Hurghada offers divers the choice of 50 daily diving sites of which 3 wrecks: El Minija, Excalibur/Suzanna en M/Y Hebat Allah.
For the wreck diving enthusiast, more info about the mysterious Red Sea shipwrecks can be found on the page of itinerary 'Best of Wrecks' (Diving Cruises) or click here.
El Minija wreck, commonly referred to as "The Harbour Wreck", lies in the harbour at Hurghada. El Minija, an Egyptian minesweeper, was bombed while lying at anchor by the Israeli aircrafts in 1969. The wreck is approximately 70m in length and with a beam of 9.5m, it lies on its port side in 32m of water at the stern, 26m at the bow and 19m around the blast hole on top of the wreck.
The blast hole invites to enter the interior of the wreck and swim down the central corridor to various cabins, interior rooms and even the engine compartment. As space is tight, penetration is not recommended.
There is no reef here, so do not expect a sparkling coral life, but there is a lot going on though, on and around El Minija.
A great school of glassfishes & a lone anemone and resident clownfishes find sanctuary in the wreck, especially in the blast hole the bomb left behind. Look out for the giant moray eel which has made its home here. A redmouth grouper herding his own school, protecting them from hunting jacks and lionfishes. Above the wreck are shoals of jacks and small barracudas. Batfishes are often seen around the mooring line.
The location sometimes has strong current and poor visibility, that together with the maximum depth of 32m suggests experienced divers. It is also a good idea to keep in mind that there are sharp edges and objects to be aware of. All over the bottom you find bits and pieces from the wreck. There is still some live ammunition spread out over the seabed. Please do not touch anything! To get most out of this dive, you should bring a torch so you can light up the inside and get the true colors of the marine life.
The 'Red Sea Association' was looking for a new attraction to add to the Hurghada area. The idea of an artificial wreck seemed the perfect answer. The cargo ship, 'M/Y Hebat Allah', was the ship of choice. The current owner of 'M/Y Hebat Allah' was very enthusiastic towards the project and did not hesitate to donate his ship as a gift. With the support of the governor of the Red Sea Gen. Saad Abo Reda, the idea had become reality.
On 10th August 2004 the cargo ship 'M/Y Hebat Allah' sunk in its new home, between Gota Abu Ramada and El Aruk Giftun. 'M/Y Hebat Allah' is 51m long, 8m in width and has an impressive 300 tons of dead weight. The wreck is currently lying flat on its keel at a maximum depth of 46m on the sandy bottom with the stern mast rising up to 27m.
The interior of the wreck was lined off before the sinking and so penetration is safe and easy. Marine life has already invaded the wreck, although a shoal of fusiliers patrol the wreck and huge trevalies can be seen around the propeller. A large grouper and lionfish are hanging around the decks. Large hard corals are growing from the railings.
The location sometimes has strong current and poor visibility, that together with the maximum depth of 46m suggests experienced divers. It is also a good idea to keep in mind that there are sharp edges and objects to be aware of.
To get most out of this dive, you should bring a torch so you can light up the inside and get the true colors of the marine life.