Thistlegorm Wreck Diving — Egypt

SS Thistlegorm is arguably the world's most famous wreck dive — a WWII British transport ship sunk by German bombers in 1941, still loaded with motorbikes, trucks, and railway carriages. Sitting at 30 meters in the Strait of Gubal, it's an underwater museum of wartime cargo. The downside is extreme crowding, with multiple boats moored simultaneously.

Score
60.6 / 100
Country
Egypt
Region
Red Sea
Area
Strait of Gubal
Nearest airport
Sharm El Sheikh International (SSH)
Visibility
12–30 m
Water temperature
20–28 °C
Max depth
32 m
Current strength
moderate
Dive types
wreck, penetration
Best months
March, April, May, September, October, November
Minimum certification
Advanced Open Water
Access type
liveaboard
Average 2-tank dive cost
$90 USD
Budget tier
mid range
Key species
jackfish, barracuda, batfish, crocodilefish, lionfish
Google rating
4.8 (800 reviews)
Top operators
Camel Dive Club, Red Sea Explorers
Nearest hyperbaric chamber
Sharm El Sheikh Hyperbaric Chamber (~40 km)
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World Class
Advanced
Thistlegorm Wreck
EgyptRed Sea
60.6

SCORE

27.8100°N

33.9200°E

SS Thistlegorm is arguably the world's most famous wreck dive — a WWII British transport ship sunk by German bombers in 1941, still loaded with motorbikes, trucks, and railway carriages. Sitting at 30 meters in the Strait of Gubal, it's an underwater museum of wartime cargo. The downside is extreme crowding, with multiple boats moored simultaneously.

The World's Most Famous Shipwreck Dive

Visibility12–30 m
Temperature20–28°C
Max Depth32 m
Currentmoderate
2-Tank Dive$90
Best MonthsMarch, April, May, September
CertificationAdvanced Open WaterAdvanced

Score Breakdown

Click any score to see a detailed breakdown

ML68.0CH55.0VIS68.0SV42.0TMP72.0DA62.0OP72.0TS25.0GT68.0VAL68.0CRD35.0SP92.0

Marine Life

68.0

Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.

Species Diversity
62
Megafauna Encounters
52
Reef Fish Abundance
72
Macro Life
60
Endemic Species
58
Marine Life Diversity
68.0
Coral & Reef Health
55.0
Visibility & Conditions
68.0
Dive Site Variety
42.0
Water Temperature
72.0
Depth & Access
62.0
Operator Quality
72.0
Topside Experience
25.0
Getting There
68.0
Value & Cost
68.0
Crowding
35.0
Social Proof
92.0

Key Species

jackfishbarracudabatfishcrocodilefishlionfish

Dive Types

wreckpenetration

Traveling with Non-Divers?

This destination is primarily accessed by liveaboard — not ideal for non-diving partners. Consider planning separate shore-based activities before or after your liveaboard trip.

Activities for Non-Divers

liveaboard deck lifesnorkeling

Non-Diver Partner Score

1/10

Dedicated dive destination — not ideal for non-divers.

Family FriendlyNot recommended
Restaurants & Nightlifenone

Safety & Emergency

Dive Insurance

Dive insurance is essential. Standard travel insurance often excludes scuba diving. We recommend DAN (Divers Alert Network) for comprehensive dive accident coverage.

Learn More at DAN.org
Hyperbaric Chamber40 km — Sharm El Sheikh Hyperbaric Chamber
Nearest Hospital40 km

Reached via liveaboard from Sharm; chamber in Sharm El Sheikh 40 km away

Skill LevelAdvanced
Current Strengthmoderate

Top Operators

Camel Dive Club

PADI

4.7
500 reviewsNITROX

Red Sea Explorers

BSAC

4.6
300 reviewsNITROX
Compare This Dive Site
Honest reality check

What your dive shop won't tell you

The minimum certification printed on a brochure is the legal floor, not the honest recommendation. Here's what we actually think you should bring to this site.

Recommended logged dives
70+

Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.

Recommended certification
Advanced Open Water
“Accessible to most certified divers with basic open water skills.”

