Carnatic

Parallel rows of iron ribs rise from the seabed like the nave of a flooded cathedral. The SS Carnatic's wooden decking rotted away over a century ago, leaving only the skeletal framework of a Victorian-era steamship standing open to the water column at 22-27m. A dive typically begins at the stern, swimming the full 90-metre length through the exposed hull where soft corals and hydroids drape the ironwork in colour, and glassfish pulse through the rib openings. The bow section at 12m provides a shallower exit point via the buoy line, or divers can ascend the adjacent reef slope — watching for fire corals that dominate the reef face here.

The Carnatic predates every other diveable wreck in the Red Sea by more than a century. She sank in September 1869, just months before the Suez Canal opened — the end of an era when ships still rounded Africa or crossed overland from Alexandria to Suez. That age shows not in decay but in transformation: 150-plus years of marine colonisation have turned the iron skeleton into a living reef that far surpasses the coral coverage on the younger Abu Nuhas wrecks. Fragments of wine bottles still scatter the floor — relics of the Victorian cargo that earned the wreck its "Wine Wreck" nickname. The human story is equally arresting: after balancing on the reef for 36 hours, the ship broke in two and sank, sending passengers fleeing to Shadwan Island where 31 perished awaiting rescue.

The Carnatic sits deeper than the Giannis D or Chrisoula K, with most of the wreck between 22 and 27m. Nitrox is strongly recommended to make the most of the bottom time. The open-rib structure means there are no enclosed compartments — entry and exit points appear throughout the hull, making this an unusually comfortable wreck for divers who dislike tight penetration. Broken wine-bottle glass on the floor is the primary hazard inside the wreck; avoid touching the bottom and be mindful of fin kick. The Carnatic lies adjacent to the Giannis D, and both can be visited on the same day at Abu Nuhas. Many experienced Red Sea divers rate it as their favourite wreck on the reef.