El Mina Wreck

The El Mina is Hurghada's home wreck, an Egyptian Navy minesweeper of around 70 metres that sank just outside the harbour in 1970 during the War of Attrition. It is barely twenty minutes from the marina, which makes it one of the most accessible wrecks in Egypt, yet it still feels like a proper wreck dive. She lies on her port side between roughly 25 and 32 metres, largely intact, so an Advanced certification and good buoyancy are the tickets you need. Divers explore the bridge, the deck guns and the blast damage that sent her down, keeping a careful eye on depth and time on the deeper sections. The signature of an El Mina dive is glassfish. Vast shimmering schools fill the bridge and superstructure and part around you as you pass, while an unusually dense population of lionfish hangs at the edges, picking them off one by one. It is a favourite for a first deep wreck and for predator-and-prey photography.

Highlights

• ✓Only 20 minutes from the marina
• ✓Intact 70 m navy minesweeper
• ✓Glassfish clouds and hunting lionfish
• ✓A great first deep wreck for Advanced divers

Wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed. Final dive sites depend on weather, sea conditions, certification level and the daily operation plan - we never promise an exact site in advance, and neither should anyone else.