What will challenge you

  • →Moderate currents. Expect to drift — this is not a skill-builder site for a first trip after certification.
  • →Recreational limit of 40 m is reachable here (max depth 32 m). Gas planning and NDL tracking matter.
  • →Cooler than most tropical sites — 20°C minimum. A 5 mm wetsuit is the floor for longer dives.
  • →Wreck penetration requires Wreck specialty training at minimum, and often decompression planning. Don't improvise inside.
  • →Liveaboard only. Self-sufficiency matters — you're far from dive medical support.
  • →Variable visibility
  • →Deep profiles

What will surprise you

  • →You'll do 3–4 dives a day for a week straight. Fitness and sleep discipline matter more than your certification level.
  • →Thermoclines can drop water temp by 8°C between the surface and depth. Your wetsuit choice should match the minimum, not the average.
  • →Thistlegorm Wreck has more marine life variety than most divers expect
  • →Local operators know spots the guidebooks miss
Time of day

When to dive it

Every dive shop gives you this briefing at 7am. We just wrote it down. Tidal dependency: slight. Optimal window: First light to 11am for best visibility..

Morning
  • Viz
    high
  • Current
    moderate
  • Crowd
    light
  • reef exploration
  • photography

Best light and calmest conditions before afternoon wind picks up.

Afternoon
  • Viz
    moderate
  • Current
    moderate
  • Crowd
    moderate
  • drift diving
  • second tank

Wind chop can reduce viz. Still diveable but morning is better.

Month-by-month

Dive forecast

Realistic conditions by month. Viz ranges are what you should actually expect, not best-case marketing numbers. Confidence % is the share of days that match this profile historically.

Month Viz (m) Temp (°C) CurrentSea RainConfidenceHighlights
Jan21–3024ModCalmLight70%wreck visibility good, peak season crowds
Feb21–3024ModCalmLight70%wreck visibility good, peak season crowds
Mar21–3024ModCalmLight70%wreck visibility good, peak season crowds
Apr21–3024ModCalmLight70%wreck visibility good
May21–3024ModCalmLight70%wreck visibility good
Jun12–2126ModModWet70%wreck visibility good
Jul12–2126ModModWet70%wreck visibility good, manta season
Aug12–2126ModModWet70%wreck visibility good, manta season
Sep12–2126ModModWet70%wreck visibility good, manta season
Oct12–2126ModModWet70%wreck visibility good
Nov21–3024ModCalmLight70%wreck visibility good
Dec21–3024ModCalmLight70%wreck visibility good
Shoot here

Photography brief

Subjects are only half the shot. A perfect macro site is useless in a three-knot drift, and a wide-angle dream is useless at 35 m with a murky ceiling. These are the conditions, not the hype.

Macro subjects66
Wide angle64
Viz stability60
Hover friendliness70
Natural light48

Recommended kit

  • →Dedicated video light for dark wreck interiors; don't rely on strobes alone
Level up here

What this site will teach you

The dives that made you a better diver are the ones that made you uncomfortable for the right reasons. Here's what this site will quietly train you for.

What it costsEstimates — calibration pending

7-day trip, per person

Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. This is a liveaboard destination, so the dive package rolls accommodation and food into one nightly rate.

Budget
$2,300–$2,850

Hostels, shore diving, cheap eats

Flights (RT from US)
$810–$990
Diving / day
$200–$230
Transfers + misc
$100–$250
Mid-range
$2,850–$3,800

3-star hotels, standard boat ops, mix of restaurants

Flights (RT from US)
$1,150–$1,450
Diving / day
$230–$300
Transfers + misc
$100–$250
Splurge
$4,000–$5,100

Top resorts or liveaboards, premium operators

Flights (RT from US)
$1,800–$2,200
Diving / day
$300–$380
Transfers + misc
$100–$250

Flights priced round-trip from a major US hub. Figures are per person on a shared room. Solo travelers add ~30% to accommodation.

Pair with

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Most divers fly across the world for one destination and don't realise another worth-it site is 90 minutes away. Here are the honest pairings.

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