Page 70 - AlertDiver_Winter2013

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The oceanics don’t arrive immediately; in fact we’re on
our way up when we see the first. And the best encounters
come once we’re back under the boat. These don’t behave
like other sharks; they just swim right up and check you out.
Their confidence continues to grow as our group withers and
people climb up the ladders with surprising speed. The action
is truly exhilarating by the end.
A Troubled Past … And Present?
A question that American friends understandably ask me is, “How
safe is the Red Sea?” It seems there is bad news from the Middle
East almost daily, and there have been high-profile terrorist attacks
in the past. Personally I’ve been there many times and never had
or heard about a problem with either crime or security. European
divers and vacationers in general (because the Red Sea attracts far
more than divers) continue to visit. Egyptian authorities have done
much to protect tourism and tourists, including restricting public
access to most tourist areas. Out on a dive boat, and particularly
on a liveaboard, you are even farther from risk.
Wreck Heaven
But not all ships that passed through the region avoided trouble.
In 1869 the Suez Canal was opened, and this transformed the
Red Sea into a major navigation highway. It will come as no
surprise that lots of ships and lots of reefs in a narrow sea
means lots of wrecks.
I am at Abu Nuhas reef, a small triangular chunk of coral that
sticks out just south of the Gulf of Suez. This reef has claimed at
least seven ships, and four of them lie along the reef’s north face:
the Giannis D, Carnatic, Chrisoula K and Kimon M. All four
are big cargo vessels; each has a distinct character, and they’re all
mostly intact, covered in life and in perfect diving depths.
You can reach Abu Nuhas either by liveaboard or by day boat
from Hurghada. This morning we’re heading to the 300-foot-
long and 150-year-old Carnatic, a steam-and-sail schooner that
sank here with a cargo that included a fortune in gold coins.
After being down for so long, the real treasure of this wreck is
the amount of marine life. The outside is plastered in coral, but
the ship’s elegant lines are still clearly visible. Inside I find an
obliging school of glassfish being hunted by redmouth groupers.
Heading back to the liveaboard, our zodiac is joined by
a pod of bottlenose dolphins. Our guide indicates that we
should jump in, and we don’t need to be told twice. It is a
magical 15 minutes and a surprisingly regular occurrence,
thanks to a semiresident pod at Abu Nuhas.
Each wreck is a great dive, and debating favorites is common
dinner conversation on liveaboards. I have seen many divers
come to Abu Nuhas claiming to not enjoy wrecks and leave as
addicts. The Red Sea has so many wrecks that some liveaboards
offer itineraries dedicated entirely to wreck diving.