His story
This is a wreck relatively young, it sank in the waters of the Red Sea strong>Egyptian on April 19, 1983 and does not have an exciting story to tell, but that does not take away one bit of its underwater appeal.
The Giannis D, formerly known as Markos, was a cargo ship 99 meters long and weighing 3,500 tons. Flying the Greek flag, it belonged to the Danae company and, on its last trip, it had to make the route that connects the Croatian port of Rijeka (Yugoslavia) with that of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia and, later, continue the journey to Yemen, loaded with wood.
The boat crossed the Adriatic without incident and continued through the Mediterranean until reaching Egyptian waters, where it prepared to cross the Suez Canal. If normally the procedures to cross it are cumbersome, at that time, due to an escalation of the Arab-Israeli conflict, they were even more so. Authorities had to ensure that the cargo ships' holds were not an arsenal of smuggled weapons. These conditions caused the Giannis D's trip to be delayed somewhat more than expected, thereby extending the life of the ship.
The end
When they finally managed to get through, the captain took extreme precautions. In this area of the Gulf of Suez coral reefs abound, hidden beneath the surface but ready to tear the hulls of ships. Thanks to the experience of the ship's high command, they sailed without problems. When they thought the worst was over, both the captain and the crew relaxed (it is said that the captain fell asleep after drinking too much), forgetting that they had a no less dangerous part left, the Sha'b Abu Nuhas reef, a coral plateau located two miles north of Shadwan Island at the exit of the Gobal Strait, which has swept away several absent-minded ships, specifically seven.
With the engines at full speed they could do nothing, when they realized it was too late, they had run aground on the northwest end of the reef, the ship was sinking and they had to abandon ship, it was April 19, 1983. The entire crew was rescued by an Egyptian tugboat that took them to the Santa Fe oil platform. The cargo ship sank and lies today under water 28 meters from the surface.
The wreck dive
Immersion in the Giannis D is not complicated. And if we also add that it is one of the best wrecks in the world for fans of underwater photography, with unparalleled possibilities of luminosity, we will have an unforgettable encounter.
The wreck is divided into three parts and parallel to the reef. Its upper structures are between four and fifteen meters below the surface, the cover is between fifteen and twenty meters and the sand bottom is 28 meters deep.
Its exact location is latitude 27º 38'10" N longitude 34º 07'30" E (GPS). Currently there are no restrictions for diving in this wreck.
The bow is located in the area closest to the reef, about 18 meters away, from which we can see the anchor resting on the coral. The wreck is inclined, with the propeller resting on the bottom about 30 meters deep. Its general condition is quite good. The most damaged area is the central one, which corresponded to the ship's holds, currently converted into a mass of iron. However, it is in this area where the largest amount of fauna is concentrated, such as some groupers and the ubiquitous lionfish. Its structures have been colonized by madreporic and soft corals.
The most interesting part to visit is the stern, with the large bridge and the enormous chimney. It is possible to easily access the interior of this entire area and the engine room. The navigation elements have been plundered, for the most part, from the command bridge, which is completely open plan.
Inside the wreck, and because the entire stern part is listed more than 45º on the port side, it is very easy to get disoriented and the only way to know if you are ascending or descending is by observing the instruments and the bubbles. Full of stairs and corridors, it is worth entering it with a spotlight and, always, without losing sight of the exit.
Various possible routes
If we are only going to explore the Giannis D, it is advisable to start with the deepest and most interesting part, the one located in the stern where, with total security, we will be entertained for a long time. Normally, cruise ships anchor on the bridge superstructure located about five meters under water. We can see it perfectly under the bow of our cruise ship. We will descend through the cape to it and, from here, to the command bridge. In this area we can access its interior by visiting the engine room, its chimney, the aft deck and the propeller. The luminosity of the waters creates beautiful backlights between the upper structures of the ship.
From here, on the starboard side, we will advance towards the winery area, without stopping to take a look at the blue, where the passage of pelagic species is common. We will continue towards the bow, to visit the enormous anchor and, from there, we can ascend the reef or return flying over the wreck towards the anchorage cape. At this point it is much easier to make a stop if necessary.
Other interesting wrecks in Abu Nuhas
There are up to seven wrecks whose remains rest definitively in this difficult navigation passage that closes the Gobal Strait. The most interesting to visit, in addition to the Giannis D, are the Carnatic (an English freighter powered by sail and steam that sank in 1869 loaded with thousands of bottles of wine and soda) and the Chrisoula K (sunk at the other end of the reef and in worst state of conservation to be visited).
But these wrecks are another story...
