27°42.200′ N – 34°07.300′ E
- situated 6.9 miles west of Ras Mohammed with a small fi metal beacon indicating the southern tip of Sha’ab Mahmud. S In 1876 this was the site of the shipwreck of the British merchant ship Dunraven, built-in Newcastle in 1873 by Mitchell & Co with mixed propulsion (sail and steam), and bound for Bombay. The wreck lies upside down at 15–29.5 meters’ depth, in two sections; it was discovered only in 1977 by geologist Arye Keller and underwater cameraman
- Howard Rosenstein. The Dunraven was the subject of a
- memorable BBC documentary Il film in 1979 and has become a
- classic site for scuba divers. d. Since the cargo (timber and
- Dunraven (Beacon Rock)
- bales of cotton) was lost during the shipwreck when the ship caught fire, the wreck looks like a large, practically empty cave. You can access through the three main openings at the stern, centre and the bow. You reach the Dunraven by zodiac if the boat is moored in the sheltered area behind the lighthouse. The dive begins from the stern, the deepest point of the wreck. After going a few dozen meters, you can penetrate the hull – populated by large groupers, lionfish and swarms of glassfish and multicoloured
- Alcyonarians. It is best to exit through the opening amidships by the engine room, so that
- you can explore the outside of the bow area and the nearby coral garden.
- DUNRAVEN Type of ship: steamer Nationality: British Year of construction: 1873 Length: 85 m Width: 9.7 m Estimated tonnage: 1,800 t Date of shipwreck:
- Depth: 15–29.5 m
- Features • The wreck is much less crowded than the Thistlegorm. • There is a splendid, virtually intact coral garden on the outer slope of the reef above the bow. • Rich in stable populations of groupers, scorpionfish, crocodilefish, Alcyonarians and sponges.
- Comments • Dive when the sea is calm and the weather is good. • There is often a current moving to the north. • Even though visibility may be fairly good, it is advisable to have a torch.
