pounds Sterling in gold. She ran aground in the night September 13,1869. Now the wreck lies at a depth of 65 - 88 feet/20 - 27 meters. The hull is covered with hard and leather corals.

Chrisoula K started her last trip on August 30, 1981 loaded with cheap Italian tiles. Chrisoula K ran aground due to a navigation mistake of the captain and sank in the same night. The wreck lies at 16 - 80 feet/5 - 25 meters depth.

Shaab el Erg: Shaab el Erg, also known as “Dolphin House”, is famous for dolphin sightings; it is not uncommon for a school of dolphins to join the dive. The reef drops down to a coral garden at 40 feet/12 meters deep with marine life like nudibranchs, tunas, trevallies, jacks, scorpionfish and sea turtles.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 25m

SS Thistlegorm

Hurghada , Red Sea

The Thistlegorm was discovered in 1956 by Jacques Cousteau and is probably the most famous wreck in the world. It sank in 1941 when it was hit by a German bomb that blew a hole in the port side, igniting tank ammunition that was in the hold. The explosion ripped the roof of the ship backwards, rather like opening a tin of sardines.
The stern section of the wreck lies almost horizontal to the sea bed; the remainder of the wreck is nearly upright. Inside the wreckage, tyres, tanks, motorbikes, Bedford trucks, waders and Wellington boots can be seen. Penetration is possible around the bridge and blast area. The large prop is still in position and the guns on the stern are in excellent condition.
Artillery litters the blast area. A bath tub can be seen towards the bow and a toilet near the stern. The sea life is impressive with possibility of seeing tuna overhead the resident turtle. Expect this to be very busy, especially once the day boats have reached it; it is likely to be chaos both on the surface and under the water.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

Fury Shoals Reef System

Marsa Alam, Red Sea

Fury Shoals is a group of dive sites offering a variety of coral pinnacles, lagoons, drop offs and fast drifts.

Here you will have the opportunity to see hammerhead sharks, silvertip sharks, white tip reef sharks, grey reef sharks, bumphead parrotfish, turtles, spinner dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, surgeonfish, jacks, tuna, reef fish, colourful coral and sponges.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth:

Straits of Tiran

Sharm El Sheikh , Red Sea

The Straits of Tiran offers divers a choice of 7 dive sites, the Gordon reef, the Jackson reef, the Laguna reef, Million hope wrecks, the Tomas reef, the Woodhouse reef and Zingara. All these dive sites offer divers top quality diving with some sites offering maximum depths up to 100 metres.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 100m

Giannis D

Hurghada , Red Sea

This Greek freighter hit the reef in April 1983 and over the course of two weeks slowly broke into two parts and sank. She is the most dived wreck in the area, laying in 24 metres and leaning to port with a fully intact stern section and an impressive engine room packed with glass fish.

The bow is very interesting too but is a long swim out. She is a great wreck for penetration but beware of disorientation due to the angle at which she lays. Be wary of the many lion fish and scorpion fish that call this wreck home and watch out for the strong surges in and around the wreck in rough weather.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 24m

Carnatic

Hurghada , Red Sea

The Carnatic is a British P & O steamer which struck the reef in 1869 and sank the next day as the weather worsened. She was a passenger and mail ship and is sometimes known as the ‘wine’ wreck for the numerous bottles once found in the holds; sadly not many now remain to be seen. Rumour has it that she sank with forty thousand pounds sterling of gold bullion, much of which was never recovered. The wreck lays in 29m and now the whole hull is draped in multicoloured soft corals and the inner areas are full of glass fish complete with red mouthed grouper sentinel. One davit supports a beautiful table coral. The wreck is now home to large grouper, octopus and morays and jacks and tuna cruise overhead.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 29m

Woodhouse Reef

Sharm El Sheikh , Red Sea

The Woodhouse Reef is located between Thomas and Jackson reef, Woodhouse reef is the narrowest and longest reef in Tiran. With no moorings this dive is always done as a drift. The Reef offers a sheer wall dropping down to a sandy ledge at 30 meters and dropping away into the abyss. The most interesting point of this dive site is the famous canyon that opens out at a depth of 30 meters and runs parallel to the main axis of the reef. Here divers will have the opportunity to spot black coral at a depth of around 22 meters and lots of pelagic fish cruising past in the blue.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 22m

Gordon Reef

Sharm El Sheikh , Red Sea

This is the most southerly reef of the four and has a different topography from the others offering both a shallow plateau area and drop offs. A huge variety of reef fish and big schools of grouper can be seen here and on the sandy bottom at 4 to 5 meter there is an eel garden area along with coral encrusted drums. The top of the reef, with its lighthouse, is also home to the wreck Lovilla which sits almost parallel to the wreck on Jackson Reef.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 18

