Abu Ghusun (Wreck)

Egypt · wreck · beginner

5–18 mbeginnerOWshore entry

Abu Ghusun (Wreck)

The Hamada, a small Cypriot freighter that sank in 1993, lying on her port side in 5 to 18 m a short swim off the beach.

wreckreefshoreshallowmacro

Max depth5–18 m

Required levelbeginner

Entry typeshore

Visibilitynot sourced

The dive

Abu Ghusun is a calm, protected bay south of Marsa Alam, and the reason to dive it is the Hamada: a Cypriot cargo vessel carrying a load of plastic granules that sank here in 1993. She lies on her port side on sand in 5 to 18 m of water, broken into open, well-lit sections, a short distance off the village.

That combination — shallow, broken open, sheltered, close in — makes this one of the very few genuinely accessible wrecks on the Egyptian coast. It is listed as a shore dive as well as a boat dive, current is described as minimal, and operators rate it beginner to intermediate with no wreck certification required for the standard tour. A wreck speciality is recommended if you want to go into the deeper interior swim-throughs.

The wreck has been colonised: the occurrence record for this position is full of ordinary shallow-reef residents — chromis, parrotfish, pufferfish, lionfish, triggerfish, anemonefish, blue-spotted ribbontail ray, sailfin tang — and operators additionally report glassfish shoals, morays, octopus, scorpionfish and stonefish through the structure. A typical trip pairs the hull with the adjacent reef.

The Hamada wreck on her port side in 5-18 m, close enough to reach from shore
Broken into open, well-lit sections, so the swim-throughs are light rather than true penetration
Calm protected bay with minimal current
Glassfish shoals, lionfish, morays, octopus and scorpionfish through the wreckage

Please note before you go

It is still a wreck: broken plating and sharp edges, and the deeper interior swim-throughs are an overhead environment for which operators recommend a wreck speciality
Stonefish and scorpionfish are reported on the structure — do not put a hand down on a flat surface
Lionfish in the shadowed sections
Boat traffic in the bay if you enter from shore

Access & rules

Mandatory requirements

Certification required

Getting there

Shore or boat. The wreck lies just off the village of Abu Ghusun, south of Marsa Alam, in a calm protected bay; it is listed as a shore dive, and operators also run it as a short speedboat hop. Because it does not need a boat, it is the fallback site on days the offshore reefs are unworkable.

Operator

You can reach the site independently.

Rules and permits

Abu Ghusun sits on the Wadi el Gemal National Park coast. The park's own page quotes an entrance fee of EGP 5 for Egyptians and EGP 40 for non-Egyptians, but that page carries no date, so treat the figure as indicative and confirm locally. Standard Egyptian marine-park rules apply: no gloves, no touching, nothing taken off the wreck. Recorded 2026-08-07.

Season

We found no Abu Ghusun-specific seasonality in the sources we read. Because the site is shallow, sheltered and shore-accessible, it is one of the few dives in the region that stays available when the offshore reefs are blown out.

Conditions

Visibilitynot sourced

Currentlight

Surgenot sourced

WaterSalt water

Depth range5–18 m

Environmentwreck

Coralrecovering

Crowdsnot sourced

A sheltered bay with minimal current and a wreck sitting in 5 to 18 m on sand. Sections are broken open and well lit, so it is a bright dive rather than a torch-and-line one. No source we read publishes a typical visibility figure here.

On current: Current is described as minimal — the bay is calm and protected, which is what makes shore entry viable. No source we read gives a typical visibility figure for this site, so that field is left empty rather than guessed.

Questions & answers

What is the wreck at Abu Ghusun?

The Hamada, a Cypriot cargo vessel carrying plastic granules, which sank here in 1993. She rests on her port side on sand in 5 to 18 m just off the village of Abu Ghusun, south of Marsa Alam, broken into open and well-lit sections.

How deep is the Hamada?

5 to 18 m. The shallowest structure is within a few metres of the surface and the deepest part of the wreck sits at around 18 m on the sand, which keeps the whole dive inside no-decompression limits on air with plenty of margin.

Can you dive it from shore?

