Abu Nuhas
Schaʿb Abu Nuhas ( Arabic شعب أبو النحاس, DMG Šaʿb Abū an-Nuḥās - "Reef of the father of copper", also called "the reef of the 7 deaths") is a reef in Egyptian territorial waters in the north of the Red Sea . It is located in the Gulf of Suez on the Strait of Gubal in front of Hurghada and el-Guna .
Surname
The coral reef , roughly shaped like a triangle, probably bears its name because of the British steam sailor SS Carnatic that crashed there in 1869 and loaded copper bars among other things . Freediving native Bedouins were involved in the recovery of this cargo, so it is reasonable to assume that the name of the reef came from these events.
location
The reef, located about five kilometers north of the island of Shadwan , protrudes into the heavily ship-traveled Strait of Gubal and is therefore a dangerous obstacle to shipping. Sha'b Abu Nuhas is the last hurdle for ships on the way from the Suez Canal to the open sea. Since the corals extend just below the water surface, but do not break through, the reef is difficult to see, especially when the sea is still and the sun is low or in the dark.
Shipping accidents
There have been several shipwrecks at Sha'b Abu Nuhas, which is why it is called a ship cemetery . Known as total losses are the British Carnatic with 30 fatalities (1869), the Panamanian cargo ships Kimon M (1978) and Olden (1987) and the Greek freighters Marcus (1978), Chrisoula K (1981), Giannis D (1983). Other ships ran aground, but could be freed again. The severed bow of Kimon M. lies on the reef and protrudes out of the water. It is not known whether there are other wrecks in the area of the Sha'b Abu Nuhas. While the German team of authors Claus-Peter Stoll, Udo Kefrig and Christian Mietz assume a total of at least seven sunken ships, the British wreck expert Ned Middleton doubts that there are more than four wrecks there. The lying on the reef bow, the other authors as evidence of the existence of another hold wrecks, he assigns mistakenly Chrisoula K to. The rest of the Chrisoula K is 400 meters north of the reef at a depth of 25 meters. The location of the Olden is unknown.
Dive site
Due to the many shipwrecks and the unique underwater world of the Red Sea, this reef is very popular with scuba divers and is often approached by diving boats from Hurghada and El Guna . The reef itself has beautiful stony coral formations (including large table corals ). The wrecks are heavily overgrown with stone, leather and soft corals and have developed into artificial reefs . In addition, they offer shelter for numerous fish and other marine animals. However, the heavy diving activity leads to damage to the reef and the wrecks, which have also been thoroughly plundered by souvenir collectors. In principle, diving is relatively safe, as the wrecks are at moderate depths (usually around 25–27 m). Risks include penetrating the wreck too deep with unsuitable equipment, as well as the sometimes strong surf and changing currents.
literature
- Ned Middleton: Sleeping Ships. The wrecks in the Red Sea , Stuttgart 2006, ISBN 3-440-10727-2 , p. 69ff, v. a. P. 79.
- Claus-Peter Stoll, Udo Kefrig, Christian Mietz: Wreck diving. The most beautiful wrecks in the Red Sea , Augsburg 1999, ISBN 3-89440-353-5 , p. 86ff.
- Alberto Siliotti: Sinai Diving Guide Part 1 , Verona 2005, ISBN 978-88-87177-66-4
Web links
- Shoyo Maru , Carnatic , Marcus , Chrisoula K. , Kimon M. and Olden on wrecksite.eu .
Individual evidence
- ↑ Janelle Harrison (2007): The SS Carnatic: A Historical and Archaeological Analysis of the Underwater Cultural Heritage of a 19th Century Steam Powered Screw Propelled Ship , Bristol: University of Bristol, Dissertation, p. 57, fig. 40.
Coordinates: 27 ° 34 ′ 0 ″ N , 33 ° 55 ′ 0 ″ E