Shaab Maksur

Marsa Alam, Red Sea

The south plateau offers a superb diving site. You will find here three coral pinnacles, which are overgrown with red soft corals, they contain several caves and crevices where glassfish, groupers, morays and other creature hide among the soft corals and gorgonias. Fish are also plentiful and large schools of carangids, surgeons and other small fish can be seen here. With luck you can see sharks at the edge of the plateau.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 40m

Marsa Shuna

Marsa Alam, Red Sea

Marsa Shuni is a gently sloping sand and coral plateau in the southern Red Sea. Its seabed is dotted with table corals and small reef outcrops, creating a habitat for a variety of reef fish. Divers may encounter blue-spot rays and, seasonally, breeding guitar rays. The site offers calm conditions suitable for both day and night dives, with clear visibility and a peaceful, open-water experience.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 35m

Thomas Reef

Hurghada , Red Sea

Thomas Reef is the smallest reef in the strait. The reef’s ends are vertical walls with a large plateau at 25 meters depth on the south eastern side. This plateau is covered in colorful coral and has a fence of gorgonian fans longnose hawkfish can be found.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 25m

Abu Nuhas (4 wrecks)

Hurghada , Red Sea

In 1869, the Suez Canal established the Red Sea as the most important stretch of water near Egypt. Known as the Red Sea ‘graveyard’, Abu Nuhas is located north of Shadwan Island (the Egyptian Red Sea’s largest island). The submerged reef has claimed more vessels than any other in the Red Sea with at least four complete wrecks and other wreckage scattered throughout the area. The wrecks are laying in a chain on a sandy bottom of a steep sloping reef covered with table corals. Some of the items the wrecks carried were copper, port wine, and gold. The four wrecks the Red Sea Aggressor II dives are the Giannis D, Carnatic, Chrisoula K and Kimon M:

Ghiannis D is a 100 meter long cargo ship originally built in Japan then bought by a Greek shipping company and renamed the Giannis D in 1980. She was enroute from now known as Croatia bound for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia carrying a cargo of wood. After passing through the Suez Canal and into the Strait of Gubal, the ship ran aground into the reef of Sha'ab Abu Nuhas in 1983. The stern is partly intact at around 25 meters and the bow at about 18 meters.

The rear half of the wreck lies on the port side. At the front the funnel is the large letter “D” signifying the name of the shipping company, Danae. Crocodile fish, scorpion fish, parrotfish, and grouper call the vessel home. This wreck is located at a depth of 10 - 27 meters.

Carnatic is thought to be the oldest wreck found at Sha'ab Abu Nuhas. A steam and sail powered clipper, the Carnatic was sailing from Bombay (Mumbai), India to Suez when she struck the reef in 1869. The ship broke in half when the crew and passengers were abandoning it resulting in the loss of 31 lives. The ships cargo included cotton, copper, and a huge load of gold. Salvage operations claim to have recovered the gold, however rumors still exist that there still might be gold hidden on the wreck. The wreck lies at a depth of 10 - 27 meters with the hull covered in hard and leather corals.

Chrisoula K was originally built in Germany and christened the Dora Olendorff. The 100 meter long cargo ship was bound for Jeddah, Saudia Arabia carrying a cargo of Italian floor tiles. After leaving the Gulf of Suez, a navigational error saw the ship run full speed into the Abu Nuhas reef. The crew were safely rescued but the ship sank and now lies between 5 - 25 meters.

The Kimon M cargo ship sunk in 1978 after hitting the Sha’ab Abu Nuhas Reef. It was carrying lentils and is also known as the ‘Lentil Wreck’ and lies in 32 meters of water at the stern. It initially was stuck on the reef until the storm and waves pushed the ship breaking the bow then the main body which sank in 10 – 29 meters depth.The stern with the huge propeller is still intact and easy to dive. Due to its size, it is impressive to swim around from the outside and is home to schools of batfish and a huge napoleon.

  • Dive Type: Wreck Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 25m

Sataya Reef

Marsa Alam, Red Sea

Seven imposing stacks of coral named Dha’ab Hassan guard the lagoons entrance with depths ranging from 18m to 22m along the rim, lessoning to 12m as you approach the Sataya lagoon. The outer wall of the Sataya offers some excellent drift diving. You are dropped off by zodiac and the dive begins at the North-west edge, keeping the reef to the left. Large outcrops of soft coral cover the wall and white tips are sometimes spotted half asleep underneath table coral, slowly moving away as divers approach.

  • Dive Type: Boat Dive
  • Diver Level: Advanced Open Water Diver
  • Max Depth: 25
Dates Duration Route Room Type Price
6 Aug 2026
13 Aug 2026
7 Nights North Twin Cabin (Lower Deck) £826
3 Sep 2026
9 Sep 2026
6 Nights North incl. Tiran Double Cabin (Upper Deck) £826
17 Sep 2026
24 Sep 2026
7 Nights South Safari until Dolphin Reef Twin Cabin (Lower Deck) £977