Yes. It is listed as a shore dive: the bay is calm and protected, current is minimal, and the wreck lies a short distance off the beach. Operators also run it as a short speedboat hop, usually pairing the hull with the adjacent reef on a second dive.

Do I need a wreck certification?

Not for the standard tour. The wreck is broken into open, well-lit sections and operators rate it for all levels. A wreck speciality is recommended if you want to go into the deeper interior swim-throughs, which are a genuine overhead environment.

Is it good for snorkellers and beginners?

It is one of the better options for both. The wreck's shallow depth is explicitly described as accessible to beginner divers and snorkellers, the bay is sheltered, and there is effectively no current. Stay off the structure itself and watch for boats.

What will I see on the wreck?

Shoaling glassfish, lionfish, morays, octopus, scorpionfish and stonefish through the wreckage, plus the ordinary shallow-reef community the occurrence record shows here — chromis, parrotfish, pufferfish, triggerfish, anemonefish, blue-spotted ribbontail rays and sailfin tang. Coral has colonised much of the structure.

Are there fees or permits?

Abu Ghusun lies on the Wadi el Gemal National Park coast, and the park's own page lists an entrance fee of EGP 5 for Egyptians and EGP 40 for non-Egyptians. That page is undated, so treat the number as indicative and confirm locally. Standard marine-park rules apply: no gloves, no touching, nothing removed from the wreck.

Life recorded at Abu Ghusun (Wreck)

60 species within 10.29 km · OBIS

Balistoides viridescensrare · 4 records Taeniura lymmarare · 3 records Gymnothorax javanicusrare · 2 records

Chromis viridisoccasional · 10 records

Scarus ferrugineusoccasional · 7 records

Amblygobius albimaculatusoccasional · 5 records

All 60 species recorded in this area

Species	How often	Records
Chromis viridis	occasional	10
Scarus ferrugineus	occasional	7
Amblygobius albimaculatus	occasional	5
Pterois miles	occasional	5
Arothron hispidus	occasional	5
Fromia ghardaqana	occasional	5
Ocypode saratan	occasional	5
Amphiprion bicinctus	rare	4
Zebrasoma desjardinii	rare	4
Pomacentrus sulfureus	rare	4
Pseudochromis flavivertex	rare	4
Rhinecanthus assasi	rare	4
Balistoides viridescens	rare	4
Ecsenius gravieri	rare	4
Variola louti	rare	4
Ophiocoma scolopendrina	rare	3
Cirripectes castaneus	rare	3
Callyspongia crassa	rare	3
Chaetodon austriacus	rare	3
Taeniura lymma	rare	3
Arothron diadematus	rare	3
Balistapus undulatus	rare	3
Hipposcarus harid	rare	3
Cheilinus quinquecinctus	rare	3
Oxycheilinus digramma	rare	3
Pseudobalistes fuscus	rare	2
Sufflamen albicaudatum	rare	2
Thalassoma lunare	rare	2
Bodianus anthioides	rare	2
Chaetodon auriga	rare	2
Chaetodon semilarvatus	rare	2
Cheilinus lunulatus	rare	2
Chlorurus gibbus	rare	2
Chlorurus sordidus	rare	2
Chromis flavaxilla	rare	2
Ctenogobiops crocineus	rare	2
Ecsenius aroni	rare	2
Grapsus tenuicrustatus	rare	2
Gymnothorax javanicus	rare	2
Monotaxis grandoculis	rare	2
Naso unicornis	rare	2
Parapercis hexophtalma	rare	2
Pearsonothuria graeffei	rare	2
Platax orbicularis	rare	2
Rastrelliger kanagurta	rare	2
Trapezia tigrina	rare	2
Tridacna squamosa	rare	2
Amblyglyphidodon indicus	rare	2
Dascyllus abudafur	rare	2
Hemigymnus sexfasciatus	rare	2
Oxymonacanthus halli	rare	2
Pomacentrus trichrourus	rare	2
Mulloidichthys flavolineatus	rare	2
Parupeneus cyclostomus	rare	2
Tursiops aduncus	rare	2
Corythoichthys schultzi	rare	2
Flavocaranx bajad	rare	2
Nausithoe punctata	rare	1
Echeneis naucrates	rare	1
Cassiopea andromeda	rare	1

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