Diving the SS Thistlegorm

The SS Thistlegorm is a British armed merchant ship that was bombed and sunk by German aircraft on 6 October 1941 while anchored in the Gulf of Suez, and it is widely regarded as one of the world's great wreck dives. Jacques Cousteau located it in the 1950s, and it became popular with divers from the 1990s. The wreck lies at roughly 30 metres in the Red Sea north of Ras Mohammed, about 130 km by boat from Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt's South Sinai Governorate. Its holds still contain the wartime cargo: Bedford trucks, Norton and BSA motorcycles, Bren carriers, rifles, ammunition, and locomotives lashed to the deck. Divers can swim through the holds and see the bomb-damaged stern section. Because of the distance, the trip is a long day. Departures from Naama Bay by dive centres such as Camel Dive Club are usually early, with a long boat transfer, two dives on the wreck and a return in the evening; many divers instead join liveaboards or stay overnight on the boat to reach the wreck ahead of the day boats. Participants need Advanced Open Water certification or equivalent, and experience with depths of 25 to 30 metres is expected. The wreck often has currents and variable visibility, and penetration of the holds is best done with a guide. Dive centres supply tanks, weights and BCDs, while divers normally bring or rent a computer, torch and wetsuit. The cost is typically EGP 4,500 to 7,500 (about $90 to 150). Briefings cover mooring procedures, current and the dive plan, and boats carry oxygen and first-aid equipment; the hyperbaric chamber at Sharm El Sheikh is the evacuation point for decompression sickness. The season runs from April to October, when winds are lighter and the long crossing is usually smoother, though the wreck can be dived year-round when conditions allow. Trips may be cancelled in strong wind, and operators usually rebook or refund.