hard Diving Hurghada

Abu Nuhas Wrecks

Also known as: Abu Nuhas Reef Ship Graveyard Carnatic wreck Giannis D wreck Chrisoula K wreck Kimon M wreck

Illustration based on a photo by W. Strickling · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Depth Range

4–27m

Boat Ride

120 min

Difficulty

hard

Open-water reef at the mouth of the Gulf of Suez, exposed to wind, swell and current - Advanced Open Water and wreck training recommended, weather-dependent

Sea conditions at Abu Nuhas Wrecks today

Rough — check with the centre

Sea

26.9°C

Waves

0.9 m

Wind

19 kn NW

Air

25°C

Today

1.0 m · 20 kn

Tue 6

1.1 m · 22 kn

Wed 7

1.0 m · 19 kn

Thu 8

1.1 m · 20 kn

Fri 9

1.2 m · 22 kn

Sat 10

1.0 m · 19 kn

Sun 11

0.6 m · 14 kn

Water is 26.9°C — 3 mm full wetsuit is the usual choice.
Wind is up: the boat will move. If you are prone to seasickness, take your tablet an hour before departure and stay mid-ship, outside, looking at the horizon.
Sea is rough. Centres often switch to sheltered sites or shorten the trip — confirm the plan with your dive centre the evening before.

Updated 06:30 · Full conditions & 7-day outlook
Forecast data: Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0). Model values for the area, not a reading at the reef — your skipper and guide make the call on the day.

Abu Nuhas is the Red Sea's ship graveyard and the most famous wreck diving near Hurghada: four shipwrecks - the Carnatic, Giannis D, Chrisoula K and Kimon M - lie on a single reef at the mouth of the Gulf of Suez, reached from Hurghada by long day boat or liveaboard.

The reef rises to just below the surface right in the shipping lane, which is why so many ships struck it. The Carnatic, a steam-and-sail passenger ship lost in 1869, lies at roughly 18-27 m with her ribs and hull draped in coral. The Giannis D (1983) sits on the reef slope and is the easiest of the four to dive, while the Chrisoula K (1981), which went down with a cargo of Italian floor tiles, and the broken Kimon M (1978) are shallower and make good second dives. Expect swim-throughs, swarms of glassfish, lionfish and moray eels on every hull - one of the best wreck dives in Egypt and a highlight of Red Sea wreck diving.

Abu Nuhas is open water: wind, swell and current are common, so the trip depends on the weather and usually takes a full day or a night on board. Advanced Open Water is recommended, and the PADI Wreck Diver course is the right preparation before you go inside any hold or engine room with a guide and a torch. Nitrox is useful for the longer dives on the deeper wrecks.

What You Might See

Glassfish swarms inside the wrecks Lionfish & scorpionfish Giant moray eels Napoleon wrasse (occasional) Hard & soft corals growing on the hulls Tuna & barracuda in the blue

Suitable for

Experienced divers only
Advanced certification and logged dives
Snorkellers (shallow top only)

Best time to dive here

Divable all year — the Red Sea has no closed season. Water runs from about 22°C in February to 30°C in August, and March–May and September–November give the most comfortable mix of warm water, light wind and good visibility. Conditions at this site: Open-water reef at the mouth of the Gulf of Suez, exposed to wind, swell and current - Advanced Open Water and wreck training recommended, weather-dependent

Sea temperature, wind and calm days month by month →

Where it is

This site is the highlighted pin; the others are the rest of the reefs around Hurghada. Boat times are from the main harbour and vary with sea conditions.

Get directions Open in OpenStreetMap 27.5768,33.9285