Wrecks of the Red Sea I – Gulf of Aqaba
Living in Europe and searching for a near, cheap and top of the range diving destination is not difficult, go to the Red Sea! The coral reefs are colourful, there are lots fish and the water temperature does not drop below 20 degrees Celsius… and all of this in a maximum of 5 hour flight time, sounds great!
Not only are there unforgetable drop offs and other reef constructions, but the red sea is also full of wrecks. Seems that these waters are not the most easy to sail, and in time of the WWII it was one of the most important support routes.
The dive-able wrecks are countless as it seems, and most of them are ‘natural’ ones, meaning they were not sunk for divers in the first place. Most of them are reachable in the limits of recreational diving, but some of them are deep, and everything but easy dives. Before thinking to take a trip, ask yourself the question: am I trained and experienced enough to do this dive? and Not: My diving computer anyway tells me what to do. This is one of the most dangerous attitudes and reason for most of the diving accidents, the end of which is most likely not happy… Training does not only help diving centres survive and make money out of you, it also helps you to improve your diving and yes, proper training is worth money!
To start with the wrecks I will begin at the very north. Diving in the Gulf of Aqaba in front of the city of Aqaba lies the Cedar Pride. She was sunk for the purpose to be a tourist attraction. Over 20 years later she lies on the bow facing north about 130 meters off the shore. There is a moring for the diving boats. She also provides enjoyment for all diving levels, because her most shallow point is in about 7 meters. She was cleaned out for divers, but please keep in mind, training is a big advantage when diving in an overhead environment! The dive site itself is not too difficult, because there will be hardly any current and the visibility is most of the time astonishing (30+) as it is normal for the red sea. Wrecks are magnets for fish: moray eels, Glas Fish, perfect to hide in the day time and in the night time a shelter in case… It is well worth a dive and not to be missed out.
They also sunk an M40 tank as an underwater attraction. Also worth a dive, because it is placed very beautifully on the reef.
Check our Diving in Jordan section to find out more information of this area.
Story By Jörg Delacher.
