Seven wrecks lie at Abu Nuhas off Hurghada, among about 21 in the Red Sea
Youm7 counts about 21 wreck dive sites in Red Sea waters, with seven ships at Abu Nuhas alone and some lying deeper than 30 metres, where the report says advanced experience is needed.
23 October 2026
Seven sunken ships lie at Abu Nuhas, northwest of Shadwan Island off Hurghada, part of about 21 wreck dive sites in Red Sea waters, the Egyptian daily Youm7 reports.
Ahmed Bego, a dive trip organiser in Hurghada quoted by the outlet, put the number of wreck dive sites at 21. He said coral has grown over the hulls and marine life has settled around them, turning the wrecks into rich habitats.
The Abu Nuhas wrecks include the SS Carnatic, which sank in 1896, the Kimon M, which sank in 1978, and the Giannis D, which sank in 1983. A triangular reef made the area dangerous for shipping, and some of the wrecks lie deeper than 30 metres, depths the report describes as suited to experienced divers with advanced training.
Other sites named in the report include the Thistlegorm, a supply ship requisitioned by the British army and sunk in October 1941 during the Second World War in the northern Red Sea; a Soviet-built minesweeper about 70 metres long near Hurghada port, which had joined the Egyptian navy before it was hit by Israeli forces in the 1960s; and the Numidia, which sank in 1901 after striking a reef near the Brothers Islands in the southern Red Sea.
The wrecks are spread across several protected areas, including the northern islands reserves, Wadi El Gemal and the Elba marine area. Most sit inside the northern reserves of Red Sea Governorate, according to the report.
What the protected areas director says
Ahmed Ghallab, director of the Red Sea protected areas, said ships sunk in Egyptian territorial waters are the property of the Red Sea Ports Authority under international maritime law, and that the Environment Ministry works to protect them as environmental assets.
He said the wrecks can also serve a conservation purpose by drawing divers away from some stretches of natural coral, easing pressure on sensitive reef environments.
The report puts the number of dive sites in the Red Sea overall at more than 100, many of them clustered around the offshore islands, and says wreck sites have been busier as the winter season opens, with European visitors prominent among the divers.