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All week I had been nursing a cold with ears that had become increasingly harder to clear during each dive that I did however now I was poised to plunge into the water and dive the Thistlegorm one of the best known wrecks in the diving world and always in the top five wreck dives of most divers. To be honest barring a bust ear drum I was determined to get at least one dive on this famous Red Sea wreck and as it was I managed to complete all three of the planned dives before my ears finally admitted defeat and prevented me from diving for the remainder of the trip 24 hours later.
A Brief History
One of the great attractions about diving wrecks is the sense of getting to observe a part of history in its final resting place and this is very much the case with the Thistlegorm as not only is it in pretty good structural condition but also a lot of its cargo is still on the ship.
The ship met its end on the 5th October 1941 although it did not actually sink until just after midnight on the 6th the German bombs did all of their damage on the 5th.
The ship was actually moored up in what was supposed to be safe anchorage waiting for its escorts to take it through the Suez Canal having started its journey a few days before from Glasgow. It was rather unlucky to get sunk as the two Heinkels had actually been looking for a troop ship and were returning home after a fruitless search and were planning on dumping their bombs to conserve fuel when they spotted the Thistlegorm which was essentially a sitting duck with very limited guns to provide any protection.
The Thistlegorm was also not helped by the fact that part of its cargo contained military shells alongside the Bedford trucks, rifles, motorbikes, Bren gun carriers and two train engines.
On that fateful day nine of the crew lost their lives with the other 35 including the Captain being rescued.
Today the vessel sits in about 32m of water to the bottom with the upper structure accessible at about 16m making it a great dive for both experienced and novice divers.
Diving the Thistlegorm
You have two basic options when deciding to dive the Thistlegorm. For a land based holiday option most of the day boats depart Sharm El Sheikh in the early hours of the morning usually about 3.00am looking to arrive some time around 7.30 in the morning which allows for two dives on the wreck before heading back after lunch. The downside of doing this is the early start and the fact that you dive the wreck at the same time as all of the other day boats and it gets really busy to say the least and at times really chaotic and not without its dangers.
Alternatively you can dive it as part of a one week liveaboard experience spending your entire holiday living on the boat, the benefit of this is that you can moor up on the wreck overnight and be first into the water in the morning and be well away before the arrival of the day boats. Also it means that you can also get a night dive in on the wreck which is a fantastic experience. In all we enjoyed three dives on the Thistlegorm which I found to be just right as it gave us plenty of time to explore the whole of the vessel without having to race against time and air consumption and also we got a night dive in as well. You could just about do the whole wreck in one dive if you had a twin set and decent air consumption however you would definitely total up a bit of deco time if you did and part of the enjoyment of diving such an interesting wreck is taking the time to pick out the detail as no two dives are the same.
The Dives
The first dive was mid afternoon after the day boast had departed and we were one of only three liveaboards on the wreck. The Thistlegorm is subject to fairly strong currents and this first dive was no exception, rather than a gradual descent down the shot line I found myself having to use both arms to pull myself down however once on the wreck there is plenty of shelter from the current.
We started our exploration through the bridge to our left we see the two locomotive engines still standing proudly erect however on this dive it is the plan to explore holds one and two which are packed full of military supplies. Each of the two holds have an upper and lower level and provide easy access into them, it is possible to swim through a gap from one hold to the other however for the less confident you merely exit out of one and then dive down into the next one. Inside there is little need for a torch and we are soon rummaging around in the Bedford Vans that lie at the bottom of hold two alongside which there are wracks of BSA motorcycles. Finding ourselves still with plenty of air we enter hold three to check out the bundles of rifles and ammo scattered on the floor.
Exiting the holds we explore the upper deck taking a quick look into the Captains quarters with his bath still in place. On that first dive the sea life is not so evident I'm so busy staring at all the metal to really notice much of anything else. Fortunately for our ascent the current has abated and it is a nice leisurely safety stop before reaching the surface and a warm cup of coffee.
The second dive was a total transformation as it was at night, then the wreck comes alive in a swath of colour and all of the fish come out to play. This time there was little evidence of a current as we descended into the gloom and it was a fantastic sight as the wreck came into our view with a couple of existing divers torch beams bouncing around on it. For this dive we stayed in the upper areas as it was the fourth dive of the day and our depth needed to be on the conservative side no deeper than 20 meters. For this dive we again explored the wheel house followed by a host o fish and then swam passed the collapsed water towers before entering the wheel house. We then swam over to the bow of the ship to check out the anchor and a first look at the bomb damage which ripped a huge hole in hold four. It was a real buzz to see the Thistlegorm at night full of vibrant colours and teeming with sea life although unfortunately we did not encounter the resident turtle that often sleeps under the rolling stock. The return to the shot line did prove quite difficult as by now the current was at full blast which made for an exhilarating safety stop as I did my best impression of a kite as my body was at 90 degrees to the rope and it was even strong enough to move my mask if I turned my head side on.
The next morning saw an extremely early start as the plan was to be first on the wreck and then back on the boat and on our way before the horde of day boats arrived. Once again dropping down the line to see the entire structure of the boat was a breathtaking sight. This time the plan was to go deep to the seabed checking out the bomb damage to hold four. First we dropped down off the side to view the two gun emplacements before swimming around to the rear to view the enormous propeller, this is an awesome sight and anyone that says size does not matter is so wrong when it comes to propellers at least. As is tradition we gave the top of one of the blades a little rub in memory of the nine sailors and those divers who have lost their lives on the wreck ensuring that the little patch of metal remains free from coral growth.
Then is was on into the hold, checking out the two intact toilet cubicles which actually have air pockets in them, not that you would want to breath it after 65 years before checking out the intense damage to the hold, for anyone who wants a visual reminder close up of what a bomb can do this sis quite a chilling experience made a little more uncomfortable by the huge artillery shells that litter the floor slowly corroding away, needless to say nobody tried removing those babies.
Looking up from the hold provided a fantastic view of a shoal of fish who framed a Lionfish perfectly as it hovered in open water and the whole shot was then perfectly framed by the ships structure this was probably the only time when I wished that I had a camera as it was a superb shot. All too soon a dwindling supply of air meant it was time to hold on tight to the shot line as the current did its best to sweep us off into the Gulf of Suez.
As I got onto the boat with a big smile on my face I did reflect that there cannot be many better ways to start celebrating your 40th birthday.
Tips for Diving the Thistlegorm
You do need to be able to dive in strong currents although because of the varying depth of the wreck it is suitable for both novice and experienced diver.
It is best dived using Nitrox if you are qualified for longer bottom times.
Having a torch is always recommended for when you enter the holds however there is a great deal of natural light available and on the day dives my torch was hardly ever used except to read an inscription on one of the shell cases.
Personally a liveaboard gives you more time and quieter time on the wreck and allows for a night dive however this type of intense dive holiday is not right for everyone, if ding it by day boat expect an early start. In Sharm there are numerous dive boats available and it is also possible to dive the wreck from Hurghada and Dahab however often at additional cost because of the distances involved.
The Thistlegorm is one of the best wrecks in the world and a must see for most divers, I must admit that every dive was different on it and I would have gladly stayed for another three dives however there is just too much to see in the Red Sea. One thing is certain I will be back.
I have dived a few wrecks in my time, but never one so well preserved and with so much exciting stuff to see. Sounds brilliant! Vic
flabbercabbage 25.04.2006 22:51
Great read after a great title.
frizzball 25.04.2006 22:08
How fantastic, although I'm not sure I could swim next to the propeller! I have got to learn to dive at some point in my life, just to say I can! Great review! Louise. x
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