Sernaka Island, also known as Mikauwa Island, lies just 6 km south of the Ras Banas peninsula and is surrounded by a fringing reef that stretches out far into the sea to the north. The island is uninhabited and affords the opportunity to make short excursions on land, from where pictures can be taken of one’s liveaboard. Among its rocks lie coral skeletons—evidence that the island once lay below sea level. It is an ideal place to stay at overnight when returning to the north from St. John’s reefs and can be moored at along its southern side 1. However, the most varied dives can be had in the area around its small beacon A.
To the northwest of the southern part of the reef, the reef wall drops sharply from its edge A before gradually levelling off into the sea at a depth of about 60 m. Its first 10 metres feature an average amount of corals, and it becomes increasingly barren and sandy as the depth increases. The wreck of a sunken fishing vessel, El Kamash (see 1-5-2), rests here at a depth of 30 to 50 m A surrounded by scattered wreckage and equipment on the seabed, such as an old fishing net at 20 m A. Further to the east, the seabed forms a broad plateau at an average depth of 10 m A before sloping into the deep blue of the sea. There, along with both the reef walls A and the seabed, corals and fish are rather scarce.
Although the dive site lies to the south, the occasionally strong current sometimes branches out to the moorings diminishing the visibility by stirring up the sediment, which, along with its depth, is why diving to the wreck is only recommended to experienced divers.
