BROTHER ISLANDS AND NORTH

THE NORTH TIRAN EGYPT OFFERS SOME OF THE MOST ICONIC WRECKS AND REEFS THE NORTHERN RED SEA HAS TO OFFER WITH DIVE SITES SUCH AS RAS ABU SOMA, RAS ABU RAMADA, UMM GOMMA, SMALL GIFTUN AND RAS MOHAMMED.
The North Tiran dive area is found in the entrance to the Gulf of Aqaba and is made up of four main reefs that form the top of an underwater bridge. These reefs, named after British cartographers (Jackson, Woodhouse, Thomas, Gordon), are world famous for their extraordinary diversity of corals and strong south westerly currents make them home to many large pelagic fish.

There are also some wrecks, which can be sailed and partly explored from the inside.

Gordon Reef, the southernmost reef of North Tiran with the striking wreck of the Loullia, which has run aground there. Dives can be done either on the plateau or as a drift dive along the reef. At Thomas Reef the dives are done as drift dives along the reef wall.

Jackson Reef is the northernmost reef of Tiran. The dive starts in the sheltered southern bay where the reef wall drops steeply.

Woodhouse Reef the dives are done as drift dives.

Abu Nuhas, a treacherous reef, which ends just below the water surface and has caused many ships to crash into it. There are 4 shipwrecks, which are well-preserved and can be dived from the outside and partly also from the inside. Because of the exposed position, there can always be currents. Tiran itself is not allowed to be entered.

The Carnatic This British built ship is one of the oldest wrecks in the Red Sea and is a favorite for many divers at Shaab Abu Nuhas. It was a 90 meters long cargo steamship.

 The Carnatic hit the reef on 12 September 1869. His cargo consisted of gold, wine, and cotton, and the ship was on the way to India. The ship snapped in two and sank, parallel to the reef at a depth of 24 meters. The crew and passengers were able to escape on lifeboats to the Shadwan Island, from where they were rescued. A few months later the British were able to recover the gold. The Carnatic is still in good condition and offers fantastic picture opportunities. Soft coral is covering the entire wooden hull and you will find a great variety of marine life. This wreck is also suitable for all divers. This unique wreck offers easy access and you can still find broken wine bottles in the bow area.

The Giannis D It is a 100 meters general cargo vessel built in Japan, but under Greek ownership. The Giannis D hit Shaab Abu Nuhas at full speed on 19 April 1983. The ship, full of timber sank to a depth of 24 meters with the stern and bow still intact. The engine room at a depth of 13 meters offers an easy penetration as well as a superb view through clouds of glassfish. In the multilevel rooms and the passageways, you can encounter octopus and giant moray eels. The bow mast, horizontally extending from the boat, creates a great spot to search for scorpionfish, gobies, and nudibranch.

The Kimon M. ran aground at Shaab Abu Nuhas in 1978. 4,500 tons of lentils were the only cargo of the 106-meter-long ship. Today the wreck lies on the starboard side at a depth of between 12 and 30 meters. Due to the current and the rise, only the stern is in good condition and due to the instability of the wreck, no penetration should take place. Highlights are the propeller at 30 meters depth, the glass fish in the stern and a school of batfish which pass by regularly.

The Thistlegorm was sunk at anchor by the German bomber Henkel 111 on 6 October 1941. It is now resting upright at a maximum depth of 30 metres, making it an easily accessible wreck. The large amount of schooling fish and the cargo of motorcycles, lorries, guns, ammunition and much more makes it not only an underwater museum, but also one of the best wreck dives in the world, which every diver should have done in his life. It is also possible to make a night dive on the outside.

The Chrisoula K. also known as Tiles Wreck.  is a 98 meters long Greek cargo ship and sunk in 1981 at Shaab Abu Nuhas. This ship was transporting tiles from Italy. It broke into 2 parts. The stern lies at a depth of 28 meters on a sandy bottom. The bow, on the contrary, lies in shallow waters at a depth of 4 meters. Penetration inside the engine room is not easy but possible. For this, you need to be an experienced wreck diver. The rest of the wreck is suitable for all divers.

BROTHER ISLANDS EGYPT ARE POPULAR RED SEA LIVEABOARD DIVE DESTINATION, THE BROTHERS ARE A PAIR OF TINY ISLANDS SITUATED ALMOST DIRECTLY EAST OF EL QUESIR AND MARK THE FIRST OF THE SOUTHERN RED SEA DESTINATIONS.

Brother Islands Egypt are located far out in the open sea and due to their exposed location they are sometimes quite wild. Already from a distance one sees the lighthouse which is inhabited by the Egyptian military. Depending on the time, you have the possibility to visit the lighthouse.

Big Brother Island lies about 1 km to the north of its smaller sibling. Characterised by an impressive healthy fish population, it is dominated by tiny anthias, glassfish and sweepers. All are resident on or around a fringing reef that plunges steeply away on all sides. The walls are covered by huge gorgonians and colourful soft corals.

Sharks in Big Brother

Numerous sharks are attracted to the south east point of Big Brother. Grey and white tip reef sharks, hammerheads and the more ominous oceanic white tips are commonly spotted. Big Brother is also home to 2 Red Sea wrecks, lying quite close by one another off the north east point of the island, near the lighthouse.

 The Numidia is also known as the Railway Wreck due to the 2 locomotive wheels that she was carrying as cargo and now lie in the shallows. She met her end in 1901 when bound for India on only her second voyage. This was a 130m long British wooden cargo ship that ran aground. The bow is broken up and lies in only 8m of water.

Corals in Numidia

Soft and hard corals have claimed the Numidia as their own now and decorate the entire remaining metal framework, bringing the ship back to life for Red Sea scuba divers, this time in the form of a vibrant and colourful living reef. You can follow the hull and a series of masts down to greater depth. As a result, you will find the ship’s lift raft section and several entrances to the cabins that make penetration easy and safe in the shallow section. Below the bridge are the holds and the main mast that remains and protrudes up to 45m. The ship’s stern and propeller lie in 90m and well beyond recreational diving limits, so even though you might be able to see it from above, it would be wise to not follow your enthusiasm.

The Aida was a 75m transport supply ship that came off last during a head-to-head with Big Brother and sank in 1957. Her bow rests at 30m and the stern lies at 60m and deeper, where large groupers lurk. The engine remains at 7m to mark the site of the accident, where the hull broke in 2 and the stern sank, and where the bow was slowly destroyed by wind and waves.

The picturesque wreck has been claimed by the reef and is completely covered in soft and hard corals and a haven for all manner of marine creatures that you’ll see when diving in the Red Sea. With its wooden flooring now eroded, the wreck’s steel superstructure is open to exploration and penetration by advanced divers. You can swim through engine room, viewing the heavy winches by the cargo hatches.