Giannis D
Also known as: Giannis D Wreck, Abu Nuhas, Abu Nahas
The most photogenic of the four Abu Nuhas wrecks — a Greek cargo ship that struck the reef in 1983 and broke into three. Her dramatically tilted stern, with engine room and mast, is one of the Red Sea's best wreck dives.
- Max depth
- 27 m
- Visibility
- 25 m
- Current
- moderate
- Difficulty
- intermediate
- Boat time
- 110 min
- Suitable for
- open-water, advanced
The jewel of the ship graveyard
Abu Nuhas is a notorious reef on the north side of the Strait of Gubal — a "ship graveyard" that has claimed at least four cargo vessels. The Giannis D, a Greek-owned freighter carrying timber, hit the reef at speed in April 1983 and eventually broke into three sections. The bow and midships are flattened, but the stern is the prize: it sits tilted at a steep, dramatic angle, its mast reaching out over the reef and its engine room open to careful exploration. The unusual orientation messes pleasantly with your sense of up and down, and the afternoon light through the wreckage makes it a photographer's favourite.
Site highlights
- Intact, dramatically tilted stern section
- Swim-through engine room and accommodation
- Mast lying out across the reef at shallow depth
- Photogenic angles loved by underwater photographers
- Glassfish and lionfish swarming the wreckage
- •Disorienting tilt — the wreck lies on its side
- •Penetration only with a guide and proper training
- •Moderate current on the exposed reef
- •Sharp, encrusted metal edges
Gallery
Trips that visit Giannis D
Day-trips and packages where this site is on the itinerary.
Abu Nuhas Wreck Trip
A full day on the Red Sea's 'ship graveyard'. Two dives on the wrecks of Abu Nuhas reef — typically the photogenic Giannis D and the 1869 Carnatic 'Wine Wreck'. A wreck-lover's day out for certified divers, an hour and a half north of Hurghada.
SS Thistlegorm Overnight Safari
The Thistlegorm done properly. Two days and one night on the boat, combining the Abu Nuhas wrecks with three or four dives on the SS Thistlegorm — including the quiet early-morning dives before the day boats arrive. The premium wreck experience for certified divers.
Nearby dive sites
Carnatic
The oldest and most beautiful of the Abu Nuhas wrecks — a P&O steam-and-sail ship wrecked in 1869. More than 150 years of coral has turned her elegant skeleton into a living reef draped in soft corals and glassfish.
El Mina Wreck
A 70 m Egyptian minesweeper sunk during the 1967 war, lying on her port side at 32 m. The most dramatic and accessible wreck in the Hurghada area — and a highlight of any Advanced Open Water course.
SS Thistlegorm
The most famous wreck in the Red Sea — a British WWII armed merchant ship sunk in 1941, her holds still packed with motorcycles, trucks, rifles and railway locomotives. A bucket-list dive in the Strait of Gubal.