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Dive Site

SS Thistlegorm

  • Nationality : British
  • Type : Freighter
  • Year of construction : 1940
  • Tonnage : 4898 GTR
  • Sunk : 6 October 1941
  • Position : 27° 49′ 03 N, 33° 55′ 14E
  • Min. depth : 18 m
  • Max. depth : 31 m
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Dive Site

Overview

TheThistlegorm is probably the most famous wreck in the Red Sea.

Description

The English ship was on her way to Egypt to supply the English Africa Corps with supplies when she was attacked by a German bomber on 6.10.1941 and sank.

The wreck lies upright on the seabed at a depth of 30 meters.
The cargo is especially interesting: tanks, trucks, weapons, motorcycles, railroad cars as well as a locomotive.

The Thistlegorm is a must for every Red Sea diver. She is a delight for wreck enthusiasts, not to mention her spectacular cargo.

But she also offers a variety of fish. Schools of barracudas or big tunas and snappers are not uncommon here. As an artificial reef, it also attracts countless coral fish.

Hotspots

  • Worth seeing are the stern with its guns, the midship and forecastle, the bow and cargo, as well as the vehicles, the two locomotives, the towing tenders and the water wagons.
  • Currents at the wreck are moderate, occasionally strong. Visibility is generally moderate and there are often many boats on site.

map Dive Plans

Thistlegorm

Currents may occasionally be strong; however, mooring lines tied by the guide allow divers to make a comfortable descent to the shelter of the wreck. Once inside, divers can explore the ship’s holds where time has seemingly stood still. Motorbikes, trucks, guns and wartime cargo, never to reach its destination, lay stacked where it was loaded back in 1941.

First dive

To get an overview, you should use the 1st dive to dive once around the wreck. The stern is inclined 45 degrees to the left. At 30 meters you will find the propeller and the rudder. Higher, in 25 meters on the upper deck you can see the machine gun. Continuing, you go to the wide fracture where the ship was hit by the bombs. Towards the bow you dive along the holds.

2nd Dive

For the 2nd dive is good to explore the holds. Hold 3 is of less interest. It contained the coal used to fire the ship. Hold 1 contains trucks, off-road trucks and the famous motorcycles.

Thistlegorm

The blue thistle lies on the seabed at 32m and comes up to 16m to the water surface.